You also know you are getting fresh eggs. Eggs that are purchased in the stores are several weeks old by the time you get them in your refrigerator. Plus, you have to worry about what the chicken was fed and whether or not the chicken was healthy. If you have never had a farm-fresh egg, you don’t know what you are missing!

Egg Quality

Eggs you collect from your own chickens do not look the same inside or outside as the eggs you buy in the store. You will discover your eggs will have a rich, deep yellow and even orange yolks if you allow the chickens to roam outside. These dark yolks are actually better for you as well and are packed full of vitamins. Not to mention, they taste better too. The eggs you collect from your backyard chicken flock will also be bigger and depending on what chicken breed you have, could be brown. Brown eggs are technically no different than white eggs, but many people have this idea that brown eggs are better. Maybe that is because brown eggs are typically associated with farm-fresh or backyard eggs, which are better.

What Kind of Chickens Should You Get?

The following are the top five best chicken breeds for raising on your farm or in your own backyard. Keep in mind, laying hens do not typically make great meat birds. If you are looking to raise chickens with the intent of butchering them for meat, you will want to choose different breeds. The hens on this list are less likely to become broody, which means the hens want to sit on a clutch of eggs to hatch them. A broody hen will stop laying once she has built up a nice collection of eggs.

1. White Leghorn

These birds are white and therefore produce white eggs. They will produce about 250 eggs a year. During the peak of their egg production, you will get plenty of extra-large white eggs. They are a hardy breed that will lay eggs year round as long as you provide plenty of heat, water and food.

2. California White

These are one of the best options for egg layers. They will produce an amazing 300 eggs a year. Eggs are fairly large in size. The adult hens are fairly small and weigh only about 5 pounds.

3. Rhode Island Reds

These are very common and tend to be a favorite among backyard chicken growers. The brown birds produce medium to large brown eggs. You can expect 250 eggs per year.

Reds tend to be “pack-like” when you have several in your flock. They can get a little bossy and mean and pick on smaller breeds.

4. Gold Sexlink

Another excellent producer of brown eggs. These golden birds will produce about 250 eggs per year. Sexlinks are engineered to make picking hens at the chick stage a breeze. Males will be solid white while the females will have streaks of gold. The chickens get up to about 5 pounds at full maturity.

5. Ameraucana (Easter Eggers)

If you are not afraid of blue or green eggs, these are excellent layers. You will get approximately 300 eggs per year from these hens. The chickens are beautiful and most tend to be very friendly, making them great pets as well. The chickens are on the larger side, weighing up to 7 pounds at full maturity.

Chicken Care

It is important to point out that even if you have one of the above breeds, improper care could result in chickens laying fewer than the average amount. To maximize egg production, you will need to make sure the chickens are being fed properly. During the winter months when bugs and foraging is difficult, feeding the hens a high-protein feed along with oyster shells and yogurt will help keep their egg production in full swing. You will also need to supplement the short winter days with additional light. Chickens need at least 10 hours of light a day to regularly lay eggs. They also need to be warm. If it is cold out, they will be forced to use their energy to stay warm instead of using it to produce eggs. A heat lamp will take care of that problem and you can still get eggs all winter long.

Chickens need plenty of room to move around. Scratching stimulates egg production. If you have the space available, let your chickens free range. They are great for eliminating bugs that would normally eat your garden. However, the chickens will eat your garden so either watch them closely or fence off your garden and let the chickens roam the rest of the property. They make great natural fertilizers!

If you are letting your chickens free range, you need to make sure the coop is an inviting place to lay eggs. You don’t want to go searching the property trying to find the eggs your hens lay. Nesting boxes with clean straw are important. You can help encourage the chickens to lay eggs in the boxes by placing plastic Easter eggs in the boxes. They will quickly learn where they are supposed to by laying. You will also discover your hens will prefer one or two boxes, even if you have 10 available. They will all share the same couple of boxes and leave the rest empty.

Conclusion

If you discover your hens are laying more eggs than you could possibly eat or preserve, you can sell the excess to friends or use the eggs to trade for things you need. Your big, farm-fresh eggs will be a real treat for those who don’t have their own chickens.