Types of Laying Hens
The Ancona is a good layer of white eggs, of which it lays an average of 220 per year. Hens have little tendency to broodiness. Pullets may begin to lay at 5 months. It is a typical Mediterranean breed, rustic, lively and hardy. Birds range widely and take flight easily. The plumage of the Ancona is black mottled with white.
Personality: The Barnevelder is a docile, friendly breed, excellent for children to raise. Contrary to most breeds, Barnevelder roosters are even known to nurture new peeps. The hens are commendable mothers, brooding their own eggs and giving attentive care to their offspring.
The Hamburg (also spelt Hamburgh) is a chicken native to Germany and is one of the most attractive chicken breeds around. Eggs: They will lay around 200 eggs per year. These will be small to medium sized eggs and will have a white glossy shell.
Remember Foghorn Leghorn the cartoon? Yep, this bird one and the same. (Seasoned pros know that Leghorn is pronounced "Leggern".) The White is separate from the rest because they lay large, white eggs practically every day! Other varieties aren't nearly so prolific.
The Marans, or French, Poule de Marans, is a French breed of chicken from the port town of Marans, in the département of Charente-Maitime, in the Poitou-Charentes region of western France. It was created with the local feral chickens descended from fighting game chickens carried from Indonesia and India.
Learn all about why to choose one chicken breed over another with this breed profile of Orpingtons, a dual-purpose chicken for meat and eggs.
The Barred Plymouth Rock chicken breed is well known as a strong dual-purpose chicken, as they are a good poulty breed for year-round egg laying as well as meat production. The roots of the Barred Plymouth Rock chicken lie in the American Dominique.
The Rhode Island Red is an American breed resulting from the crossing of three breeds: Red Malay Game, Leghorn and Asiatic native stock. Named for the section of New England where they originated, Rhode Island Reds are dual-purpose birds bred for the production of meat and eggs.
Speckled Sussex hens lay about 260 light brown eggs per year, and are consistent layers. The size of the egg depends on the hen; ours lay medium-sized eggs. The size of the egg depends on the hen; ours lay medium-sized eggs.