clucker1 Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Is it me or are Omlet's gingenut rangers the best chickens for consistent laying of larger eggs? We had 2 gingernuts 4 years ago along with the pepperpots. Have replaced both types, but found nothing as good as the Omlet gingernuts, tried an isa brown and another little red/brown chicken type, both lovely birds but do not lay as large an egg and or as consistent. If I can't get as good as locally (live in Surrey and near West Sussex) will get more from Omlet, but would have to pay delivery cost, so that increases cost of chickens. Any ideas most appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Henny Penny was my Gingernut Ranger and yes she did lay lots of eggs, was very friendly, I often say she taught me all the things I needed to know about keeping chickens but she did not live very long. I think this breed of chicken can put their all into egg laying. I think there are many similar breeds but all chooks are individuals, recently I have tended to buy types of hybrids in pairs and although they are the same breed temperaments and egg laying varies. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 We have 1 x isa brown who I think must lay the larger of the eggs from the girls. It is difficult to work out who lays what with 8 chickens! But, I don't think they live as long as the gingernuts??? Would ideally like some girls who lay larger eggs, but go on to live for longer than the 18 months which I believe is the life of an ISA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 My Gingernut is coming up for 3 this year. She was always a very consistent layer. 6 out of 7 days. Don't think she's laying at the moment, but my exbats, who I believe are the same kind of hybrid, are laying really well. They all lay quite big eggs because they're all mature now. The pure breeds however just do whatever they want. No consistency at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I think you'll find the gingernuts have lots of pseudonyms, so you could probably find them somewhere with a different title. I've got a black rock, which I believe is the same as miss pepperpot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Thank you Chickabee....I was wondering that. Are they isas, but my isa doesn't have the same ginger colour as the gingernut rangers. Perhaps they all vary a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Not sure if they are isas? Could try looking on internet see if you can find any alternative names Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Gingernut rangers are a cross between Rhode Island reds and light Sussex. I also have a Daisybelle. She's a great layer big eggs and has laid through 2 winters This is her when I first got her. She looks a bit scruffy as she was bullied, she was given to me by a lady to get her away from the bad girls. She looks much better now Also known as a light Sussex reverse or Magpie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyBean2605 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Another name for this breed is a Calder Ranger or a Columbian black tail is another I've heard. They are good layers and very friendly but noisy (maybe that's just mine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKMARCH Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I saw this about the gingernut types: The ISA Brown is a French breed of chicken, which is a cross between Rhode Island Red and Rhode Island White chickens. The breed is known for its high egg production of approximately 300 eggs per hen. ISA Browns are now considered by most fanciers a breed of chicken, not just a hybrid. Breeding ISA Brown × ISA Brown will produce ISA Brown chicks, just as crossing Rhode Red × Rhode White will. However, the ISA × ISA chicks generally lay more for they are selected from the best layers. ISA stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, the company which developed the breed in 1978 for egg production as a battery hen. The ISA breeds have been modified over time and the ISA Brown was bred as a result of trying to get the best return on eggs for food given, hence the appeal to the battery farmer. There are a number of different names for essentially the same type of brown and white chicken. The names vary, depending on breeder, but include, Warrens, Hylines, Gold Lines and Lohmans. So I guess it depends on the breeding I think the hybrids we buy are hatched in Europe and shipped over and raised here to point of lay, I can't imagine the scale on which these hens are bred as they used for commercial egg farming. We all have our favourites and I like the friendly ones my sussex reverse is one of my favourites I got her in 2009 she started laying in the Dec and is still going strong laying at least 3 a week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Gingers are the bog standard ISA brown hen, there are a few different 'brand' names for basically the same hen, they vary in colour a little but are all essentially the same cross A Columbian Blacktail is slightly different, I dont know the crossing used there but the gingers dont have black on them as standard Omlet will have got their order of hens and the same place will have supplied several thousand others raised in the same environment to other suppliers and sold under different names. Omlet are lovely folk but they dont have the monopoly on the good egg laying birds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Thank you everyone for your help. UKMARCH most informative, I have learned a thing or two. Redwing, thank you too....I will shop locally for some gingernut types. Does anyone know of All cooped up in Surrey or withypoultry.co.uk ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
