[VM]

Wondered what experience people have had with hybrids and pure breeds in terms of how well they lay and for how long.

We're just embarking on keeping chickens at our allotment. Partner is building chicken house as I write! We plan to get 6-8 chickens which we will be sharing with people on neighbouring plot.

We're trying to work out what type of chickens would be best. Some people have said of course get hybrids for laying ability - but some of these I know go in for killing birds after year or two and starting again - and somehow I don't quite see us doing that (not quite sure what we will do with chickens when they reach old age - think about it later!).

My impression from reading is that hybrids lay most in first year but then tail off quite a bit - but I don't know how much and how quickly they tail off in quantity or quality of eggs. And don't know how much longer pure breeds might go on laying for.

Any experiences from others gratefully received.

Would like some nice-looking chickens but egg colour not a big issue at this point.

Good layers are the priority. I know we will look after chickens well and enjoy them - but good eggs of our own is the main reason for having them - all really into cooking and gestures towards self-sufficiency though live in the city.

Pure breeds suggested to me have been Light Sussex and Silver Sussex. Hybrids suggested so far : Warrens, Black Rocks, Goldline. Like pics I've seen of Silver Sussex and of Speckeldy & Goldline hybrids.

[kimT]

The Sussex is a good choice red/buff/light good layers and will look pretty too.

[agapanthus]

Not forgetting the rhode island red...which is a prolific layer!!

[peggyprice]

At the moment my Welsummer (pure breed) is matching my Black Rock hybrid egg for egg; the most prolific of the three I have currently laying is a Warren (but since she eats every egg she lays I can't get the benefit  :evil:  :evil: ).  Am waiting for my two other hybrids, a Bluebelle & an Amber, to start laying so will be interesting to see if they are as productive as I was promised ...

 Don't how things will change as they get older, though ...

[compostqueen]

I got mine purely for eggs and was told that the brown hybrids would deliver the goods. Two out of three of them started to lay at 22 weeks, one a day. He says they should lay for five years if kept in good nick. Time will tell I suppose     I run a B & B so use eggs every day,but at the moment with only two of the three hens laying so far, I still have a glut of eggs and tomorrow I'm making egg custards to use em up  

[Aunt Sally]

Hybrids tend not to go broody quite so frequently as pure breeds - if ever.

[pushrod]

I once invested in some top show quality silkies - never again - they looked really good but that was all and they were very short lived. I guess they were rather inbred to achieve certain characteristics. I think a bit of genetic diversity is a good thing.

[babe]

and those who lay more per year, will lay for less time.

they are hatched with only so many eggs in their tummy's.

[VM]

aha - is this right? - makes sense now I think about it.

but does that mean some breeds start off with more or fewer eggs - or just a question of when they produce them?

thanks for all this - decisions having to be made by a group of us, so I am trying to find out as much as possible to make it easier for us!

[woodenart]

Hybrids for eggs !

[Foxy]

just a thought if there are a few of you -perhaps work sort of backwards - ie how many eggs per week are you actually going to need? if you have a few extra can you sell them to friends at work etc? So think about what you need first then work out the hens to suit - some forage like mad and are flightly others more sedate and happy with a bit of confinement.Other breeds will give you eggs in the winter -some broody all summer long!!
Oh and and Babe is spot on. Hens are born with a finite number of "eggs" the more frequently they lay means they will use these up. Commercial breeds such as "hybrids" are engineered to produce a huge amount in their first season then egglaying markedly tails of relative to the commercial expectations- although few £1.00 ex barn hens are perfect for an average sized family!
Personally i love faverolles -tick all the boxes, but as everyone knows I am terribly biased!!  

[VM]

I see Faverolles keep laying in winter which sounds brilliant - not so much that we need loads of eggs all the time - agree with someone in other thread that they can be a seasonal food like other things - but a long time in the winter with no eggs at all would be sad...

So, about Faverolles - do they really keep laying through the winter?

And is it right that they don't mix easily with other breeds because tend to get bullied?

I'm fairly sure that we will want to try a mix of two or three types to start off with. Definitely leaning to Black Rocks for hybrids, something Sussexish and then something else as yet unknown! Not being too adventurous as we're just starting out.

thanks again, all