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Looking at getting some layers


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Battery hens are fantastic layers but only for a short space of time. There bred to lay an egg a day for about 1 1/2 years and then be killed off for new stock after that.

 

If i was you id look for some nice breeds that will look good and lay well for a longer period of time. Marans, New Hampshire reds, Susex, Bluebell (hybrid hen maran x Rhode island red i think), Rhode island red, Barnvelder. These will all make good laying hens.

 

If you have an incubator you could get a settin of eggs but it would be spring next year before you have an egg from any of your hens, the same apply's for buying chicks. By far the easy option is to buy pullets or full grown laying birds.

 

Atb Mark :thumbs:

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Battery hens are fantastic layers but only for a short space of time. There bred to lay an egg a day for about 1 1/2 years and then be killed off for new stock after that.

 

If i was you id look for some nice breeds that will look good and lay well for a longer period of time. Marans, New Hampshire reds, Susex, Bluebell (hybrid hen maran x Rhode island red i think), Rhode island red, Barnvelder. These will all make good laying hens.

 

If you have an incubator you could get a settin of eggs but it would be spring next year before you have an egg from any of your hens, the same apply's for buying chicks. By far the easy option is to buy pullets or full grown laying birds.

 

Atb Mark :thumbs:

spot on advice id say mate , id keep away from them ex batts , often full of diesease and parasites too
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Leghorns (good layers,small white eggs)

Fenton blue HYBRID (good layers blue/green eggs)

Red HYBRID (great layers brown eggs)

 

 

Depends if you just want eggs in the morning or want to breed down the road... In that case get purebreds

Hybrids are a good starting point however for newbies

 

When buying hybrids you are looking for pol (point of lay) try and buy all your birds off one supplier

If you see ANY sick birds... Walk away, any birds hunched over, dirty, nasal discharge etc... Walk away, dirty pens... Walk away

In a point of lay bird it wants to look fairly well grown, pink or preferably red comb (red comb means they are laying or about to start laying

 

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i usually get the hi sex pullets (battery type)but @pol from a reputable breeder and they are really good for beginners, like the others said for 2 yrs max and when they go thru the moult its hard for you to stop them from hen pecking and feather pecking ,then they look worse for wear and if like me had your allotment next to a public footpath,ive had complaints to the rspca ,so i got rid because i could not re feather them, so ive gone for rhodey x light sussex not as good as last lot but ok

hi sex pullets from 1st hen laying to a full year to that date out of 23 birds they ave 18 eggs per day = 6570 eggs per year

rhode x light sussex these ave in 6 mth only 15 eggs per day

i also get them @pol in sept so they right through xmas and right through till the next back before they moult so you tend to get a few more laying months

so 3 eggs x 30 days =90 eggs per month/ dozen =7 1/2 dozen and @£2 dozen is £15 per month diff

Edited by gibbo1973
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