[paul veg]

Hi my trying to hunt down any info on which would be the best breed of chicken to look for for laying eggs, I few other quick questions if I may, are there cheap to buy/ feed, house, seens as i am a joiner i can quite easily knock up a coop for them do any of your lads or lasses have any photos off your coops i could look at as to get i idea ot the housing, thanks Paul....

ps, do they still lay in the winter months or stay in the warmth of the coop....

[GrannieAnnie]

Try this one for coop and run ideas paul.  Give them as much space in the run as you can, they like to run around and fly when they can!

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=73179.0

As to breeds, best egg laying breeds are the hybrids, they will lay well for the first 2 years including winter, then the laying goes down.  Whereas pure breeds will lay for longer, but many of them don't lay in the winter.

Also hybrids don't usually go broody as often as some pure breeds.

Hybrids include the ISA/Warren/Bovans/hisex brown ones.  Amberlink white ones with browninsh markings, White Stars which lay white eggs, Black rocks, Bovans Neras and Shaver blacks, Blubelles, columbines, columbian blacktails and Babcocks,   ooooh there are soo many now!

[Raven81]

I'm no expert but I have 4 Warrens, they're not great to look at - tho to me all my children are beautiful!
They have not been laying long but don't try to fly too much and are friendly and easy ish to look after - no foot or leg feathers to try to keep dry/clean!

[kegs]

Here is another good thread for building a chicken coop

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=69975.0

Good luck with it and let us see the end result!

[orchardlady]

I think Grannie Annie has just about covered it all but I think may have meant to say also that pure breeds will lay for more years than hybrids but usually lay fewer eggs each year. Pure breeds are usually more expensive to purchase and often you have to buy a breeding trio...so... a cockerel in that little group.

Very ball park cost of a hybrid. £6 -£15

Pure breeds £15 -£30 and more.

As mentioned try to give your birds as much space as you can and then more. They will destroy any land that they are kept on for any real length of time so you will need to consider the option of  free ranging them. If they are going to be kept in a run for a great deal of time you need to think 'Zoo Keeper' and work on a regular enrichment program to stop boredom that can lead to some unpleasant behaviour problems.

Chickens are fun and easy to keep and a constant entertainment to have around. Best of luck and we would all love to see photos of in progress and finished hen houses you make.

Orchardlady.

[Sassy]

What you pay for your chooks does seem to depend on whereabouts in the country you are. In North Yorkshire I have never paid more than £10 for a pure breed - nothing fancy mind. Paid £10 for my Light sussex and Cotswold Legbars at point of lay.

[kegs]

We paid £20 for each of our hybrids - and one died in the first week!  That makes for very expensive eggs!!

[Raven81]

Our hybrids were £18 each, which is about average around here!

[bramford]

I have two warrens cost £5.50 each 

[SurreyLass]

I have 2 ISA Browns bought at Point of Lay for £12.50 each, fully innoculated. And thats in leafy (read as expensive!) Surrey!!! My 2 lovely girls have laid me 2 eggs every day, virtually since each laid their 1st egg!