10 Best Chicken Breeds for Egg Laying
Raising chicken breeds for egg production is a wonderful way to supplement your income or provide food for your family. Most hens lay eggs on a regular basis, but some produce much more than others.
So, if you want hens that lay a lot of edible eggs, you’ll have to choose your breed wisely.
Certain hens lay eggs more often or for a longer period of time than others. Consider these aspects before deciding on the best chicken breed for you.
How Frequently Do Chickens Lay Eggs?
Healthy hens often produce 4 to 6 eggs each week, with some even laying an egg practically every day. The precise quantity varies widely depending on the chicken’s age, breed, and overall health.
Not all hens, however, lay eggs all year. Some will stop producing eggs when molting or over the winter. Chickens typically lay their eggs dependent on the number of daylight hours available, therefore if there isn’t enough light, there may not be an egg that day.
Getting a timer for your chicken coop light will assist encourage chickens to lay eggs in the winter. Certain breeds are more likely than others to produce eggs all year.
The Top 10 Chicken Breeds for Egg Production
If you want some chickens to produce a lot of eggs, you should choose one of the greatest chicken breeds for laying eggs.
Here are 10 common breeds that meet the criteria, along with some background information about each.
1. Leghorn
Leghorns may not live as long as other varieties, but they produce a large number of eggs in a short period of time. Each week, these lovely white birds lay 5 to 6 medium to big eggs. In the winter months, these hens do not normally slow down.
They’re peaceful, easygoing birds that prefer not to be touched. As long as their owners maintain their distance, they may make excellent starter chickens.
Egg production: 5 – 6 eggs per week, or around 250 – 280 eggs per year.
Egg Color: White
Life expectancy: 4–6 years
Personality: docile and timid
2. Rhode Island Red
Rhode Island Reds are so-called because of their stunning reddish-brown feathers. Every week, they lay 5 to 6 medium-sized eggs. During the winter, many Rhode Island Reds lay eggs.
They are excellent starter hens since they are self-sufficient and like to stay to themselves on a regular basis. Nonetheless, they don’t mind being near people, even youngsters.
Egg production: 5–6 eggs per week, 250–300 eggs per year
Egg Color: Brown
Life expectancy: 5–8 years
Personality: kind and self-sufficient
3. Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock chickens stand out owing to their distinctive black and white feather pattern. They are ideal starter chickens since they lay one egg every other day. As a result, they lay 4 to 5 eggs every week.
These birds hatch smaller eggs, and their inquisitive personalities are best suited to free-range living. Although they do not lay in the winter, they live longer than the normal chicken breed.
Egg production: 4–5 eggs per week, totaling 200 eggs per year.
Egg Color: Tan or light brown
Life expectancy: 10–12 years
Personality: Friendly and inquisitive
4. Australorp
Australorps are well-known egg layers, with one breaking the world record by producing 364 eggs in a single year! They typically lay between 4 and 6 eggs per week. These birds have lovely black feathers with a green hue.
They are cheerful and chatty, making them excellent starter birds as long as you don’t live too near to your neighbors. They are one of the most dependable egg layers, and under the right conditions, they may lay eggs all winter.
Egg production: 4–6 eggs per week, or 200–250 eggs per year.
Egg color: Light brown
Life expectancy: 6–10 years
Personality: Friendly and docile personality
5. Sussex
Sussex hens are a friendly giant breed that is extensively utilized for both egg production and meat production. They lay 5 to 6 huge eggs every week and will continue to produce eggs during the winter months.
They are normally peaceful and gentle hens, although they may be moody. These birds may have eight various feather colors, although the most frequent is white.
Egg production: 5–6 eggs per week, or 250 eggs per year
Egg Color: Brown or creamy white
Life expectancy: 6–8 years
Personality: Calm and kind personality
6. Barnevelder
Barnevelder hens only produce 3 to 4 eggs each week, but they compensate by producing eggs all year, despite the lack of daylight in the winter. Their eggs are small to medium in size and may have a speckled appearance.
They’re one of the few breeds that can live in a limited garden area rather than a free-range environment. Because they can’t fly, the fences don’t have to be very high.
Egg production: 3–4 eggs per week, 150–200 eggs per year
Egg Color: Dark Brown
Life expectancy: 7–11 years
Personality: Pleasant and laid-back
7. Buff Orpington
Orpington chickens are sociable, easy-to-raise poultry. They lay 3 to 5 eggs every week, but their capacity to produce eggs all year round makes them more valuable.
This breed’s most frequent feather color is buff, although it also comes in a variety of other hues, including purple. They may get broody, which is why they don’t lay as many eggs as some of the other chicken breeds for eggs.
Egg Production: 3 – 5 eggs per week, 160 – 200 eggs each year
Egg Color: Brown
Life expectancy: 5–10 years
Personality: amiable and sociable
8. Ancona
Anconas are warier than other chicken breeds, yet they produce a lot of eggs. Each week, they lay 4 to 6 tiny to medium eggs. These birds may even lay eggs throughout the winter.
They are better suited for experienced keepers since they can fly further than other breeds, dislike being confined, and dislike being handled. They resemble Plymouth Rocks but are considerably smaller.
Egg production: 4–6 eggs per week, 180–220 eggs per year
Egg color: White
Life expectancy: 8–10 years
Personality: skittish and active
9. Hamburg
Many people like Hamburg hens because of their distinctive white feathers with black patches. Every week, they lay 3 to 4 tiny to medium eggs. They can endure frigid conditions and may even produce eggs throughout the winter.
These hens want a lot of freedom to wander, thus they don’t fare well in a small setting. They may become hostile if they do not have enough free-range time.
Egg production: 3–4 eggs per week, 150–200 eggs per year
Egg color: White
Life expectancy: 8–10 years
Personality: calm and daring
10. Delaware
Delaware chickens aren’t as popular as they once were, but they are excellent egg layers and can survive frigid conditions. As a result, they may still lay eggs in the winter. They typically lay 4 to 5 big eggs each week.
Because of their amiable and inquisitive attitudes, they are placid chickens that might be perfect for beginners. Despite this, they have a substantially lower life expectancy than other chickens.
Egg production: 4–5 eggs per week, totaling 200 eggs per year.
Egg color: brown
Life expectancy: 4–6 years
Personality: Calm and inquisitive
What Should You Do If Your Chicken Has Stopped Laying Eggs?
Chickens eventually cease producing eggs. Before you leap to any assumptions, check sure they’re not acting out of fear for their health. Sick hens can sometimes stop producing eggs, so take them to the veterinarian to rule out any medical issues.
Certain hens also cease producing eggs when they are stressed, such as when they are molting. They may also cease producing eggs as the days become shorter.
If this is the case, be patient; your hens will begin laying again the next season. If you want them to lay eggs sooner, use artificial illumination in their coop to trick them into thinking the days are longer.
The egg production of a chicken declines gradually as it ages. As a result, if your chicken is older, they may stop producing eggs and will not continue. Fortunately, chickens can perform a variety of other things if they are unable to produce eggs.
Because chickens are excellent foragers, they may assist in the removal of pests such as bugs and weeds from your backyard. Some people keep them as pets as well.
Most chickens may be used for meat, however, older hens are not recommended. The meat from young chicks is the finest for human consumption. The meat from older hens is harder, so it won’t be as tasty as meat from the grocery store.
If you have no need for a non-laying chicken, you should consider re-homing it to a different farm. Another keeper will most likely be able to put them to good use.
Selecting the Best Chicken Breeds for Eggs
Everyone does not keep hens for the same reason. Some keepers want to sell eggs, some want to raise additional chicks, and yet others want to sell meat. The reason you desire chickens might assist you to decide which breeds to have.
The chicken breeds described in this article are the most productive in terms of egg production. They reliably lay eggs each week, and many of them continue to lay all year.
So, whether you want to sell or keep eggs, these 10 chicken breeds for eggs are excellent choices.
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