Do you want to start raising chickens to get fresh eggs? The best egg laying chickens will really depend on your needs. Some chickens just produce more eggs and are bred specifically for maximizing egg production.
There are some conditions that will inhibit egg production. If there are too many roosters in the flock, this can cause stress with your hens. When your hens are stressed, they won’t lay eggs. If a predator is close by, this could affect egg production as well. The safer your hens feel, the more eggs they will lay.
You may also want to have a variety of egg colors. You just need to look behind the ears to see the color of their skin. White skin will produce white eggs. If the skin is reddish-brown, that hen will lay brown eggs. When the skin is a dark red, those hens will lay blue or bluish-green eggs.
Hens are in their prime for laying eggs the first three years of their life. After the third year of laying eggs, it is best to get a new hen to lay eggs.
Do you want to learn which breeds have the best egg laying chickens?
Best Egg Laying Chickens
All hens will lay eggs but some produce more than others. We will go over a few different breeds and you can decide which are the best egg laying chickens for your needs.
White Leghorn
This is one of the most popular breeds of chickens. One chicken will lay about 300 eggs each year. Leghorn chickens mature early and can start laying at about four to five months of age. Leghorns are generally skittish around people and do not make the best pets.
Hybrid / Golden Comet
The Golden Comet chicken has been specifically bred to produce more eggs while eating less food. There are many hybrid chickens but the Comet is one of the most popular breeds. They lay about 280 eggs each year. Their eggs are brown and mostly medium-sized.
These hybrids tend to be less prone to infections and diseases that other breeds. Be aware that you this bird will not brood very well so you may not be able to hatch new chickens from their eggs.
Rhode Island Red’s (RIRs)
This breed lays approximately 250 eggs each year. The eggs are medium-sized and brown. This is one of the best chickens for a first time backyard chicken owner. They are friendly chickens and make good pets.
Marans
The Maran chicken lays about 200 dark brown, medium-sized eggs per year. They don’t need a lot of space because they won’t wander far from home. They are gentle but very shy. This breed is an eggcellent choice for egg laying and for meat.
Buff Orpington
These birds are docile and make great pets. They will even eat out of your hands. They are a very social breed. Orpingtons lay about 180 white, regular-sized eggs each year. They also make for a good hatching hen if you want to use their eggs for new chickens.
The reason they lay less eggs is because of their broodiness. If you have other eggs that need sat on, this breed will lay on other chicken eggs and even, other fowl like a domestic duck.
Decide What You Need
The best egg laying chickens depend strictly on what you need. If you want a hen that broods, then go for the Orpington. If you want lots of eggs without a lot of work, the Golden Comet will be your best bet. If you are looking for a pet, the Rhode Island Red may be perfect. If you have a limited amount of space, you may want to go for Marans. If you only want white eggs, the Leghorn will produce the most.
If you just want your chickens to lay eggs, then you won’t need to keep a rooster. If you are trying to fertilize the eggs, a rooster is obviously needed. If you want to increase the amount of chickens, then you will need a rooster but there really is no other need for one.
Some people may slaughter their chickens at the end of their egg production. Or some may want to keep them as pets. It’s entirely up to you to decide what to do with them when they can no longer produce eggs.
