Laying hens: the best breeds for the home, how to breed on the farm, the most egg-laying species

Today, many people raise chickens for themselves. To choose the right breed, it is recommended to determine its direction. There are meat, egg and meat-egg varieties of birds. People who want to get a large number of eggs should pay attention to egg hens. Below are the best breeds of laying hens for the home. Each of them is characterized by certain features.

Features of laying hens

The key feature of laying hens is the ability to carry large eggs. They are edible and of high quality. Such a product gives a thoroughbred laying hen. They share common features:

• chicken body weight - no more than 2.5 kilograms;
• slender physique;
• rapid physical growth;
• thick feathers;
• large wings;
• long tail;
• straight and stiff comb - it has 7 teeth.

The first clutch is made 125 days after the birth of the chicken. On day 140, the laying hen reaches full physical development.

Egg production comparison

Many factors influence the productivity of chickens. This parameter depends on the age of the bird, the characteristics of the content, the climatic characteristics of the region, the composition of the diet.

Egg production indicators, depending on the direction of the breed, are shown in the table:

200-240

Breed type	Annual egg production parameters, pieces
Meat	100-120
Egg	250+
Meat Egg

The best breeds

The best breeds come from crossbreeds of different types of chickens. To choose the best option, it is worth considering the features of each of them.

Andalusian Blue

This breed is considered very popular because it has a beautiful shade of feathers. Egg production parameters are considered average and reach 160-180 pieces per year. The eggs are medium in size and have a white shell.

Hamburg

These birds are often grown for ornamental purposes. They are characterized by the absence of feathers on the front of the head, white earlobes, and a raised comb. These chickens are considered small - their weight does not exceed 2.5 kilograms. Egg production parameters rarely exceed 160 pieces. The eggs are small and weigh a maximum of 55 grams.

Dominant

These birds are considered record holders in terms of productivity. Laying hens are characterized by a massive body and many feathers. In a year they give up to 300 large eggs, the mass of which reaches 70 grams. Laying starts early. Productivity parameters are maintained for 3-4 years.

Isa Brown

This popular egg breed originated in France. A laying hen can produce up to 320 eggs per year. A characteristic feature is the brown shade of the shell. The chicken has a high endurance and easily adapts to any conditions.

Kuchinskaya Anniversary

This breed is considered universal. She gives up to 220 eggs per year, and they weigh 60 grams. The hen starts laying at six months. At the same time, it is permissible to grow the breed as a meat breed. Its mass reaches 3 kilograms and has excellent taste.

Leggorn

These birds weigh a maximum of 2 kilograms and produce up to 300 eggs per year. A characteristic feature of chickens is considered to be high endurance. Individuals quickly reach sexual maturity. They have a beautiful appearance and a characteristic leaf-shaped ridge.

Loman Brown

This breed was bred in Germany, based on the Plymouthrock rooster and the Rhode Island hen. Egg production parameters reach 300-330 pieces. Hens begin laying eggs at 130 days of age. Active laying lasts up to 80 days. The eggs are large and weigh up to 65 grams.

Minorca

This is one of the most recognizable egg-laying breeds. Chickens start laying early - at 5 months. In a year, it will be possible to obtain up to 160 eggs weighing 56-59 grams. Today, the Minorca is considered an endangered breed. There are several hundred of these chickens in the world.

New Hampshire

This is a hybrid breed of meat and egg direction. It was bred by American scientists. Rhode Island individuals became the basis. The key disadvantage is the low survival rate of young birds. They do not exceed 86%. Annual egg production - 200 pieces. The eggs weigh 60 grams and have a yellow-brown shell.

Rhode Island

Chickens have an attractive appearance. When growing individuals, it is important to consider that they require mandatory walking. Keeping them in cages is prohibited. Hens start laying eggs at 6 months. Average egg production - 180 pieces. The eggs weigh 62 grams and have a brown shell.

Russian White

This breed is included in the ranking of the most popular egg varieties. Individuals are perfectly adapted to Russian conditions. Laying eggs weigh about 55 grams.

Tetra

This is one of the most productive crosses, so it is often chosen for home keeping. The bird brings up to 310 eggs per year. They reach 65 grams in weight. The first clutch occurs at 21 weeks of age.

Ukrainian Ushanka

This breed is considered meat and egg. It was bred in the seventeenth century. A characteristic feature is the tufts of feathers that grow in the region of the ear holes. Chickens are unpretentious in care and have good productivity. Laying hens gain weight every day and weigh up to 2.3 kilograms. They produce 160 eggs a year.

High Line

These chickens are characterized by high productivity. When a bird reaches 80 weeks of age, it produces 350 large eggs. The advantage of the breed is unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention.

Hisek Brown

This breed is great for breeding. She gives large eggs that reach 60 grams. In a year, egg production parameters are 300 pieces. The advantage of birds is considered to be high resistance to infections, fungi, and helminthic invasions.

Hisek White

These birds are also characterized by high productivity. They differ from the previous breed only in the shade of plumage. These chickens are characterized by snow-white feathers.

Shaver

Chickens of this breed bring a lot of eggs. Egg production parameters reach 235 pieces per year. Most laying eggs are produced at 27-46 weeks of age. Their weight is 63 grams.

Example of a good laying hen

When choosing a laying hen, you should immediately refuse to buy birds with physical defects. These include deformed fingers or a keel, an irregularly shaped beak. The following features testify to the high productivity of the chicken:

• high physical activity;
• good appetite;
• long and wide torso;
• well developed chest;
• strong, wide-set legs.

Excessive or insufficient amounts of protein in the diet of chickens often leads to falling on their feet. Subsequently, this will negatively affect productivity.

Plumage

It will be possible to evaluate the performance of a laying hen by her feathers. He alth individual has a dense and shiny plumage. An unproductive chicken is distinguished by matte and loose feathers.

Shedding also testifies to egg production. Productive individuals rush for a long time, and therefore shed their feathers in October-November. At this time, they become unattractive, so inexperienced poultry farmers often cull such individuals.

Unproductive layers begin to shed as early as July-August. Moreover, this process takes 4 months. However, by the beginning of the acquisition of the flock, such chickens look more attractive. Therefore, they are often mistakenly preferred.

The number of primary feathers on the wings is of no small importance. Good layers have quite a lot of them.

Beak and legs how to choose for beginners

The shade of the beak, iris and paws helps determine the performance of chickens. When buying remontant young animals, you should pay attention to the yellow tint of the legs, irises of the eyes and beak. As performance increases, pigmentation gradually disappears. The higher the productivity of the chicken, the faster this process proceeds.

First, pigmentation from the iris disappears. Then the beak and paws are involved in the process. Therefore, birds with good egg production do not have as bright pigmentation in autumn as unproductive layers.

It is also worth considering that it is not recommended to leave young animals with deformed legs. This feature is inherited and provokes a decrease in productivity parameters.

Comb and earrings for chicken and chicken

Chickens with a pale or overdeveloped scallop are not suitable for stocking. Pale and wrinkled earrings and comb indicate a low egg production of an individual. In productive birds, they have a scarlet or red hue, a warm and elastic texture.

Which layer to choose?

For the household, birds are often bought from the market or poultry farm. When buying an individual from farmers, you should ask questions of interest regarding the breed and conditions of detention. Most chickens purchased from farmers are considered hardy and produce large eggs.

However, it is important to check birds for diseases. Not all farmers are conscientious and can sell bad laying hens to inexperienced people for personal subsidiary plots.

When buying new chickens from a poultry farm, you can be sure that they are vaccinated. However, it is difficult to breed such birds at home. They are characterized by poor immunity and difficulty adapting to new conditions.

When is the best time to buy?

Young stock aged 4-5 months should be bought in spring and autumn. If you do this in the spring, the peak of their egg production will begin by summer. In the autumn it is worth updating the livestock. For this, good laying hens are left for the winter, and bad ones are allowed for meat. It is recommended to purchase several new chickens.

There are many breeds of chicken that are suitable for growing in small farms. When choosing a particular individual, it is worth focusing on the parameters of egg production and taking into account the requirements for care. It is better for novice farmers to choose unpretentious breeds.

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