A good layer can give more than 300 qualities eggs and profit annually, which is the main purpose of keeping layers.
Layers lay eggs but the number of eggs depends on the breed. These productive chicken breeds are very good for the production of meat and/or eggs. They are adaptable to varying climatic conditions and so are good for commercial and backyard production.
It is very important to carefully select the chicken breeds that can give you good returns either with eggs or meat or both.
See summary below.
Read also: 8 Important Benefits of Raising Backyard Chickens
Now, we look at some popular and productive chicken breeds. They are not arranged in any order.
1. Sussex
Sussex chickens are dual-purpose birds and lay about 250 eggs annually in varying shades of light brown. They come in 8 different colours, the most common being the pure white body with a black neck and tail feathers. They are very calm and love the free-range, in the garden without destroying it.
2. Rhode Island Reds
Rhode Island Reds originated from America and are one of the productive chicken breeds. They are dual-purpose chickens, meaning they can be raised for their eggs or meat. They are one of the most popular backyard and commercial chicken breeds because they are tough and lay lots of eggs. This breed can lay about 250 brown medium-sized eggs a year. They have brown and black feathers giving them a dark appearance. Rhode Island Reds tend to bully each other and even other breeds. They are very tough and friendly. With little experience in raising chickens, this breed is recommended.
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3. Plymouth/Barred Rock
They are predominantly grey with white stripes around their bodies. Barred, black frizzle, blue, partridge, buff, Columbian, silver pencilled, black, and white colours are available. They are better suited for the free-range system and are very friendly and hardy. The hen lays about 280 light brown eggs a year. The Plymouth/Barred Rock is ideal when you are keeping chickens for the first time and prefer a hen that lays eggs once every two days.
4. Australorp
The Australorp is also, one of the productive chicken breeds and they originate from Australia. They are raised for both eggs and meat because they are very good layers and hardy. Australorp lay about 250 brown eggs in a year. They forage very well and come in black, white or blue colours.
5. Wyandotte
The Wyandotte is a dual-purpose breed and lays about 200 brown eggs annually. They have a sweet or docile temperament. They have some beautiful laced colour varieties, gold, blue and silver. The Wyandottes also come in many other colours.
Read also: Detailed Guide to Layer Production in Ghana from the experts
6. Jersey Giant
The Jersey Giant chickens are dual-purpose chickens and the hen lays about 260 brown eggs a year. Jersey Giant chickens are very large. These blue, black, and white giants are the largest of the pure breeds. They are calm, docile, and excellent for beginner flocks.
7. Leghorn
Leghorn chickens are productive layers. The hen lays about 280 white eggs a year. They are not calm or docile, rather they are flighty. They may startle easily. However, they are very productive layers. They thrive particularly well in warmer climates.
Read also: 14 Major Chicken Diseases, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatments
8. Orpington
This breed is also dual-purpose. They are good layers and hardy. The Orpington are fluffy and come in multiple colours, blue, buff, black, white and lavender). They are also very beautiful and friendly.
9. Barnevelder
The Barnevelder is a cross between the Dutch Landrace and Asian jungle fowl and a native to Holland. A Barnevelder hen lays around 200 eggs per year. These eggs are small to medium-sized and have a light speckled brown colour. This breed is mostly black with brown tipped feathers. This breed is better suited for the backyard. It isn’t a great flyer so you would not need to clip their feathers.
10. Marans
They appear similar to Plymouth Rocks and are mostly dark grey with white flutters. Marans are also dual-purpose and lay about 200 eggs a year. They are renowned for their vibrant dark brown and tasty eggs. They are usually medium in size. Marans are very gentle and do not require much space to roam. However, they are not tame and so are not good pets.
11. Lohmann Brown
The Lohmann Brown breed is very popular around the world.
They are small in stature with a relatively small body weight (<2kg). They are very good layers and produces about 313 eggs annually, with daily feed consumption of just about 110grams.
In summary
It is worth stressing that, the choice of the best-suited breed is very relevant to ensure that your job or hobby of raising chickens is an exciting one. Truly it is if you have the best-suited breed.
Reference:
10 Breeds of Chicken That Will Lay Lots of Eggs for You (thehappychickencoop.com)
10 Most Popular Chicken Breeds for Beginner Backyard Chicken Owners (wideopenpets.com)
Top 13 best egg laying chicken breeds (AgronoMag)
