It may come as a surprise to you but not all hens primary purpose is to lay eggs. Some hens can lay less than 100 eggs per year whereas others can produce in excess of 300 eggs per year and it’s not pot luck. It’s all to do with the breed of chicken.
There are Hundreds of Breeds of laying chickens to choose from and it can be a little daunting if you are new to the scene. Although we have already made the task quiet simple by selecting what we feel are the 15 best breeds suited to backyard flocks in Ireland we thought that you all might like to see how we have drawn our conclusions.
There are two main types of chickens;
- Pure Breeds
- Hybrids
Pure Breeds
There is quiet a selection of Pure Breeds Birds to choose from. They come in all sizes and colours from Large Fowl to their Bantam Equivalents. They can be very pretty however, they are not very productive and can be quiet aggressive. They are normally only hatched and raised by small backyard hobbyists and it is very unlikely that they are vaccinated.
Hybrids
Hybrid Chickens are very strong and robust. They are both docile and productive. They are great with kids and can lay in excess of 300 eggs per year.
Our advice to you is;
If you are looking for a good laying hen that is easy to keep in a family environment then a good hybrid hen is hard to beat. We have over 15 breeds which are high producers, great with kids and very attractive.
Find out more about our Hybrid Chicken Breeds