[rosie14]

If I had the choice of 4 birds I'd definitely choose 4 different ones personally speaking. Why? Because I don't want to look at 4 birds the same! And 4 different coloured eggs are just cool in my book! Plus this helps you to know who is laying and who's not and may alert you early if any probs. I have personally found my welsummer to be a great layer (almost daily since she came into lay) but she is not yet a year old, she is treated the same as the others and has regular contact but has remained 'scatty' and what I call 'flighty' but she is sooooo beautifull!! My Orpington (Gold Laced) of the same age has a good laying history too although ot quite as good as the WS but again she is stunning and has a temperent to match, she's like a chicken dog lol!! They are well known to be great 'pet' chickens. I remember playing with my dads ones as a child in my play house  also known to be great mothers too. Just to add too we had eggs last winter regularly from a rescued ex barn hen and that was with no light or extra heating and our hens are also not shut in at night but choose to roost in their nest boxes, they are in a well protected enclosure but don't have a hen house, a freak chicken maybe lol! Best of luck am envious of you at the thought of choosing 4 new hens, you wont look back, best of luck and happy choosing

[Fisherman]

I have been happy with Hybrids which are available in various colours producing various egg shell colours. They are prolific layers and in their first year laid an average of 338 eggs each and in their second year to date an average of 320 eggs each. Throughout their first winter egg production continued more or less as normal except on the very coldest of days. I expect egg production to start reducing in their third year. To some degree I assume egg production depends on how well the birds are looked after and how well they are fed but they do have an finite number of eggs that they can lay (not sure what the number is though but I think it's up to about 800).

My Hybrids are Blackrocks, Speckeldies and Bluebelles.

Whatever breed you go for you will enjoy. Good luck.

[Ben_H]

Ah, but Joyful the message I was getting was ALL breed hens stop laying over winter and I would be really lucky to get any eggs from them between Oct- March etc. This seemed quite a prevalent opinion and hybrids would be my only option for winter eggs. Now I could probably have done wider research before buying and I hadn't found this site at the time.

[joyfull]

hehe you will just have to get more birds 

[brookegard]

thank you all for all the good advice, a lot i hadnt even considered, will keep you informed of outcome :blink: