The best egg-laying breeds of chickens: description, characteristics and reviews

Choose for home breeding egg hens -the task is rather difficult. However, having certain knowledge in this direction, it is, of course, possible to cope with it. In this article we will consider the most popular breeds of egg laying hens and their characteristics.

Common signs of egg hens

There are many different breeds of hens in the egg direction, but all have many common features:

• Yaytsenosnye breeds of chickens are relatively small in weight, which does not exceed 2.8 kg. However, representatives of the meat-egg direction have meat indicators and egg production at their heights.
• Wings are long, with a wide scope.
• The comb is straight, bright red, large.
• Egg-bearing hens are active and mobile.
• Birds have a good metabolism, so they constantly need feed.
• The hens of the egg direction quickly ripen and are ready to rush at the age of five months.
• The instinct of incubation is absent or minimized.

Egg-bearing hens do not require any specialcare and do not need any special conditions. But at the same time, to ensure that the eggshell is strong enough and solid, they constantly need various vitamin and mineral supplements.

Benefits

The breeds of egg-laying hens (the description of the best representatives will be given below) have the following undeniable advantages:

• High egg production.
• Big weight of eggs.
• Egg shell hardness.
• Resistance to diseases.
• Good survival of offspring.
• Unprincipled in the diet.
• Absence of aggression.

Thanks to the efforts of poultry farmers in the modern representatives of the egg direction, all these qualities are maximally developed.

Let us consider which egg-laying breeds are the best.

Leggorn

White leggorn is a classic of egg poultry. This is perhaps the most egg-bearing breed of chickens, which was bred in Italy in the 19th century.

Bird of relatively small size: the live weight of the adult laying hen is 1, 6 kg, the rooster is about 2.5 kg. The body is fairly proportionate, the chest is rounded, the back is wide, slightly elongated. Representatives of the Leygorn breed have a head of medium size with a bright red beautiful scallop. At cocks it is erect, at hens it is slightly hanging on one side. The color of the eyes changes with age. In young animals they are orange, in adult birds they are pale yellow. The color of the legs changes with age. In young hens they are bright yellow, in elderly individuals - pale, bluish-white. By these signs, you can determine the age of birds. There are more than 20 varieties of colors for this breed, but in Russia, white representatives are the most common. There are birds with golden, black, brown, blue and variegated plumage.

LEGHORNES begin at the age of five months(about 18-20 weeks), especially the birds are productive in the first year of life. Under comfortable conditions, one layer can produce 250 and even sometimes 300 eggs per year. Eggs are large enough (average weight 60 g). The breed of white egg-laying hens of Leggorne bears white eggs, the eggs are brown in the variegated birds.

According to the owners, the Lengorne chickenfairly active and almost always in motion. Contain birds preferably in the barn with the possibility of walking. There should be enough light and fresh air in the place of maintenance for full development. It is also important to ensure cleanliness. Sheds, feeders and nests should be equipped in the shed.

For the walking of a bird, it is enough to have a small area fenced with a net.

White Russian

This is a hybrid of leggorns and Russian mongrelbirds. White Russian is considered one of the best egg-bearing breeds. Productivity of 230-250 eggs per year (in some cases can reach 300 pcs.), Which is slightly lower than that of Leygorn. The average weight of one egg is about 55 g. In size, this breed of chickens is slightly larger than the Lengorns. Birds have a large leaf-shaped bright red comb.

According to the owners, the undoubted advantage of this breed of hens is their resistance to stress, cold and many diseases. Birds quickly ripen, are balanced and not aggressive.

Loman Brown

This is a very productive breed. The bird is excellent for growing in regions with a cold climate. Loman brown tolerates strong frosts, chickens rush even in winter. This hybrid breed was introduced in Germany.

Since these are chickens of the egg-meat direction, theylarge and massive. The body is wide, the back is rounded, slightly bent. The tail is large, the beak is also in the chickens, and the roosters are quite powerful. Color - brown. The live weight of an adult hen hen from 2 to 2.5 kg, the cock weighs an average of 2.5-3 kg. Begin to start at about 5 months. For a year, one bird can give about 320 eggs weighing 63-64 g. The shell is light brown. According to reviews, the representatives of this breed are characterized by a calm temperament, resistance to stress, friendliness. Birds calmly carry the content in the cells.

Tetra

This is a universal breed of egg-meat direction, bred by one of the Hungarian companies.

Chickens are practically no different from birdssimilar breeds. The body is well developed, rectangular, the head is not very large with a beak solid light yellow. The neck of the hens is quite long, the tail is of medium size. Legs are white-yellow in color, medium length.

Wings of medium size, adjacent to the body tightly, the feathers of the birds are silky. Chickens have a red or brown color, roosters - white.

The birds begin to be carried in four or five months. A year can give up to 300 eggs. Like all egg-bearing breeds of chickens, tetra is especially productive in the first year of its activity, after which the egg-laying gradually decreases. Eggs are large (up to 65 g), the shell is brown.

Like all universal breeds, tetra is also famous for dietetic tasty meat, and gaining marketable weight quickly enough - in just four to five months. Reviews of these hens are only good.

Dominant

Considering the egg-laying breeds of chickens (namesthe best representatives are given in the article) it is necessary not to mention such a bird as the dominant derived in the Czech Republic. According to the owners, the breed has a beautiful appearance, quality of feed, resistance to diseases. Also, it is unpretentious to the conditions of detention, but the best quality of chickens is, of course, their good productivity and tasty useful meat.

The breed has several subspecies,differing in color and body shape. However, they all have a large, massive body and a small head. Wings of birds closely fitting, plumage magnificent, legs short, which gives dominants a squat and dense appearance. Feather light, black and white, mottled, dark.

Live weight of adult laying hen - about 2 kg, cockerel- 2,5-3 kg. The chickens start to start at 4.5 months, and in the first year they give up to 310 eggs. Eggs large - up to 70 g, the shell is strong enough, brown, white or cream color, which depends on the subspecies of the laying hen.

Minorca

The name of this breed originated from the area where it was bred by breeders (Minorca Island, Spain). In Russia, minors were imported in 1885.

The breed looks very original. Birds have black plumage, a red comb, rather large white earlobes and wide long scarlet earrings that betray them quite impressive. Back long enough, with an inclination to the tail, chest broad, legs high. Head black, medium-sized, graceful. The neck is long, the beak of the birds is black. In the males, the crest is upright, large, with hanging down in the chickens.

Minorks are not suitable for industrial breeding, because they are demanding of the conditions of detention.

The minors begin to swing at the age of five months. In the first year they are able to demolish up to 2,000 eggs. Eggs are large (60-80 g). The advantage of this breed is also that they can be carried regardless of the season.

The disadvantages include the pampering of the bird: in the cold feet and scallops may undergo frostbite. Also this breed does not tolerate drafts, high humidity, cold.

The birds do not have the instinct of incubation, as a result of which the eggs must be placed in layers of other breeds or placed in an incubator.

Pushkin striped-motley

This is a relatively new breed, bred in 2007 in Russia.

Body of birds wide, trapezoid, wide, necklong vertical neck. On the crest clearly visible spike, which goes to the frontal part from the nape. The back of the birds is even, to the tail narrowed, the wings are long. The form of the head is elongated, the size is small. The beak is of medium length, slightly curved. Eyes bulging, orange. The legs are long, gray in color. Color can be striped-mottled with white fluff or black and white.

Pushkin's chickens are slightly larger than other breeds of egg direction, which is especially attractive for their breeding, since after the end of the egg-laying period, they can be fished for meat.

The weight of an adult chicken is 2 kg, the cock is close 2.7-3 kg. Yaytsenoskost starts at about 5 months, productivity up to 280-290 eggs per year. The shell is strong, white or light cream, weighing up to 60 g.

The Pushkin breed of hens is unpretentious to the conditions of detention. The temper is calm. According to the farmers' comments, the birds do not escape in case of danger, but squat, bending over to the ground, so it is easy to catch at the face.

The Hamburg breed

The bird was bred in Germany by crossing the chickens brought from other countries with local individuals.

The Hamburg breed is distinguished by a slender, elongated torso of medium size, a long neck, high chest, which gives it a proud look. The color of the comb is pink, the earlobes are like white minors.

Since in the breeding of the Hamburg breedSeveral species of chickens participated, their coloring can be very different - black, white, pale, silver-striped, partridge, spotted, golden-striped, blue.

The bear weighs 1.5-2 kg, the males around 2-2.5 kg. For a year, one hen hen can demolish up to 380-400 eggs weighing 45-50 grams. Eggshells are white.

Summarize

So, we examined which breeds of hens are the most egg-bearing, learned the owners' feedback. When choosing a poultry, it is important to consider:

• The purpose of breeding: for periodic sale or the uninterrupted production of eggs.
• What is the area reserved for breeding chickens.
• Conditions in which the bird will be kept: in cages, aviary.
• In what region, and in what climatic conditions will chickens be grown.
• The degree of adaptation of a particular breed to these conditions.
• Availability and price of chicks selected breed.

Purchasing young stands only afterall nuances of the future breeding will be thought out and the premises intended for keeping the poultry will be organized. It is also important to read the detailed literature on what breed of hens is egg-bearing and a complete description of the breeding. Only if these conditions are met will the chickens be happy with beautiful, large and even eggs throughout the year.