Which breeds are good for free-range laying hens? These few breeds are worth recommending

For free-range laying hens, you can choose breeds such as Nongda No. 3, ISA Brown, Suqin Caochicken, Dekalb, Lohmann Brown, and Hy-Line Brown. Choose according to the rearing environment and your budget; do not blindly follow the crowd.

Which breeds are good for free-range laying hens

1. Nongda No. 3

Bred by China Agricultural University, with a high laying rate that can reach more than 90% at peak, small body size, adult body weight 1.5 kg, low feed intake, average feed consumption during the laying period 85 g, light pink eggshell, average egg weight 50 g. Among all the breeds above, it has the gentlest temperament and the highest laying rate. The drawbacks are white feathers, special management requirements during the brooding and rearing periods, and it is prone to failing to reach the target body weight, resulting in insufficient body weight at the start of laying and cloacal pecking during the laying period.

2. ISA Brown

Originally from France. The production performance of ISA commercial laying hens is as follows: survival rate from 20-80 weeks 92.5%, average egg number per hen housed 308, average egg number per surviving hen: 320, average daily feed intake per hen 115-200 g, feed-to-egg ratio at 141-532 days of age 2.4-2.5:1, body weight at the end of laying 2250 g.

3. Suqin Caochicken

Bred by the Yangzhou Poultry Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, yellow feathers mixed with white feathers, adult body weight 1.7 kg, sleek body type, culled hens have good market appearance, medium pink eggshell, average feed consumption during the laying period 100 g, easy to raise. In my own rearing results, egg number at 70 weeks of age 200, and egg quality is excellent.