Best breeds for relaiable long term laying

[Zwillingsmama]

I will be getting chickens as soon as i am done building the coop. I was wondering what breeds i should get. I am looking for a docile breed that will be a decent egg producer (250 +\-) and will produce even when a bit older. I heard barred rock would fit the profile but was looking for more ideas. Legally i can only own 4 chicken so looking for 2 or 3 different breeds. Thanks

 

[TheTwoRoos]

New Hampshire’s are a great breed for what your looking for,as well as barred rocks.I have a six year old barred hen who still lays.
Production reds as well.

 

[chickenmama109]

I have a white leghorn that lays a white egg every day she is my very best layer I'm not sure how she will be when she gets older but she is one year old and lays every day my second best lay would be a tie between my barred rock and my Rhode island reds

 

[SueT]

My Speckled Sussex, age 2, is still laying 5-6 eggs a week. She rivals my year old brown leghorns. All of these are docile.

 

[varidgerunner]

Egg production cuts in to longevity. The oldest lived breeds will lay 30 eggs a year. Breeds like barred rock will average five years. They will lay hard their first session, and toward the end they will just come on line and lay in the spring, early summer, and cut off for molt, maybe lay a few before the days get short and they take a winter break. You can run lights and trick them into laying more, but you shorten their lifespan. Most sensible scenario, since you are going to have to buy feed, and deal with vermin attracting manure, is to get the most eggs possible, which would mean a high egg production breed, and then rotate them out pretty often. You might not want to eat them, but there is someone who does, close to you, I would guarantee.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are hybrids that lay extremely well. For specific breeds, Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns are the most prolific.
Leghorns - 300+
Dominiques - 230-270
RIRs - 250+/-
Australorps - 250+/-
Minorcas - 225+
Hamburgs - 200-225
Redcaps - up to 220
Some lines of polish can lay over 200

Plymouth Rocks, Welsummers, Delawares, Fayoumis, Faverolles, Wyandottes, Orpingtons, Marans, Lakenvelders, Langshans, Penedesencas, Ameraucanas and Barnevelders can all get up to about 200 per year.
Most other breeds, including New Hampshires won't reach 200.

 

[varidgerunner]

Actual egg yield will vary wildly, depending on breeding and management. There are some of those that are rated at 200, 250 that would be lucky to do 100 in an actual count. If it is bred for color, or egg color, especially. The natural thing for a chicken to do is to lay a dozen eggs when it get's warm and it has an upswing in nutrition, hatch and raise those and repeat, until days get short and it molts. You are looking at 4 dozen a year, maybe 3. Breeds that do that will keep producing until past 15 years of age, consistently. Speed the process up, and you cut the lifespan down to 3 to 5 years on average. At age 5, a hen that laid 150 a year her first year, probably won't be doing over 50. Over 275 a year and very few of them will go three years without dying of a blown egg duct or metabolic problems, unless they shut off egg production at around 2, which is pretty common. They are hatched out with as many egg cells as they will ever have. Lifetime egg production is finite.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Sexlinks as well are good but often are gonna make it past for years,their liable to pass by then,usually from an ovary disease/infection.
Best bet is a dual purpose,such as New Hampshire’s.Silver laced Wyandotte is a great one,but it must be production type.And production silver laced Wyandotte isn’t friendly and generally flighty.