20 of the Best Egg Laying chickens By James Kippax A free Ebook provided by FarmerSpot.com Disclaimer: This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of veterinarians. The reader should regularly consult a veterinarian in matters relating to their chickens health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. This book is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The author and publisher are not offering it as legal, medical, veterinary, or other professional services advice. Neither the publisher nor the individual author(s) shall be liable for any physical, psychological, emotional, financial, or commercial damages, including, but not limited to, special, incidental, consequential or other damages. Our views and rights are the same: You are responsible for your own choices, actions, and results. Copyright: Cover Illustration Copyright © 2013 by James Kippax Book design and production James Kippax Chapter opening illustrations © 2014 James Kippax Author photograph by James Kippax Copyright © 2014 James Kippax All rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced without permission of the authors. This book should not be lent, hired out or circulated in any other manner or form. ng chicken? What’s the best egg laying chicken? This is a common questions asked by both new What’sand old poultry keepersthe bestalike at one egg time or layi another. Well, we’ve a created this free ebook to help you answer this question. We’ve scoured the web, various books and magazines to come up with a list of twenty of the best hens and chickens for laying eggs. Any chicken breed of this list will would make a great addition to a flock. Most of the breeds on this list are prolific layers. However, some breeds have their own quirks and unique characteristics that may or may not be desirable – it’ll be up to you to decide what’s the best chicken breed for your home. Once you have made your mind up, make sure you check out our guide on raising chickens and hens for further help and advice. Note: hens and chickens lay the most eggs during their first twelve months. The figures mentioned in this list are the average amount of eggs a chicken will produce during their first year. After twelve months a hens egg production tends to tail off a bit – some breeds are worse than others. However, they do tend to start laying bigger eggs after the first year. Let’s now take a look at the top 20 laying hens: 20. Marans Eggs: Lays around 180 eggs during their first year. Egg colour: Dark brown. The Maran originated from western France around the 1920s. During the 1930s they were exported to other countries around the world. They are dual purpose utility breed – meaning they will produce a quite a few eggs, and will yield a reasonable quantity of meat if slaughtered. The chicken comes in various colours, including: Black Copper, Silver Cuckoo, Golden Cuckoo, White, Wheaton, Birchen, and Blue – however there are other colours available. The hens are famous for laying dark chocolate coloured eggs. All strains of the Maran lay dark eggs, but it’s the Cuckoo variety that lays the darkest. The Maran is a hardy breed that can deal with cold weather well. They are friendly, but they aren’t a particular docile breed. Marans can be used to raise chicks as the hens go broody - they are also good mothers. Marans are a great choice if you fancy adding some dark shelled eggs to your daily supply. 19. Cochins Eggs: 150 to 180 eggs during their first year. Egg colour: tends to be brown. The Cochin is famous for being a big fluffy bundle of feathers. They’re not the best layers but tend to have great personalities and make fantastic mothers. The Cochin originates from China, during the mid-19th century it was exported to Britain and America. It has a very distinctive look due to its excessive plumage that covers its legs and feet. One downside of this is that they can get mucky very quickly – especially during the wetter parts of the year. If you live in a wet climate you might find you have to manually clean its feathers - this can make the breed a bit labour-intensive. Cochins come in a variety of coloured strains, including: Black, Partridge, Blue, Silver Waste, Splash, Golden Laced, and White. They can also come in a frizzled variety where their feathers are turned outwards. Cochins are an extremely friendly and docile bird that’s very easy to keep. It doesn’t produce a great amount of eggs, or a decent meat carcass, but they tend to develop great personalities – making them popular as pets. The birds have been known to suffer from metabolism and heart problems. These problems are made worse by the birds’ lazy lifestyle. Cochins do make great mothers, and can make a nice addition to an already existing flock. They’re a large breed and cockerel’s can weigh up to a whopping twelve pounds once fully grown - combine this with their feathering and you have a hen that can look enormous. 18. Ixworth Eggs: around 150 to 200 during their first year. Egg colour: white, with a pale tint. The Ixworth is dual purpose chicken breed that was developed in 1932, in the village of Ixworth, Suffolk, in the UK. It was created by crossbreeding the white types of Sussex, Minorca, Orpington, and Indian game chickens. It is especially suited to meat production due to its carcass having white skin – this used to be highly valued in the British meat market before being replaced by the modern meat chickens (broilers). The plumage of the Ixworth is always white; it possesses a pea comb; orange to red eyes; pinky white legs and beak. It is a friendly hen and a good choice of those who live in colder climates. The Ixworth has what is called a ‘pea comb’. This is a small bumpy comb that protrudes from the head far less than other breeds. One advantage of the pea comb is that it makes the comb less prone to frostbite. Ixworths will go broody, therefore this breed can be used to hatch and raise your own chicks. They are also a good layer that’s just behind the light Sussex in terms egg weight. 17. Buckeye Eggs: Lays around 150 to 200 during their first year. Egg colour: Brown The Buckeye is a chicken breed that originated from the US state of Ohio, during the late 19th century. The chicken is famous for having a pea comb. It is a great dual purpose bird – one that will lay a reasonable amount of eggs and produces a decent amount of meat if slaughtered. The breed is famous for being one of the only chicken breeds created by a woman – her name was Nettie Metcalfe. Nettie developed the breed by crossbreeding Barred Plymouth Rock’s, Buff Cochins and some black breasted Red Games. The Buckeye is a very friendly bird that’s easy to keep, whilst not being too flighty. It’s a great breed to choose if you suffer from harsh winters – having a pea comb makes it less prone to frostbite, but they can also tolerate warm weather as well. They are a great all-round chicken. 16. Plymouth Rocks Eggs: lays around 200 eggs during their first year. Egg colour: tends to be cream or brown. The Plymouth Rock is a breed of chicken that originated in the United States. It is a dual purpose bird that’s a good layer that will yield a reasonable amount of meat if slaughtered. It is claimed that it is a cross of Dominique’s, Black Java’s, and Cochins - although it is alleged that Malays and Dorking’s were also used in the breeding. There are various different varieties and colours of the Plymouth Rock. The Barred Plymouth Rock and White Plymouth strains are the most common. The Barred Plymouth Rock is also one of the foundation breeds used in the creation of the modern hybrids. Other colours Plymouth Rock include: Blue Laced, Buff Colombia, Columbia, Silver Partridge, Pencilled Partridge, and Triple laced. Although different colours of the breeds exist they all share some common characteristics: they have red face with read earlobes; t a full breast; and have yellow legs, beaks and skin. They’re a friendly chicken that’s hardy, and a breed that can bear cold weather well. Some varieties are better at laying eggs; other strains make better meat birds. They tend to be docile but an intelligent breed. The hens are usually well mannered but the Cockerels can be quite aggressive. 15. Wayandotte Eggs: around 200 during their first year. Egg colour: brown This Wayandotte is large foul that appeared in the United States around 1870s, the breeds true origin and genetic history before this are uncertain. They are a fantastic looking hen that comes in a variety of colours and colour patterns. The striking plumage of this chicken makes it a popular choice when it comes to showing. The American Poultry Association officially recognises that there are eight colours in the standard breed - it has been reported that there is a total of 10 other unofficial colours available. The official colours of the Wayanddotte are: Black, Blue, Buff, Buff Columbian, Columbian, Golden Laced, Partridge, Silver Laced and Silver Pencilled. They are dual purpose chickens (a utility breed) that are kept for their brown eggs and meat. The hens also make good mothers: they go broody, will sit on their eggs well, and are good at raising chicks.