# Laying hen



## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)

Do you guys have laying hens? How often do they lay and how many thanks


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Depends on the breed...some breeds lay almost daily and others only once a week....


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## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)

The dark brown ones?? I forget what they arecalled


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Really dark brown? That would be either cuckoo marans or black copper marans...sometimes welsummers lay a dark egg. My wellies lay a deep red with speckles.
For a regular brown egg...a sexlink will lay those well.


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## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)

Ok good I just want a chicken that lays good eggs that we can eat. We have bantams as pets and we sell them (start) what type of chicken would you suggest for the laying for what I want


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

You mean the hens are dark brown or the eggs are dark brown?
If you're talking about dark reddish brown hens, that's likely Rhode Island Reds. RIRs lay very well, like 6 eggs a week in their prime. I love RIRs, in fact, they would be my breed of choice if they went broody more often. As it is I prefer Buff Orpingtons because they are better mothers. Buffs lay somewhat smaller and fewer eggs.
If you want REALLY good layers, get White Leghorns. They lay like 6.5 eggs a week on average. Very occasionally, they even lay 2 eggs in one day! My WLs are several years old, and they still lay almost every day. I've also heard Red Stars are really good, but have never had any.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

The red sex link are a great dual purpose bird that lay really well. They also have the advantage that hens are red and roos are white...easy to tell who to eat


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## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)

Thanks so you would recommend white leghorns or the dark brown chickens for me because I want them to lay eggs that we can eat. And I want one that lays a lot of eggs per week


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Either White Leghorn or Rhode Island Red would be an excellent choice. It depends on what you prefer.
White leghorns lay prolifically, large-to-jumbo white eggs, and are rather flighty. They have the best feed-to-egg ratio, meaning you get the most bang for your buck.
Rhode Island Reds also lay prolifically but not quite _quite_ as well as the WL, medium to large brown eggs, and are much calmer. They are also heavier, so they make a decent meat bird too.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

If I got any more sexlinks I would get the black ones...just because they are prettier...they look like this...Her name was Ebony. They lay just as well as the red sexlinks. They are a Rhode Island Red rooster over a Barred Plymouth Rock hen. I believe McMurray sells them as "Black Stars"


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## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)

She looks healthy


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## goatfarmer123 (Dec 24, 2013)

NyGoatMom said:


> If I got any more sexlinks I would get the black ones...just because they are prettier...they look like this...Her name was Ebony. They lay just as well as the red sexlinks. They are a Rhode Island Red rooster over a Barred Plymouth Rock hen. I believe McMurray sells them as "Black Stars"


I've got some of those as well! They are excellent layers. I bought mine at TSC just under the name "pullets".


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## Twink90 (Dec 21, 2013)

Black sex links are great layers almost year round. The only time our girls quit laying is when they molt or extreme cold weather they slow down. Only thing I don't like is we can't get them to raise chicks. None ever stay on nest. They are beautiful & lay big red eggs. Ours are 3 yrs old now & still laying great


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## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)




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## dsturgiss (Feb 10, 2014)

I just got 4 black sex links, and my husband says they lay small eggs. But from what I read they lay large eggs. Whose right? He wanted my to get barred rocks but they were out so I got the black sex links.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

They lay decent sized eggs. Pullets lay small eggs until they molt for the first time. Each year the eggs get bigger but the shell becomes a little thinner due to the size of the egg. I have one hen who lays a duck sized egg and she is a small breed but she is 4 years old....I love my BSL hens


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I had black sex links and they a laid large eggs for me.


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## dsturgiss (Feb 10, 2014)

Thanks guys. I think I'll keep them then. 


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