Which Chicken Breeds Are The Best Egg Layers? Â
Raising chickens is growing in popularity amongst homesteaders. Chickens are easy to raise, making them the perfect first livestock. You can have a small backyard or 30 acres far out in the country. The goal of raising chickens is the same for almost everyone. Chickens provide eggs, meat, and fertilizer.
All chickens lay eggs, but some chicken breeds are better egg layers than others breeds. If your goal is to gather a basket of eggs each day, you have to pick the right breeds. So, if you want fresh eggs all year long, you need to ask which chicken breeds are the best egg layers. Take a look at our top picks.
11 Best Egg Laying Chicken Breeds
Rhode Island Reds
Rhode Island Reds are native to America and are classified as a dual purpose chicken. That means you can raise Rhode Island Reds for either eggs or meat. You’ll find that many newbie start with this chicken breed because they lay a lot of eggs. This breed lays brown, medium-sized eggs. An average, young Rhode Island Red will lay around 250 eggs per year!
This breed takes care of itself. They are not docile, but you can expect the chickens to be friendly enough!
Sussex
Sussex chickens are another dual-purpose chicken that you can raise for eggs or meat. The Sussex breeds come in eight different colors, each laying a different color egg. A Sussex can lay 250 eggs per year easily.
The great thing about Sussex chickens is that they are very calm, making them an ideal choice to free range on your property. Taming this breed is easy.
Leghorns
Leghorns originated in Italy and came to the United States in the 1800s. Since their arrival, leghorns became a popular choice for chicken owners. Each chicken will lay around 250 white, medium-sized eggs.
You can easily identify leghorns. The body is entirely white with a large, thick, red comb. It is good to note that they tend to have a difficult personality. Most are shy and difficult to tame.
Ameraucana
Do you want to have fun colored eggs? If so, Ameraucana chickens are for you. The chickens lay eggs in a blue tint. You can expect 200 colored eggs each year.
Many people refer to Ameraucana chickens as the Easter Egg chicken because of the colored eggs. These chickens are easily tamed and make great pets. The chickens are rather small, only reaching a maximum of 6lbs at full size.
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