The best chicken breeds for eggs will lay between 250 to 300 plus eggs. Most hybrid breeds like the ISA brown and the Golden Comet will lay eggs from 280 and above per year, while some dual purpose like leghorn will lay about 250 per year. However, to achieve this,  other factors have to be considered, such as diet, weather, species, management, etc. 

 

Eggs are extremely nutritious, and a low – cost of protein with a rich supply of key vitamins and minerals, thus, their high demand.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported that in 2015 the value of world egg production was 55 billion dollars and the production of eggs reached 70.4 million metric tons.

 

 

Leghorn Eggs in basket

Chicken keeping can be so rewarding and therapeutic. You may have decided to keep chickens for eggs, thus the need to get the best laying breed becomes paramount. The type and number of the breed you will choose will depend on enough eggs for you and your family?

If you tend to go commercially, hybrid chickens are the right choice. On the other hand, if you just want enough eggs and you also want to keep them as pets or for meat as well, then you can go for the dual-purpose breeds like the Orpington breed or Plymouth rock, just to mention a few.

 

In this post, we will look at the 11 best chicken breeds for eggs, featuring their egg color, number of eggs per annual, weight, and point laying age.

 

Also read: 5 Herbs To Increase Egg Production In Chickens

1.Golden Comet

 

Golden comet is a commonly known hybrid (like the Isa brown) among many. Just like other hybrids, golden comets are bred to lay large amounts of eggs whilst consuming a very small amount of food.

The Golden Comets are gentle and tame chickens, suited for open spaces are friendly with other breeds and animals. They lay between 250 to 300 eggs annually. The eggs have a brown shell.

 

Eggs: 250 to 300 brown eggs

 

 color:  The Golden Comet is generally a light/medium reddish-brown, flecked with some white feathers

 

Age of point of lay: 15 to 16 weeks

 

2. Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Red (RIR) is a dual-purpose bird that is it can be reared for meat and eggs. It was originated from America. RIR is friendly and easy to tame, thus an ideal picks for a beginner.

 They are both good for foraging and housing. You can decide to keep them in a moveable pen to easily gather their eggs and move the pen for fresh forages.

They are one of the common backyard chickens because of their toughness and lay lots of eggs.

 

Eggs

 

You should expect an RIR pullet to lay 250 eggs a year.

 

Color

 

Opposite to their name, RIRs actually have brown and black feathers giving them a dark appearance.

 

Point of lay:  18-24 weeks old

Also read: Chicken First Aid Kit: What do you put on a Chicken Open Wound?

3. Leghorn

 

Leghorn is one of the oldest chicken breeds I have known. As a child, I was fascinated by its name ‘Leghorn’  and I assume it has a very long tinny horn-like shape (spur)  on its leg (shank), thus the name leghorn. lol!  That is by the way.

Leghorn chicken was originated in Tuscany in central Italy and brought to America in 1828.

Leghorns are mainly suitable for egg production, and they can lay about 280 eggs per annual.

They are flighty, nervous, and hard to tame. Recognized varieties include Rose Comb Black, Rose Comb Buff, Comb Dark Brown.

 

Eggs:    

They are chicken breeds for eggs. You should be expecting 280 eggs annually.

 

Color:

They are special chickens breeds with a full white body and a large thick red comb.

 

Point of lay:   16- 17 weeks

 

Also read: 12 Common Diseases of Layer Chickens: ( Causes, symptoms, and Treatment)

4. Sussex:

 

As the Rhode Island Red, the Sussex is a ‘dual purpose’ hen which means you can rear them for eggs and meat.

 

They are usually docile and alert, they could freely free-range without having to worry about your garden and grasses.

If you want a tame breed that would feed on your hand, the Sussex is for you.

Recognized variety: Brown, buff, buff Columbia, Coronation light, Red, Silver, Speckled,

 

Eggs:  

250 eggs per annual

 

 Eggs Color:  

Brown, Cream, Tan

 

Point of lay :

16-20 weeks old

 

5. Plymouth Rock

 

Plymouth Rock is a terrific ranger and friendly chicken. They are easy to integrate into other flocks. It is a dual-purpose breed, reared for both meats and for its brown eggs.

 

Eggs:

 

Lay about 200 eggs per annual.

 

 

Color:

They are mainly grey, with white stripes wrapping around their body.

 

Point of lay:

18-22 weeks old

 

Also read:  How to hatch chicks naturally at your backyard farm

6.Ancona

 

 The Ancona is a mall hen that originated in the Marches, region of Italy, but which was bred to its present type mainly in the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century. It is named after the city of Ancona, the capital of Marche.

The Ancona is rustic, lively, and hardy. It is a good ranger and takes flight easily. You should consider raising your fence higher and clip its feathers periodically.

 

The body is black, mottled with white. The legs are yellow mottled with black, the beak yellow with some black markings on the upper mandible, and the eye orange-red.

 

Ancona is a prolific layer of white eggs, of which it lays an average of 220 per year.

 

Eggs:

It will lay about 220 eggs per year.

 

Color:

It looks exactly like Plymouth Rock in feather appearance, except it is less than half the size.

 

Point of Lay:

16- 18 weeks

Also, read:  8 mistakes you must avoid if you want to succeed in poultry farming

7.Barnevelder:

The Barnevelder is a  domestic chicken of the Dutch breed. It was created from crossbreeding between local Dutch chickens and various “Shanghai” birds imported from Asia to Europe.

 

The well-known Barnevelder variety is the doubled-laced variety, which has a single vertical comb and yellow legs, but other varieties also exist.

It is a great garden bird that is garden-friendly. It is not a good flyer, so you don’t have to worry about clipping their feathers.

 

Eggs:

It will lay about 175-200 brown eggs per year, with a weight of about 60-65g

 

Color:

 The Barnevelder is a black chicken with brown tipped feathers.

Point of lay:

18- 20 weeks

 

8.Hamburg

Hamburg ( a.k.a Hamburger) believe to have originated in Holland sometime prior to the fourteenth century.

They need a lot of space to roam about and don’t do well inside a chicken pen.

They are known to be aggressive in small spaces and are much better than free-range chicken.

 

Eggs:

They will lay 200 medium white eggs per year.

 

Color:  

The feathers are white with black feathers. Hamburgs also have another color variation which is black with gold-tipped feathers.

 

Point of lay:

16-18 weeks

 

9.Marans

Marans are another dual purpose hen and are renowned for their vibrant dark brown eggs and exceptional meal quality. It was created with the local feral chickens descended from fighting game chickens carried from Indonesia and India.

 

Eggs:  

 A Maran will lay about 150 – 200 eggs per year. These eggs are a vibrant dark brown color and are quite large eggs.

 

Color

They have the same features as the Plymouth Rock and are mostly dark grey with white flutters

 

Point of lay:

16-18 weeks

 

Also read:  7 Ways On How To Winter Chickens To Keep Them Warm

10.Buff Orpington:

The Buff Orpington is one of my favorite chicken breeds. They are big and beautiful birds that actually make great pets. They originate from Kent, England, and are a backyard chicken keeping’s dream!

Buff Orpingtons are easily tamed chicken breeds you can keep as a pet. Within a short while, you can train them to eat from your hand and socialize.

Orpington looks heavy with a low broad body, covered with fluffed-out feathers which make it look large; the down from the body covers most of the legs. Other features of Buff Orpington include a curvy shape with a short back and U-shaped underline and a small head with a medium single comb.

Eggs:

it will lay between 150-200 eggs per annual

 

Color:

It has a heavy soft feather, mostly brown, but can also be found in black and white. The egg color is brown.

Point of  laying:

19-24 weeks

 

11. Australorp

 

If you want a friendly chicken breed, the Australorp chicken breed is will make a good companion, especially if you are a beginner.

Australorp is a dual-purpose breed, created for egg and meat, and could lay more than 300 eggs per annual.

One problem with Australorp is that it is not to raise it with other breeds and sometimes bully and eat their eggs.

 

Eggs:

 lays about 300 brown eggs annually.

 

Color:

the most popular color of the breed is black, which is the only color recognized in the United States of America, but blue or white

 

 Point of laying:

22 -24 weeks

 

Although they are other laying chicken breeds other than the above-listed ones. You can choose the best breed that suits your lifestyle, or the breed that caught your fancy.

 

However, securing a good laying breeding is not a guarantee that the chicken will fulfill its laying potential. Other factors that influence egg production have to be taken care of if you want to get the best out of the chicken.

 

What are the factors that influence egg production?

 Factors that influence egg production include feed consumption (quality and quantity), water intake, parasite infestation, disease, and numerous management and environmental factors. So, do well to keep to standard in order to increase the egg production of your flocks

Chickens can live for many years and continue to lay eggs for many of these years. Although, the quantity of eggs decreases, while the size increases as they age.

 

 

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