Chickens for Eggs

There are over 200 recognised breeds of chicken around the World but not all hens are equal in their laying ability so if you would like chickens for eggs, look at my top 10 laying hens below first. It is commonly accepted that all chickens decended from the Jungle Fowl. Pure breeds of chicken have been developed over many hundreds, even thousands of years from the Jungle Fowl (although science is still challenged by the Auraucana that lays blue eggs).

A Little History of Laying Hens

Feeding Chickens 1910Before the First World War, ducks were the better egg layers and chicken breeds that layed 100 eggs or more per year were considered good layers. Most of the development of pure bred laying hens came after the Second World War when there were many laying trials and tests and it was common for breeders to ‘trap nest’ hens to record their individual output so that they could be used to produce further generations of laying hens.

Development of the ‘Hybrid’

The developments with pure breeds were soon to be followed by hybrid (a cross of pure breeds) laying hens. There were millions of pounds spent during the 1950’s on creating hybrids that were not only capable of laying more eggs but also had a good feed conversion.

During this development, the parent flocks that created these hybrid layers were becoming a different ‘strain’ of their own because hens were selected for egg production rather than the way they looked.

Interestingly, duck eggs could have been on our breakfast table rather than chickens eggs… but they did not do well kept in confined conditions like chickens.

keeping chickens for eggsMy Top 10 Chickens for Eggs

The following table lists my top 10 laying hens (a mixture of hybrids and pure breeds) and gives an estimate of the number of eggs they are capable of producing if kept in the right conditions.

Note that there are many different strains of hens from different breeders that will perform differently… egg numbers can vary on a number of other factors too, particularly with feeding and daylight levels.

Exhibition strains that have been closely bred are not usually selected for their egg laying performance. Try to purchase hens from a good ‘Utility Strain’. There are some breeders that advertise utility strains and the number of eggs they expect from their strain every year.

Hybrids are much more reliable at producing a given number of eggs and are bred mainly for this purpose.

1. Goldline (Hybrid)

The ultimate egg machine. This little commercial brown hen will lay up to 320 large brown eggs in her first year. They have a good feed ratio and are very similar to the birds used on farms to produce eggs for the consumer market. A very  friendly bird that will be in your house if the door is left open!

2. White Leghorn (Pure Breed)

Small attractive birds with a good feed efficiency that lay up to 300 large white eggs in their first year. These are the standard commercial hen used in the U.S. for egg production (because white eggs are preferred). They can be quite flighty and can fly well so make sure they can be kept securely before you buy them or clip a wing to keep them on the ground.

3. Nera (Hybrid)

Hardy birds that are great foragers and layers of a good quality large brown egg. The Nera is a cross between a certain strains of Rhode Island Red and Barred Plymouth Rock, originating in Scotland. You can expect around 270 eggs in their first year.

4. Amber (Hybrid)

The Amber is a Rhode Island Red based hybrid that looks attractive and has very soft feathering. She is a fantastic layer of up to 300 medium eggs in her first year.

5. Speckledy (Hybrid)

The Speckledy is a flecked dark hen, a cross of a Rhode Island Red and Marans. She lays around 270 large dark brown eggs in her first year.

6. Rhode Island Red (Pure Breed)

The Rhode Island Red is a good layer of up to 220 large brown eggs in their first year. Be sure to get a utility strain though as these are a popular show bird.

7. Marans (Pure Breed)

Good layers of medium to large dark brown eggs. Copper Black Marans seem to be the best layers laying up to 200 eggs in a year. They are often good winter layers, with pullets coming into lay during January.

8. Light Sussex (Pure Breed)

Attractive birds that will reward you with up to 200 medium tinted eggs.

9. Araucana (Pure Breed)

Araucanas are very unique looking. They initially came from Chile in South America. The Araucana lays around 200 medium sized blue to bluish-green

10. Crested Cream Legbar (Pure Breed)

An attractive hen with a small crest that will lay up to 180 medium sized blue to bluish-green eggs that will add a little colour to your egg boxes.

302 Comments

  1. Thank you for such an informative site! I am considering getting chickens but as I only have a small garden I was wondering if I could get one ex-battery hen (or similar) and a pair of bantams. I am worried however that the two smaller ones would just get picked on? I suppose I could just get 3 bantam types (any you recommend by the way) but thought it might be nice to get a few normal sized eggs from the ex-battery and the smaller chooks would be company for her.
    Any advice greatly appreciated

    • With Ex-Bats I would consider getting 3 of the same, or at least 2. They have different requirements and it would be difficult to integrate them all at the same time. Getting 2 or 3 Ex-Batts and settling them in first for a few months would be best. They are often weak and take some care to raise, more than the bantams will and one on her own wouldn’t be very fair in my opinion.

  2. Me again! So how much outdoor space do you think would be fair for two or three ex-batts? I hear a lot of different advice in books and on the net and it really seems to be a case of how long is a piece of string! Housing at night seems fairly simple but there are massively different figures for how much space they need in order to roam during the day without turning it into a moonscape?
    I do have a piece of waste ground nearby. I could put them there but it is right next to a lane where lots of people walk their dogs and I would be worried one got in while I was at work, so in an ideal world I would like them to be in my garden next to the house (nothing of value in it so they can peck at the plants I’m not worried about that but it’s only about 10x5m) Is this a workable area, would I be better with a smaller breed or would I need to find alternative accommodation?

  3. Hi there Can you tell me why our chickens have stopped laying they are only a couple of years old and when we bought them they said they were p.o.l. they are black rock
    i await your reply many thanks Eleanor

    • There can be a number of reasons but the most likely at this time of year is due to their annual moult. POL is as chickens first come into lay around 20 -24 weeks old. They will lay less as they get older which is why farms only keep chickens for 18-24 months. They lay around 10% less eggs each year.
      During the darker winter months, they will stop laying until the spring.

  4. I have just purchased three POL hens two weeks ago. They are 20 weeks old now. Yesterday my Skyline laid a soft shell egg as her first attempt. They are being fed layers pellets and have access to Oyster shell grit and greens. My Speckledy is laying perfect eggs every other day whilst the Nera has yet to lay. Is this something you would expect to see initially?
    Thank you for such an informative site! Tracy

    • Hybrids that lay large numbers of eggs often lay an egg without the shell from time to time and it’s nothing to worry about. She should lay normal eggs fairly soon. Try to remove soft shelled eggs quickly as you don’t want them breaking and being eaten. Egg eating is a difficult vice to cure.

    • Eggs taste the same from whatever breed they come from, or colour the egg shell is.

      The diet is more important I believe

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