Part 0800.0005

[chestnutmare]

I'm picking up the laptop daily, picking up bits and bobs on chicken keeping. I've ordered my first book and now I'm looking at breeds. But who best to recommend but the members of the Omlet forum? In your opinion, what are the top 3 breeds for:-

-Laying medium-large eggs

-Aren't broody by breed

-Are usually nice natured

[Plum]

Omlet chickens

[Pharaoh]

Ex-bats. Mine are still laying an egg each day.

[migsy]

My Black Rock and Amber Star are good at laying. The Amber is the most friendly but both are fairly tame. My speckledy is good at being broody and flighty.

[Charlottechicken]

Marans lay large eggs, lovely dark brown shells too

 

No matter what you read about the different breeds of chicken, all are individual and have their own little personalities, so it's hard to comment on which ones have the better nature

[chestnutmare]

Good point Charlotte! (Same with all breeds of animals, thinking of my dogs and horses). Ok, so usually, which ones are the nice natured, good layers?

Thanks so far, going to be Googling these breeds tonight.

[chestnutmare]

My Black Rock and Amber Star are good at laying. The Amber is the most friendly but both are fairly tame. My speckledy is good at being broody and flighty.

Is the Black Rock the same as Miss Pepperpot from Omlet?

...And is the Gingernut Ranger the 'warren type' my parents were sold some years ago?

[green]

Yeah, you've got it right, they just have different names. I would recommend a Bluebelle, they are pretty and mine is very friendly and a good layer. Black Rocks seem to be another popular hybrid as they are hardy birds and lay a good number of eggs (I want one! ).

[Lavenders_Blue]

I'd say hybrids too. All hybrids should lay more eggs than pure breeds - that's what they're bred to do.

I also happen to think that ex bats (warrens) are fab and I have been lucky that mine have layed really well too... up until a few weeks ago that is This is their second winter with me and last winter they layed pretty well as they seemed to stagger their moulting (very considerate of them). This year, however, 3 of them are moulting at the same time so one poor girl is doing her best to keep up with the demand for eggs!

I did have another hybrid hen until very recently, she was also a very good layer, but not as friendly as the ex batts. Not flightly, but definitely 'aloof'. The ex batts don't really like being handled but love being around people on their own terms and will happily jump up a knee for a snooze... as long as you don't touch them!

[daxigirl]

My Araucana is very friendly and likes to assist in the cleaning and having a chat etc she's laying nearly every day nice blue eggs @ 50g.

 

The Orpington is overly friendly (more like a mugging) as she chases you for tit bits. Seems unaware that she should be doing the egg thing though, oh yeah I can say the same for the rest of them too.

[beach chick]

ginger chickens generally seem like good layers and friendly natures. not sure if this is coz they are mostly hybrids??

 

for a pure breed, I think Sussex are good - mine seem to lay most of the year round, quite big girls so not fragile, altho they can go broody.

[Barkisland]

My Light Sussex is always broody, and the RIR likes to try it on now and then too. The Barnevelder has not been broody yet, is a good layer of dark brown pointy eggs, and is a nice natured chicken with lovely plumage. My Cream Legbar is pretty but flighty. She only laid for one summer and hasn't laid an egg since October 2009.

One of my ex batts is still laying daily, the other one gave up recently, and is enjoying her well deserved retirement.

I will definitely have a mix of POL hybrids and more ex batts next time I buy some chickens. I especially have a fancy for a Bluebelle.

[Clairey_Fairy]

We've got 2 hybrids, a Columbian Black Tail (warren type I think) and Boven's Nera (similar to black rock). I got confused when researching as there are similar hybrids with different names. Both are a lovley nature, very friendly and easy to handle, both laying nearly every day. Was told they are less prone to broodiness than some breeds but only had them since September. If we could have had a third it would have been a Bluebelle, and then maybe a Light Sussex. There are so many breeds, I'd love one of everything!

[Eggasperated]

Both my Amber Star and Gold Star (a ginger girl) are good layers, Edith, my Bluebelle lays regularly but the eggs range from 50g to great big double yolkers, so not much good if you want a reliable source of medium-large eggs. My Black Rocks have been an aggressive bunch (I had to get rid of one) and only one of the two i've got left is a good layer; I wouldn't get any more of them because I can't bear all the aggression. But having said that IMHO I think it is often down to the individual chickens and also how they are housed, some seem more adaptable to being kept in small areas than others.

[Redwing]

Miss Pepperpots and Black Rocks are not the same thing. Black Rocks are like gold dust to get hold of

 

Aside from hybrids the ultimate layer is the Leghorn.

 

Chickens are split in to different groups - the one of interest to you for good layers would probably be 'soft feather light' these dainty ladies are less prone to broodiness than the softfeather heavy girls. The Leghorn is a light breed

 

Other breeds in the light category are: Poland, Hamburgh, Welsummer, Ancona and Minorca.

 

Rare breeds that are light include Andalucian, Cream Legbar, Spanish and Appenzeller

 

The trouble is that light breeds can be a little flighty but they are full of character

[chestnutmare]

Very interesting, thanks for that all. I've been googling some breeds and re. the Bluebell, I found this:-

http://www.motherhenspoultry.com/bluebell.htm which states, "They are one of the larger hybrid types and I do not recommended them for the Eglu Classic (omlet)."

[Redwing]

Plenty of us have had Bluebelles in Eglu Classics no problems.......

[chestnutmare]

Hmmm, I wondered what the problem would be... especially if you had the classic with an extension and say 2-3 chickens. Surely they'd be okay? *shrugs*

[WitchHazel]

Hmmm, I wondered what the problem would be... especially if you had the classic with an extension and say 2-3 chickens. Surely they'd be okay? *shrugs*

 

It all depends on whether you are going to keep your Girls confined to the run, or whether they will get to free range. Bluebelles can be quite large, and I suspect she thinks that the Classic (note she specifically talks about the Classic, not the Go or the Cube) is unsuitable for them. I don't know that I would necessarily agree with her (having a Bluebelle myself, although mine lives in a Cube), but I think it is good that she says what she thinks. She (I realise I'm assuming it's a she because of the web address) isn't an Omlet basher, I think she's just saying what she feels about this one breed and this one house.

 

As others have stated, people have kept a Bluebelle in a classic with no problem.

 

Personally, I'm not sure I would want to keep 3 large birds in a Classic with standard run. Would be OK if they were free ranging most of the time, but I would think it a bit cramped if they were confined most of the time. (Mayvbe if they had fresh grass every 2 days it would be ok).

 

BTW, I have had all 3 Omlet hen houses, and still have the Cube and the Go. I also still have my Bluebelle, gorgeous girl.

[Blue-DiamondChick07]

My Bluebelle and Black Rock are excellent layers and very friendy! I'd definatley recommend these breeds

[sadietoo]

My Goldline (ginger chicken warren type) lays at least 6 days out of 7, and sometimes 7 out of 7 and doesn't seem to have a maternal bone in her body, so no broodiness. She is cheeky and friendly and will allow you to pick her up. My Light Sussex had a short spell of broodiness during the summer, but was laying eggs mostly...perhaps 4 out of 7 days on average. She has however now stopped for a rest over the winter. TBH I wish my Goldline would take a break too...she deserves it!!

[chicken bark]

It is worth noting that any hen can go broody. I started off with hybrids as I thought they wouldn't go broody but over the Summer my Gold Star type must have been broody half a dozen times. It is not something to really worry about - I was nervous at first but it is easily sorted (most of the time). So while hybrids tend to be friendly and not go broody there are always the exceptions.

 

My Amber Star is my best layer, is very friendly and lays a decent size egg, my Gold Star (when not broody) lays well as does my Speckledy, my Light Sussex and RIR lay well too. In fact all of them do (apart from my Black Star that has never laid ).

[bouldercroft]

chickens lay eggs? ohhhhh I had no idea....I thought they just hung out in the eglu looking cute...

 

sorry - but if I have one more friend/family member ask 'oh are they laying yet' I will scream...