Top 5 Best Egg Laying Chickens

Getting started with egg laying chickens can be overwhelming. As a matter of fact, a simple Google search of the best laying hens could have your head spinning. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of egg layers to choose from. From standard breed to heritage breed, to which color egg they lay- it can be baffling when you start considering all the information. Today I am going to simplify the process of choosing egg laying chickens by giving you the Top 5 Best Egg Laying Chickens.

What To Expect From This Article

By the end of this article you will be able to make an informed decision about which egg laying chicken will best suit your needs. When reviewing the top 5 best egg laying chickens, I am going to cover the following points:

Egg color and size
Temperament of each breed
How many weeks to maturity
Yearly egg production yields
Feed-to-egg conversion and free ranging likelihood

Egg Colors & What They Mean For Your Egg Layers

The best egg laying chickens lay eggs in an assortment of colors. — Photo Credit: Monika Schroder from Pixabay

For the sake of assuming you only care about egg production, I have not selected these breeds based on the egg colors they produce. The breeds I selected do, however, lay eggs in different shades. Selecting chickens for the sole purpose of egg color is a post for another day. It’s important to note that no matter the shell color, all eggs are the same on the inside.

Why You Don’t Want A Broody Hen

All things considered, if you’re reading this article, chances are you may not know what a broody hen is. A broody hen is a chicken that has the desire to sit on a clutch of eggs with the intent to hatch them into chicks. Some breeds are more prone to broodiness than others. However, if your goal is egg production, you don’t want a hen that wants to sit on her eggs. Because of this, I have selected breeds that are not prone to setting.

Determining How Many Egg Laying Chickens You Need

The first thing I recommend when determining how many egg laying chickens you will need is to think about how often your family uses and consumes eggs. When factoring in your egg usage, don’t forget to include your baking needs. It’s important to know that a typical family should figure two laying hens per person to keep them in eggs.

If you are purchasing chickens with the intent of selling eggs, using the above equation when thinking about your client base and needs. Before purchasing your chickens, I would take a verbal survey of how many people want to buy eggs from you. Equally important to know is how many dozen eggs they require in a week.

How Free Ranging Egg Layers Can Benefit You

The benefits of animals having outdoor access are particularly numerous. But one of the biggest benefits to raising the best laying hens, is providing them with quality sources of food. Enter in free ranging. Not only will allowing your egg layers to free range cut down on your feed bill, but it will provide your hens with minerals, protein and vitamins, naturally. As a result, you will end up with a more nutrient dense egg. After all, happy hens make happy eggs.

Before I get into the fine details of the top 5 best egg laying chickens, I would like to point out that this list is in no particular order. After all, my personal needs are not yours. Let’s get started!

Bielfelder

The Bielfelder is a calm and docile hen. This egg layer will produce as much as 280 large, brown eggs each year. The Bielfelder is classified as a ‘better’ layer. She is somewhat likely to set on her eggs, but with regular egg collection, this can be avoided. This bird free ranges well and because she is a giant breed, can be used as a meat chicken, too. Due to her giant size, she averages 22 weeks to maturity.

Pearl White Leghorn

Egg laying chickens come in all colors and unlikely breeds make great egg layers. — Photo Credit: Olga Moiseenko from Pixabay

The Pearl White Leghorn is classified as a ‘best’ egg laying chicken. As a matter of fact, these egg layers will produce between 280 to 300 large, white eggs annually! Especially important to note is that this egg laying hen will lay 10 to 12 weeks longer than most breeds. Averaging only 18 weeks to mature, this flighty, but active hen has an excellent feed-to-egg conversion. Pearl White Leghorns are often used commercially because of their high egg production. She free ranges well and is not likely to set on her eggs.

Whitings

Whitings are classified as ‘best’ laying chickens. Depending on the breed, this hen will lay blue or green, medium to large eggs. Averaging as much as 280-300 eggs per year, this good tempered egg layer is not likely to set on her eggs. Whitings average 20 weeks to maturity and have a rather excellent feed-to-egg conversion.

Isa Browns

Isa Browns are a gentle and docile bird that free range well. They produce an astounding 300 to 350 large to extra large brown eggs each year! Because of this Isa Browns are considered to be ‘best’ egg laying chickens. They take 18 to 22 weeks to reach full maturity and will rarely set on their eggs. They also have an excellent feed-to-egg conversion. Especially impressive to note is that Isa Browns make up 60% of the world’s brown egg market.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire egg layers are a dual purpose breed. Because of her ability to be dual purpose, this hen averages 22 weeks to maturity. You can expect as much as 200 large, brown eggs annually from this breed. Classified as a ‘better’ egg layer, this good tempered hen is not likely to set and she free ranges well.

Where to Purchase the Best Laying Hens

Below is a list of some of the top hatcheries in the United States selling the Top 5 Best Egg Laying Chickens. In addition, these hatcheries ship chicks with few restrictions and small minimum order quantities.

A 45 day chicken is a fast growing meat bird that is one of the best meat chicken breeds around. — Photo Credit: Congerdesign

Murray McMurray Hatchery: Established in 1917, this one stop poultry shop caters to backyard farmers and hobby farmers. They especially pride themselves on their free, full color catalog that reads more like a magazine! http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com
Townline Hatchery: A fourth-generation family run business, started over 100 years ago, Townline offers a wide selection of mail order chicks. Additionally, they will send you a color flyer that lists their top selling poultry. http://www.townlinehatchery.com
Meyer Hatchery: Started in 1985, this family owned hatchery offers 160 birds from their Ohio hatchery and prides themselves on excellent customer service. http://www.meyerhatchery.com
Stromberg’s Chickens: This multi-generational poultry hatchery was established 100 years ago. Moreover, this hatchery offers 200 breeds of birds that ship from their Minnesota headquarters. http://www.strombergschickens.com
Ideal Poultry: Established in 1937, this family run business ships more than 5 million birds annually from their Texas hatchery. http://www.idealpoultry.com

Best Laying Hens Printable List

For your convenience, I created a printable list of the top 5 best egg laying chickens I reviewed. Keep it in your purse, or use it when you place your order for egg laying chickens.