True Outdoor-reared hens lay eggs. If you obtain eggs from backyard hens, they’re free-range. Cage-free hens may spend their whole lives inside, so there’s a difference.
People maintain backyard hens for the fresh eggs they offer. Whether you’re a beginner or a master, this guide will help you choose the correct breed, learn which hens produce blue eggs, handle and store them, and more.
Best egg-layers
One should determine how many eggs you need before picking a chicken breed. Australorp and Plymouth Rock chickens may lay 1 egg a day, whereas Red Jungle Fowls lay one a week. Regardless of breed, you should gather your eggs twice a day to keep them clean and fresh.
The 12 best egg-laying hens are listed below.
Blue-egg-laying chickens
In the last few years, blue eggs have become more and more popular. Even though blue eggs haven’t always been popular, many chicken keepers are now trying to get the following breeds to lay them.
Ameraucana
The Ameraucana came from the Araucana chickens and was created in the United States in the 1970s. It was made to keep the blue eggs of the Araucana without the problems that come with the Araucana. Ameraucanas start laying eggs later than most breeds. You may have to wait up to seven months before you see any eggs, but once they do, you’ll get three to four medium-sized eggs a week.
Egg-layer
- Easter Eggers are chickens that lay blue eggs but don’fulfill APA breed requirements (APA).
- Easter Eggers start laying at 7 months and lay 4 big eggs a week.
- The Easter Egger is great for families and novices. The chicken’s sociability and egg-laying ability make it a great pet.
Araucana
- Araucana initiated the blue egg craze. Not to be confused with the Ameraucana, the Araucana was bred in Chile.
- Find a specialist breeder if you desire an Araucana. The Ameraucana was bred to avoid Araucana’s health issues.
- The cheek tufts kill some chicks during incubation. This makes them hard to locate in a hatchery.
Legbar
- This unusual (but gaining in popularity) British bird will give colour to your eggs. The Cream Legbar was developed for egg production, and some report more over 200 a year.
- Despite being a sociable breed, the Cream Legbar is high-strung and dislikes being confined.
- Cream Legbars lay four medium-sized eggs every week. Smart birds! They perform well in a backyard farm and a free-range habitat, avoiding predators in both.
How often do hens lay eggs?
Egg production varies by breed. Some breeds lay once a week, while the Rhode Island Red lays once a day. Regardless of frequency, hens require particular circumstances to produce more eggs. Ideal temperatures range from 45 to 80 F. Light is another aspect; most chickens stop laying in the winter because there’s not enough daylight.
Hens lay eggs for how long?
The first three years of a hen’s life are the greatest for egg production, but they won’t cease later. Keeping your chickens healthy is important to egg-laying, and some lay for over a decade. Age reduces the frequency of these eggs.
