Best purebred layers, anyone please?

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valeriebutterley

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From my three white Leghorns, new flock therefore young, I have a daily egg so far without fail, my 5 Blacktails also produce lovely brown eggs unfailingly, my other two - Sussex hybrids, bought because my daughter-in-law fell in love with them on the spot, are gorgeous girls, have matured into somewhat fat and lazy hens, black speckled one produces very few eggs, the white one produces more.
SO my question, what are the other breeds of purebred hens that produce almost unfailingly?.
I love both the looks and characters of Leghorns so will always keep them.
I have heard that Australorps are very good layers, also difficult to source.
Are purebred Rhode Island Reds as good, for instance, are they as good as people say?.
I'm asking this because again, I've seen a Blacktail munching feathers from my Leghorns and decided to separate her immediately. Thank goodness for leg rings!!
I'm sure now it was the Blacktails that started the absolute nightmare of feather munching before, so lovely natured hens as they are and goodlooking too, no more Blacktails for me.
They have space, are loved, petted and treated and can free range in the garden, but there's always one who spoils things!!!.
 
Problem with great layers is they can be very aggressive foragers -like the Rhode Island Red. We had one and a thoroughly nasty piece of work she was. Eating feathers can be boredom or an extension to foraging. Didn't lay particularly well either. Showing strains have taken over and wrecked the utility aspects of all the pure breeds from what I can see. There may be a handful of purebred utility strains left in the UK at specialist breeders.

The White Leghorn is probably the best there is Valerie. There is a breeder of utility strain Orpingtons somewhere near Basingstoke -I know because a local breeder here gets show strain eggs from him (forgotten his name). Our Marans are pretty good. I have a hunch that the Marans 'hybrids' being sold in the UK with feathery feet are actually pure bred French. One of our Buff Orpingtons was very good because she carried the utility aspects from the cockerel (Bot) and our French version is the same.
 
I know that you're really far from us, but depending on how dedicated you feel towards your birds, Gina Upex in Norfolk breeds utility-show Norfolk Greys. We were getting an egg per day from each May 2013 bird for a lot of this year and they also have stunning temperaments. The cock that she was using for breeding was a national champion and I think the mothers are show winners as well.

I was in touch with the Rhode Island Red Club a couple of months ago as I wanted to source more of the same as I got from Gina (beautiful birds with a great utility aspect). I was offered eggs from good stock, but I didn't get a reply when I asked about their egg laying ability. Will need to follow up about that some time soon.

Chris, do you know what the best way of finding those utility strains is? I want to support breeders who breed for the utility strain and standards compliance at the same time.
 
You can still buy utility birds for some breeds (eg RIR and sussex) - Practical Poultry used to have a utility register of breeders, not sure if it still exists. But I have to say I used to have utility sussex (handpicked from an old closed flock) and their laying was no better than my regular orpingtons. I think the utility aspect was that they were excellent foragers and came up to a very good weight, very quickly.

I suspect nothing will be as good as a leghorn, but aren't marans meant to be good layers?
 
Hello Chris,
thanks for your reply, and interesting comments as well.
I had such an awful time with the feather munching before, I prayed that it would never happen again, - it did, and before my very eyes.
Beak bits didn't work or sprays or other applications last time, I gave away the Blacktails finally, after having suspected them, but the rot had set in, and most of the flock then were featherless from keel to bum, because other girls had thought it was a good idea, some remained so, it did eventually stop but it took about 2 years of nightmare.
I have never seen munching in purebreeds, I suppose it does happen, Brahmas apparently used to be good layers, before they got interfered with, and are just such lovely, gigantic hens, heavy on the rations, but what the hell for such beauty.
So maybe they are for the future, my Croad Langshans were very good too, and I do aim to replace them next year.
Have a great Christmas and a happy and prosperous new Year.
 
Hi Val, I'm not sure whereabouts you live, but if you're within reach of Chalk Hill Poultry, (Hants/Wilts/Dorset area) you might consider their specially bred Utility range, see this link
http://chalkhillpoultry.co.uk/utility.html

As you'll see, they're carefully bred to be true so far as possible to the original purebred utility strains, should lay well and be healthy and hardy for many years (as are all the birds I've bought from Chalk Hill over several years, including dear old Marigold who came as a chick, I now wouldn't want to go anywhere else, for hybrids or purebreds.) Chalk Hill are a rare setup in that they test for salmonella in their flocks every three weeks, and they are very keen to produce really healthy stock reared in good outdoor conditions.
Don't bother emailing, though, it's a small farm that doesn't have time to answer emails! You need to ring them to find out what they have in stock, or to find out when you will be able to get eggs, chicks, growers or POLs. And maybe go on their waiting list at this time of year, of course.
 
Marigold thanks for the info. on Chalkhill.
I rang them and the man I spoke to seemed very nice and knowledgeable, it is utility breeds I want, I think, he suggested utility RIRs are probably the best layers of mid brown eggs, which is what I like, I am not at all keen on the colour of Marans type brown eggs.
So decision made for next Spring already!!
 
The other breed that came to mind Valerie was the original White Wyandotte from America. Not sure whether they still exist over here.

Yes there used to be a section of Utility Breeders in Practical Poultry but I can't see it in the last issue. You could go through an old issue though, perhaps 3 years ago is the last time I remember seeing the list. Not sure if there is anything in the forum website?

Hope none of your RIRs turn out to be as bad as ours was. The worst natured hen I have ever encountered. If it wasn't for the fact that we were looking after her for a good friend she would have been despatched.
 
I shall be interested to hear how you get on, Val. Do give us an update when you're ready for whatever you decide on.
I always enjoy my visits to Chalk Hill. As you say they're very friendly and knowledgeable and you can see where the birds have been reared. The only problem is that I go so rarely, because the birds I get from there stay healthy for years on end and go on laying ..... And laying......
 
Chris, thanks for your concern,
the only bad tempered bird I've ever encountered was a Pekin that was passed on to me. She was undersized, underweight, always ill, I kept her alive for over two years, she died only last week, for 2 years and more she was totally shrewish. It was not people she hated just other hens, even one of my Croads fell victim to her wrath and made a hasty retreat, she would and did pick on anything. In the end she could only be let out by herself, or with my Cornish who was her companion after her sister died.
I will have a good look and read before deciding about RIRs, as your comments rang a bell; it's interesting that you can meet Hellish RIRs and Pekins!!!
 
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