10 Great Traditional Laying Chickens By James Kippax A free poultry 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 © 2015 by James Kippax Book design and production James Kippax Chapter opening illustrations © 2015 James Kippax Author photograph by James Kippax Copyright © 2015 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.
What are some great egg laying chicken breeds? This is question asked frequently by those new to keeping chickens, and experienced owners alike. To help with this matter I decided to create this free PDF book cover the subject of in more depth. It's worth noting that the advice given in this guide covers traditional fowl, and not hybrid breeds. By traditional fowl, I mean old breeds that are considered to be dual purpose. If you reading this and you are looking for the very best in egg laying hens, please see this guide on the subject. The breeds of chickens mentioned in this book are good laying hens, but no traditional chicken breeds can compete with the modern hybrid chickens. "Which one should I pick", you might ask? Well, it's a matter of personal preference, and your purpose. But if you pick any breed of chicken on this (or my other lists) you should be happy. You'll have a good hen that will lay plenty of eggs. Once you have made your mind up, make sure you check out our guide on raising chickens and hens for further help and advice. And check out our other articles on poultry care here. If you have any question feel free to add a comment on my website. I always answer any good questions. Hope you enjoyed this book. Please feel free to follow us on twitter, google+, Pinterest or Facebook for more information and free guides like this one.
10 Great Traditional Laying Hens 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. The Wayondotte are an excellent choice for the beginner due to their friendly docile nature. They are also an impressive chicken to look at. They mature quickly and are a good layer. Also, if you ever decide you want to raise a few chickens yourself you will have a good bird that’s fit for this task.
Rhode Island Red Eggs: 200 during their first year. Egg colour: large brown eggs. The Rhode Island Red is a cross between various chicken breeds, including: Langsh, Black Red Malay, Hamburgh, Rose Combed Leghorns, and Buff Cochins. This breed is one of the most widely known chickens in the world and originates from Rhode Island Massachusetts, USA. They are a heavy breed that’s available in most countries. They were originally created as a dual purpose bird (utility breed). A chicken that would produce a large amount of meat, a nice quantity of eggs, and one that would be tough enough to survive cold winters. Their plumage is a dark red; the females tend to be a duller red than the roosters. The males have black bit on their wings and tales; the females have the same but with additional black bits on their necks. Both sexes have reddish-brown beaks, yellow feet and legs. There are other coloured varieties available, however these are less common. They were kept widely throughout the United States until they were eventually replaced by the modern day hybrid hens. Over the last sixty years their numbers
slowly declined, however in recent years the hen has become popular with backyard chicken keepers and smallholders – this is due to the chicken being a good all rounder. They’re a friendly chicken and are great breed to start with. Just watch out for the cockerels (males) as they can sometimes be aggressive.
New Hampshire Red Eggs: 160 to 240 for the first year. Egg colour: Brown The New Hampshire Red is a dual purpose table bird that was originally developed in New Hampshire, in the United States. In the early part of the 20th century poultry farmers started to selectively breed Rhode Island Reds, intensifying the characteristics of the breed. The desired traits in this breeding program were: a bird that matured and started to lay at a young age; grew feathers rapidly; and a bird that would be a good layer that produced large brown eggs. The New Hampshire’s plumage is a deep chestnut red, with yellow legs. They have a single comb that’s medium to large in size that’s also red. It is a medium to large fowl that has thick feathering. This makes them a good choice for colder climates – although just watch out for frost bitten combs. They are friendly birds that look fantastic: however they can be bossy when kept with other breeds of chickens. They will lay a nice amount of eggs and do go broody – although this desire isn’t that strong.
Ameraucana Eggs: around 250 for the first year. Egg colour: varies, generally they lay light blue eggs. This breed was originally developed in the United States - its exact origins are unclear. There are eight colours of Americana recognised by the American Poultry Association: White, Wheaton, Silver, Buff, Brown, Blue Wheaton, Red, and Black. There are also many more unofficial colours available.
The Ameraucana is a medium size chicken prized for their appearance and their coloured eggs. They are stunning looking birds. They also have a pea comb which makes them a good breed to keep in colder climates. The Ameraucana tends to be a friendly bird that’s quite fairly docile. They will lay a decent amount of eggs and tend not to go broody.
Wellsummer Eggs: Lays around 250 eggs during their first year. Egg colour: dark brown eggs. The Welsummer is a chicken breed that originates from the Netherlands. It is a mixture of the Rhode Island Red, Barnevalder, Partridge Leghorn, Cochins and Wayandottes. The rooster of this breed is famously portrayed on the Kellogg’s cornflakes box. They’re an attractive looking breed that lay lovely dark brown eggs. They are classed as a light breed chicken, although they tend to have a meaty and full breast. The bird has an upright stance with a broad back, short break, and a full looking tail. The colours of the Welsummer will vary depending on the sex and strain. The standard colour is the reddish partridge strain – the males head, neck, and saddle are golden brown; the females are a tad lighter at the shaft, and each feather is reddish brown with black speckles. Both sexes have a single comb. Although they have a single comb, they are they are hardy bird that can cope with the cold climates. The Wellsummer comes in three main varieties: Silver Duckwing, Gold, and Black Red Partridge. They are a friendly breed and a good chioce for the beginner. They are not especially docile and can sometimes be a bit flighty. They are great forages and will do best if they are kept free range.
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Have you kept any of the chicken breeds on this list? What did you think of its egg production and personality? Do you think I’ve missed a good egg laying chicken off this list? Share your thoughts on this page on our website.