Good cheap laying breed

[Nigel Thomson]

Hi all

 

One of our Wyandottes took a tumble and broke her neck so i need to replace her,  as there is no way we would ever eat our chooks i would prefer a light breed that lays well.

 

I have been looking at Hyline/Shavers, but do they still lay  once they get a few years older, I have one of indeterminate age (a second hand rescue chook) that still seems to lay okayish but then again it could be anywhere between 3 and 10 yrs old, i have heard that the old breeds keep laying for longer than shavers/hylines, whereas other sites say they keep laying about the same amount of time, just not at the prolific rate of earlier years.

 

Sorry if this isn't making sense, i am getting lectured about Dora the explorer in one end and Ninjago in the other, come on tuesday so i can get some peace

[Kelly Hobbs]

Our Barred Rock is our best layer. Almost always an egg a day even in the winter. She isn't a light breed but isn't as huge as our orpington. I'd get more barred rocks if we had the space.

[Jill Green]

 

Hi I Have had brown shavers( rescue) that have laid for years And I mean 10 years right up to a few days before they passed on. My last girl passed last year.I got two young pullets from the poultry farm(their becks were already clipped) and they are wonderful I certainly couldnt go past the Hyline/Shaver breed. Have a great day.

[Nigel Thomson]

Thanks Guys, will probably get a shaver, the barred rocks look gorgeous, BUT, from a read on wikipedia it appears some strains of are good layers while others are meat, and i have no seen any listings anywhere that differentiate between the two.

At least with a Shaver i know what i am getting, and hopefully lichfield will have some for sale shortly