Rhode Island Red Chickens - The Best Brown Egg Layer
These hardy birds are the perfect choice for the home flock.
They have a tendency to produce eggs no matter what conditions they live in, though of course they will excel in the proper conditions.
These excellent layers can produce from 250 to 300 brown eggs per year.
The only brown egg layers that can compete are some of the newer hybrid sex-linked strains that were developed from the Rhode Island Red, like New Hampshire Reds, Production Reds, and ISA Browns.
The best laying breed for white eggs is the Leghorn.
Rhode Island Reds will begin laying eggs when they reach the age of five to six months.
Eggs will come sporadically at first, and you may occasionally get a very large egg with two yolks.
This is typical from young pullets.
Once they begin to lay, they will gradually lay more regularly, until they produce one egg every 23 to 26 hours.
Hens molt once or twice a year.
They stop laying during this period so their energy can go to regrowing feathers temporarily.
Once they are done, egg production picks right up again.
Rhode Island Reds are a dual purpose breed, meaning they make a decent table bird as well.
If you can find some old strains of Rhode Island Reds, you will notice they are darker colored, larger and rectangular shaped.
The newer strains have been streamlined for more egg production and less meat production.
Rhode Island Red chickens do well confined to a small chicken yard, in a portable chicken tractor or free range.
They are excellent foragers who are happy to dig for bugs and worms.
This addition to their diet will create eggs with much higher nutrient contents and deep orange yolks.
Hens allowed to forage lay eggs with more vitamin A and E, less cholesterol, less saturated fat, more beta carotene and more omega-3 fatty acids.
Many cities are allowing people to keep a few hens for egg production.
Rhode Island Red chickens would be perfect for these situations.
It is recommended to plan for 1.
5 to 2 laying hens per person for a family flock.
This is a good rule to follow if you plan on eating eggs every day.
Otherwise, a small group of four hens can produce 2 to 4 eggs every day except during molting.
That is enough to feed most small families a meal of eggs at least every few days.
A family of four could make a quiche, for example, as a meal.
One quiche uses about four eggs.
Rhode Island Reds are one of the most productive heritage breeds you can find.
Keeping a small flock helps keep the breed alive and well, provides you with hours of entertainment and you get lots of delicious eggs.
They have a tendency to produce eggs no matter what conditions they live in, though of course they will excel in the proper conditions.
These excellent layers can produce from 250 to 300 brown eggs per year.
The only brown egg layers that can compete are some of the newer hybrid sex-linked strains that were developed from the Rhode Island Red, like New Hampshire Reds, Production Reds, and ISA Browns.
The best laying breed for white eggs is the Leghorn.
Rhode Island Reds will begin laying eggs when they reach the age of five to six months.
Eggs will come sporadically at first, and you may occasionally get a very large egg with two yolks.
This is typical from young pullets.
Once they begin to lay, they will gradually lay more regularly, until they produce one egg every 23 to 26 hours.
Hens molt once or twice a year.
They stop laying during this period so their energy can go to regrowing feathers temporarily.
Once they are done, egg production picks right up again.
Rhode Island Reds are a dual purpose breed, meaning they make a decent table bird as well.
If you can find some old strains of Rhode Island Reds, you will notice they are darker colored, larger and rectangular shaped.
The newer strains have been streamlined for more egg production and less meat production.
Rhode Island Red chickens do well confined to a small chicken yard, in a portable chicken tractor or free range.
They are excellent foragers who are happy to dig for bugs and worms.
This addition to their diet will create eggs with much higher nutrient contents and deep orange yolks.
Hens allowed to forage lay eggs with more vitamin A and E, less cholesterol, less saturated fat, more beta carotene and more omega-3 fatty acids.
Many cities are allowing people to keep a few hens for egg production.
Rhode Island Red chickens would be perfect for these situations.
It is recommended to plan for 1.
5 to 2 laying hens per person for a family flock.
This is a good rule to follow if you plan on eating eggs every day.
Otherwise, a small group of four hens can produce 2 to 4 eggs every day except during molting.
That is enough to feed most small families a meal of eggs at least every few days.
A family of four could make a quiche, for example, as a meal.
One quiche uses about four eggs.
Rhode Island Reds are one of the most productive heritage breeds you can find.
Keeping a small flock helps keep the breed alive and well, provides you with hours of entertainment and you get lots of delicious eggs.