What Are the Best Laying Hens? : laying chickens

Egg production is the most common reason for wanting to raise backyard chickens. There is nothing more rewarding than growing your own flock of high quality egg producers. The quantity of eggs to be produced is highly dependent on the type of breed you have. In order to get the most out of this industry you need to find the best laying hens. Professional livestock raisers only consider the most suitable breed for the job. They often separate their best egg layers from the low performing ones. Remember that in this type of business quantity and quality is the name of the game.

You should be familiar with egg layer breeds which produce the most number of eggs. The Single Comb White Leghorn is currently dominating the egg production industry. It has a small built but can efficiently utilize feeds. It is also capable of easily adapting to various climate changes and lays large-sized white eggs. Most livestock raisers prefer the white leghorn because it matures early and white eggs are favored by most consumers.

Egg producing breeds are actually divided into white-shelled and brown-shelled producers. The Production Red is said to be the best brown-shelled egg layer. It is a hybrid which is produced by crossbreeding Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire. They are known to produce an average of 320 eggs per year which is why they are the most chosen breed when harvesting brown-shelled eggs.

Many factors influence the quantity and quality of eggs produced. The genetic make-up of the bird is one important factor which greatly influences their productivity. Maximum production is always achieved by carefully emphasizing genetic factors during the breeding program.

The best laying hens are traced from the ancestry of Mediterranean Class of chickens. They are often selected due to high egg productivity.

This type of breed typically has small bodies which is a result of directing large percentage of their dietary nutrients into the egg production. Hence there is not enough nutrition left to be able to gain great body mass. Their age and egg-laying maturity are also a contributing factor in the production.

Egg production is at its best during the first year, after which a consistent decline has always been noted during the succeeding years. So, expect a decline on the production after the first year. It is wise to consistently breed on these types so you will have a continuous bloodline of best layers when the current dominating hen has officially come down off the throne.

Keeping chickens can be entertaining at the same time profitable. But for those who purposely raise them for eggs, you should always invest on hens which are of caliber with regards to the quality and quantity of eggs produced.

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