Updated: 29/06/10
Created by Marc Taylor/CSS

Point of Lay Pullets - Egg layers

All the birds below are good layers and a mixture of hybrid, first crosses and traditional utility birds. All these birds have excellent temperaments and good free ranging abilities. The performance/egg producton ability set out on this page does in no way constitute a guarantee. They are merely a guide as to what can be achieved in ideal conditions. The birds are all Point of Lay (POL) between the ages of 17-20 weeks, fully vaccinated and fed on good quality food which is available to them all day long. Our birds are used to people and our corgi dogs moving in and around their pens and are ready to go to new homes and start laying. Please be aware that it is best to move birds before they start to lay so they can settle into their new home and get used to their new surroundings before starting to lay. If you move birds when they have started laying they can stop, and it could take a long time for them to start laying again. When a bird starts to lay will depend on several factors - their age, the quality and type of food they are eating, weather conditions(birds prefer warm, dry conditions) and the amount of hours of daylight they receive. All the birds listed below are well known laying birds that can be put in together to have a mixed flock. When buying new birds it is best to have equal numbers of each bird. For example if you are buying six birds buy one each of six different breeds, two each of three different breeds, three each of two breeds or six of one breed. It is not a good idea to buy five of one breed and one of another breed as the five will nearly always pick on the one odd one.

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WARREN

The warren pullet is an orangey brown bird that is seen everywhere. It is the original hybrid. It is a quiet bird with a lot of good qualities. Bred to lay like a machine, commercially it is kept for a period of 12-18 months before it is replaced mainly because its egg quality deteriorates. In normal free range conditions they can continue laying for a number of years. In the second year of lay their egg shell can become thinner, and become mishaped. They will lay up to 320 eggs in its first year. The Warren lays a brown egg. It is a good bird to start with but no easier to keep than any other chicken. They are our cheapest point of lay chicken.

BLACK ROCK

The Black Rock/ Nera or Rhode Rock are mainly black birds with orange/gold markings around their necks and down their breasts. They can vary a lot in colour some being almost black and others having a lot of gold all over their body. These birds are a sex-linked hybrid from two strains of natural breeds of birds, the Rhode Island and Barred Plymouth Rock. Their rich plumage protects them from all weather conditions making them hardy and very good for free range conditions. This, together with their highly developed natural immune system means they have the potential to have a long productive life. They lay 280+ top quality large brown eggs in the first year and the quality of the egg(shell and colour) stays consistant throughout their life. They are very docile and not easily stressed. Overall a good all round hardy bird ideal for free ranging.

SPECKLEDY

The Speckledy looks very similar to the Maran and is indeed a first cross. It has been specifically bred to produce top quality brown eggs. The Speckledy is ideally suited to free range conditions where a premium can be obtained for their eggs. The Speckledy is a very popular choice because it is very docile bird and easy to manage The egg shell is strong and they lay 260-270 brown eggs per year. Ideal for someone looking for something a little special. A good layer ideal for free ranging.

BLUEBELL

The Bluebell/Blue Ranger is a very attractive bird with a lovely blue colour which comes from the Andulusian from whch they are bred. They are good for free ranging but can adapt to any management system. The Bluebell/Blue Ranger lays around 250/260 brown eggs in their first year and keep laying regularly throughout their lives. It is a very pretty bird, docile and easily managed, a very popular choice .

LIGHT SUSSEX

Our Light Sussex are a traditional breed and bred from the best laying strains to give a traditional looking bird but with a good laying ability. They lay 250 light brown flesh coloured eggs per year. Don't get them mixed up with other Light Sussex that are bred to look good but do not lay many eggs. They are slightly smaller and do not have as many black markings as the show birds but they more than make up for this when you compare their egg production. They are pretty, docile and great in free range conditions.