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Chicken keepers

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Original poster

What breed do you recommend for regular laying?

43 replies

MrsExtraOrdinary · 09/05/2014 20:54

We are moving house soon and I will have a very large garden finally. I have told dh we will be having chickens. I've wanted them for ages. We have a large family and eat a lot of eggs, so freshly laid eggs seem like a dream come true. I'm a complete beginner. Read through some of the threads but can't find anyone recommending a breed for frequency of laying. I do accept they won't lay forever and that's fine. But didn't know whether there was a difference in breed and laying?

Is 3 chickens about the right number to keep each other company?

OP posts:
Crikeyblimey · 09/05/2014 20:57

Any of the hybrids are good. I had a couple of black rock and a speckledy who laid consistently well.

Eggs are seasonal though and they lay less when there is less light in the winter. They can also have a moult during which time they hardly lay.

A black rock will lay about 300 eggs per year though.

Chickens are fantastic pets!!

I miss mine.

Crikeyblimey · 09/05/2014 20:58

Ooops - they lay 'fewer'. Although the eggs can be smaller, so I guess 'less' is right too!

YeGodsAndLittleFishes · 09/05/2014 21:02

We had 3 hybrids. They laid an egg a day each in summer, one carried on laying all winter. They were lovely, I miss them. We stopped locking them in the coop at night and the fox got them. :(

guineapig1 · 09/05/2014 21:05

As a pp said any of the hybrid's lay well, we have a warren and a bluebell and both lay consistently pretty much all year round. If you prefer the pure breeds, we have two light Sussex girls who are decent layers but the pure breeds can be a bit hit and miss e.g. We have a speckled Sussex and though very pretty and a lovely pet her egg haul isn't great! If you have the room and funds to stretch to four or five chooks then you can have a bit of a mix and add a legbar for green egg novelty! Bear in mind that with three hens you'd probably do well with an average of of say 15 eggs per week which if you are a big family and also bake might not stretch that far so with an extra chicken or two you'd maybe increase that to 25 plus

Original poster
MrsExtraOrdinary · 09/05/2014 21:07

Thankyou. Is 3 chickens a good number? I'm assuming they like company. What's the advantage of a cockerel? Is it to have more chicks? I don't want to annoy the new neighbours too much. 5 boys moving in will be the first hurdle, then chickens, but a cockerel might be a step too far.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsExtraOrdinary · 09/05/2014 21:09

We are a very large family. The boys eat 3 eggs in one sitting quite easily! But I don't want to annoy my neighbours too much.

A few different ones sounds fun and green eggs (and ham) sounds even more fun. Grin

I'm so excited about the whole idea.

OP posts:
Crikeyblimey · 09/05/2014 21:10

I really wouldn't bother with a cockerel unless you want to breed. Noisy buggers who contribute nothing and need feeding.

I had 4 to start with but 3 is a good number. They do prefer company, they feel safer together. In fact if one of mine got left behind during their garden wanders, she'd shout till she found the others and then run like the wind to join them.

Oh - there is NOTHING funnier than a chicken running!! Never gets old!

Original poster
MrsExtraOrdinary · 09/05/2014 21:13

I'm glad you said that about a cockerel, that was my thinking that really chickens would be absolutely fine without, as long as they have each other.

OP posts:
CMOTDibbler · 09/05/2014 21:13

We've got Welsummers and they lay an egg each most days - lovely dark brown shells too.

I think you'd want 5-7 hens, no cockerels, to get a good number of eggs.

Willyoulistentome · 09/05/2014 21:15

We have white leghorns. They lay a white egg each pretty much every day of the year.

Pixel · 09/05/2014 22:11

Our Goldlines have laid pretty much all year round since we got them two years ago. They don't always lay one a day each in the winter but we've never got to the stage where we've had to go and buy eggs and I've generally got a few spare to keep my mum and sister supplied. Not bad for three hens. They are very overfriendly too!

ThatBloodyWoman · 09/05/2014 22:17

I have always kept a cockerel with my hens -I think they are happier that way (well, in BloodyWomanWorld)

Best layers we had were bantam hybrids -also best broody hens.But our funny pair of rescue hens (of unknown age) lay almost daily in the Summer months

We find 2 hens enough for a family of four's needs.

Cantstayawake · 09/05/2014 22:17

Sorry to butt in, I haven't got my own chickens but would like to one day. Just wondered if anyone has other pets ie cats and dogs, how do they get on with the chickens?
Also, I'm guessing you can have different breeds together?

ThatBloodyWoman · 09/05/2014 22:24

I have cat, dog, dc's, and chooks.

The cat ignores the chooks and vice versa.The dog chases the cat sometimes, and he swipes the dog.The dog leaves the chickens alone if they're keeping a low profile, but chases them if they move, so they have to be kept separate.The dc's know better than to chase any of them.....

We even had chicks with the cat.He would walk along the roosts and leave the chicks be.Similarly with ducklings -but the ducks did see the cat off at times.

You can have different breeds, but obviously if you breed it'll be hard to keep a true line.

overthemill · 09/05/2014 22:25

Any hybrid will lay 300-320 eggs a year. If you get 3 you will have 21 eggs a week. Buy a book on cooking with eggs - pancakes, quiche etc soon get dull. Since our flock died we rarely eat eggs and can't wait to start again. Bantams make fab pets for kids and we used to have a mix of both - one of our bantams lived 9 years!

Our dog herds the chickens, picks them up and puts them back on their run if they fly off (chickens crouch down when they sense a predator, like kids they think if they shut their eyes you can't see them ). But our dog also herds the rabbits, guinea pigs and picks up children too. Our rabbits lived with the hens for a while.i think it all mixes very well. We also had ducks and my bil has geese and quail too.

Very exciting! Get the best hen house you can afford or adapt a she'd and watch out for foxes.

TypicaLibra · 09/05/2014 22:25

Yes Can'tstay - you can have different breeds together - I have marans, hybrids, white leghorns, Cream Legbars and Welsummers all together, and they're fine.

With other pets, it depends on their temperament and you probably can have cats and dogs but I haven't. I'd love a dog and a couple of cats, but I'm nervous of them killing my chucks so I haven't taken the plunge yet. Would be interested to hear from others how to 'train' dogs and cats not to catch hens and chicks.

ThatBloodyWoman · 09/05/2014 22:26

But if you have a cockerel, make sure you don't have a standard size cockerel and bantam hens, as he'll hurt them.

TypicaLibra · 09/05/2014 22:27

xpost with overthemill and thatbloodywoman - thanks for your insight into cat and dog behaviour with chooks!

ThatBloodyWoman · 09/05/2014 22:29

Our chooks free range the garden, but they also have a big run for if they need shutting in (eg visiting kids).
The cat was in the run today ratting.Very useful till you find a half eaten rat under the picnic table in the middle of dinner.

Original poster
MrsExtraOrdinary · 10/05/2014 10:47

We've got a cat,she's pregnant at the moment, but the kittens will materialise before we move. And chickens only when we have moved. I had read that the chickens are more likely to chase the cats. We've got a massive pond, I was wondering about ducks?! Hmmmm

OP posts:
outtolunchagain · 10/05/2014 10:51

Our best layer is a Speckledy , best flavour eggs definitely from the Welsummer.If you are new to chickens I would get hybrids , bear in mind that roughly the more they lay the more they eat.

Owllady · 10/05/2014 12:11

We have always had rangers and they lay every single day without fail

Owllady · 10/05/2014 12:13

www.omlet.ie/breeds/chickens/gingernut+ranger/

I like them because they are particularly docile too and easy to handle

Original poster
MrsExtraOrdinary · 10/05/2014 14:26

Thankyou ladies, I've spent all morning reading up on your recommendations. It's very exciting, I can't wait!

OP posts:
ThatBloodyWoman · 11/05/2014 10:14

My chickeds don't actually chase the cat.They live alongside each other very harmoniously.
But he does sometimes take fright if they all move suddenly.

Mrs enjoy them.I never regretted having them as they're so easy to keep.

If you would consider rescue hens, you would also be doing such a good thing.
Just look into it and give it a thought.....