Breeds of Chickens for Eggs

What is the best breed of chickens for egg production? I think everyone has their own breed that they love but here are five common breeds that farmers use for egg production. Each breed has their own pros and cons depending on how you are raising them and what their purpose is on your farm/homestead.

1. White Leghorns. This the the breed that most commercial egg farmers use. They are white birds that lay white eggs. They are a better coup or penned bird. Large commercial egg farmers have large buildings that house a lot of birds together. One chicken can lay 280-320 eggs per year. They have a nervous and flighty temperament and are not recommended as a free range bird. If you have children that will be helping take care of your chickens this breed is probably not the best as they can become aggressive when annoyed.

2. Rhode Island Red. This might be the most common breed for small farmers/homesteaders. They are excellent free range birds but can also be kept in a coop. They can live up to 8-10 years but their egg production per year will dwindle as they get older. During their younger years they can lay about 260 eggs per year. They give beautiful brown eggs. They can also be used for stew birds once they start producing less eggs and average 6lb for hens. They do tend to pick on smaller birds. So, if you want to have a variety of different birds together you might want to avoid this one. These bird originated from Rhode Island here in the US and that is how they got their name. They are also the state bird of Rhode Island.

3. Golden Comet. These birds lay brown eggs and are great for free range. They are cold hardy and lay between 250 and 300 eggs a year. They are not very broody and have a quiet and gentle temperament. These birds make great pets. They tend to have a shorter life span of only 4-5 years.

4. Barred Plymouth Rock. These birds are known for their pretty black and white feathers. They are very adaptable to their environment and can thrive in a coop or free range. They are considered to be an 'easy keeper'. They are friendly and make good pets. They lay 250-280 brown eggs per year. They can also be used for meat.

5. Black Austrolorp. Shiny black feathers make these birds stand out. They are adaptable for warm and cold climates. They are a very hardy chicken and have a great resistance to the normal poultry disease. They have a docile temperament and make good pets. They are good mothers and brooders. They lay 250-300 eggs per year. The eggs are light brown. These are larger birds and will eat more then smaller egg layer breeds. But they do make excellent meat birds at about 8lbs.

There are so many different kinds of egg layers you can chose from to fit your farm plan perfectly. Learning about the different kinds of egg layers and what environment they thrive in will help you make sure you get the right breed. Research will also help you in knowing that you are taking care of your egg layers the best that you can.