Standard Egg Layers
We often have a variety of standard egg layer breeds available. Typically when ordering these from a hatchery, there is a minimum of 15 - 25 chicks; when purchasing from a feed store, there is a minimum of 6 chicks. This is prohibitive for the backyard would-be chicken owner who only wants a few hens, or may even have a restriction on the number allowed where they live. To offer an alternative source, when we acquire chicks to supplement our egg layer flock, we will offer some of them for sale. We raise them in a biosecure environment on Buckley Bros chick starter, probiotics and vitamins, and start taking them outside daily at 3 weeks of age so they have a good healthy start. Don't wan't to go through the heat lamp stage? Inquire about having them raised for you to your desired age.
Some of the breeds we may have available:
Easter Eggers
An Easter Egger is any chicken that possesses the "blue egg" gene, but doesn't fully meet any breed standard defined in the American Poultry Association's (APA) standards. The name derives from the resemblance of their colorful eggs to Easter eggs, which can range from blue to green and sometimes even be pink or yellow. The Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger are descended from the same founder stock that spread around the world from Chile and the Falklands. (The chicks you see at feed stores labeled Araucana, Ameraucana or Americana are really Easter Eggers. True Araucanas and Ameraucanas are rare breeds.) These hybrids are good layers of colorful eggs and add beauty to both the barnyard and the egg basket.
Golden Comets
Golden Comets are a modern day egg laying strain of chicken. They are a cross between a Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn chicken. The hybrid vigor gives them the best traits of both breeds. Like Leghorns they start laying earlier than any other breed and are prolific layers. Like Rhode Island Red they are both cold and heat hardy. Temperament wise Comets are known for being very sweet and gentle. This makes them perfect for first time chicken owners. They often chose to interact with their owners instead of hanging out with their coop mates. Unlike many other breeds, small children can pick them up, hold them and carry them around. Their eggs are very large and often a deep, red brown color.
ISA Browns
The ISA Brown is a hybrid type of Sex Link chicken, which may have originally been the result of crossing Rhode Island Reds and Rhode Island Whites, but now contains genetics from a wide range of breeds. ISA stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, the company which developed the hybrid in 1978 for egg production. It is known for its high egg production of approximately 300 eggs per hen in the first year of laying. They lay a large to extra large brown egg and are very hardy. They have consistent and dependable egg shell strength and egg size. They are very similar to Golden Comets in appearance, temperament, and egg laying ability.
Sapphire Gems
The Sapphire Gem is a new (2018) sex-linked hybrid created by a breeder in the Czech Republic. It is a hybrid that contains the Dominate Blue gene and is known for being a good layer of large brown eggs. If you like Golden Comets and ISA Browns but want a little variety in your flock, these are the girls for you! Their blue plummage is a nice contrast to the red of the Golden Comets, and they rival the size of their eggs in a lighter brown. They are both cold and warm hardy and are very friendly. They are the first to greet me when I go outside and will eat treats out of my hand!
Sapphire Splashes
A lighter version of the Sapphire Gems, these were a new offering in 2020. We kept some for ourselves and were just as delighted with them as the Sapphire Gems - everything we love about them in a "splash" package.
Plymouth Barred Rocks
The Plymouth Rock is a dual-purpose, cold-hardy bird and therefore makes a great breed for the small farm or backyard flock owner. Prolific layers of brown eggs, the hens are not discouraged by cold weather. Their solid plumpness and yellow skin make a beautiful heavy roasting fowl. Their bodies are long, broad, and deep with bred-in strength and vitality. You can't beat them for steady, reliable chickens. The barred variety has a distinctive black and white pattern.
Plymouth Partridge Rocks
If you like Barred Rocks but want a little more color in your layer flock you will love these ladies! Everything you love about Plymouth Rocks in a pretty partridge package.
Plymouth Columbian Rocks
Add even more variety to your layer flock. Everything you love about Plymouth Rocks in another striking pattern - white with sharply contrasting black hackles, wing tips and tail! This is still a fairly rare color in the Rocks.
Silver Laced Wyandottes
The Silver Laced is the original Wyandotte and the other varieties were developed from it later with crosses on other breeds. It is an outstanding example of American poultry breeding ingenuity. Wyandottes are a docile, dual-purpose breed kept for their brown eggs and for meat. It is colorful, hardy, and productive. The broadfeathered, smooth fitting plumage is sharply marked. The general appearance is silvery white and lustrous greenish black as each feather is edged in a contrasting color. The close-fitting rose comb and good body size are valuable assets for winter laying. Cold weather doesn't seem to bother them at all as their hardiness and vigor keep them laying straight through the winter. They lay a nicely shaped, good sized egg, varying from light to rich brown and will set some.
Gold Laced Wyandottes
Just like the Silver Laced but with a gold base instead of silver. Add a little color variety with the same docile temperament, hardiness, and laying ability.
Columbian Wyandottes
Also like the Silver and Gold Laced but white with sharply contrasting black hackles, wing tips and tail. Add a little color variety with the same docile temperament, hardiness, and laying ability.
Black Australorps
The Australorp is of Australian origin, developed as a utility breed with a focus on egg laying. It achieved world-wide popularity in the 1920s after the breed broke numerous world records for number of eggs laid. They are also known to be good sitters and mothers, making them one of the most popular large heritage utility breeds of chicken. They are a top layer of large brown eggs and are well suited for the smaller backyard environment. They will tolerate confinement well, but like most of the heavier, larger breeds will also enjoy free ranging as they really do like to be active.They are a robust and healthy heritage breed with an easy going temperament. Although they can initially be a bit on the shy side, they have a gentle and sweet disposition and will warm up to you and will be a friendly and loveable barnyard companion.
Light Brahmas
The Brahma chicken is appreciated for its great size, strength and vigor. They have feathers on their shanks and toes, a pea comb, and smooth fitting plumage with dense down. From their beginning Brahmas have been recognized not only for their unusual appearance and size but also for their practical qualities. They are extremely hardy and considered a superior winter layer. Their eggs are large and uniformly medium brown. The hens tend to go broody in early summer. The breed is easy to contain, not being able to fly over even low fences very easily. Their calm and docile personalities lend them to tolerate confinement extremely well.
Asian Blacks
With its striking sleek black color, a blue/green hue on the black and red feather pattern, it is a beautiful addition to any flock. This hardy bird can adapt to many growing conditions and is a great dual-purpose breed to fill your egg basket or feed your family. Easy to handle and extremely friendly, these birds are a joy to keep and will lay about 250 brown eggs a year.
Black Sex Links
A cross between a Rhode Island Red rooster and a Barred Rock hen, both sexes hatch out black, but the males have a white dot on their heads making them easy to sex. Pullets feather out black with some red in their neck feathers. They are a versatile bird that is an excellent brown egg layer, about 250 a year. They have the temperament of a Barred Rock and can handle hot and cold climates making them easy to manage.
Salmon Faverolles
People own Faverolles for their silliness, their steady egg production, and their fine meat. Developed in Northern France at the turn of the 20th century, Faverolles are a fluffy and feathery breed famous for their genial nature and good looks. It is a composite breed created from a combination of Cochins, Houdan, Brahma, French Rennes, Flemish Cuckoo, Malines, and Dorking. They are big, strong and healthy as well as being regular and reliable layers. Everyone who keeps Faverolles are always delighted by how sweet, gentle and social they are. Many families love to fill their yard with them because they make eggcellent companions for their young kids. The downside of their peace loving natures is the fact that they can sometimes be bullied by less well-meaning chickens. Faverolles grow soft, smooth and fluffy beards and muffles that give them a distinctive look making them a standout beauty in anyone’s flock. They also have a fifth toe and feathered legs. These reliable egg laying ladies mature early and produce approximately 240 tinted eggs per year and are quite suitable for colder climates.
White Leghorns
White Leghorns are good layers of white eggs, laying an average of 280 per year and sometimes reaching 300–320. They were admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1874 and originates from Italy, Denmark, and England. This breed is very athletic, hardy, non-sitters and lay very nice large/X large white eggs. They have a good feed-to-egg conversion ratio. This breed is great for free range chicken farming or organic free range chicken eggs. Leghorns rarely exhibit broodiness and are thus well suited for uninterrupted egg laying. The Leghorn is a light breed that matures quickly and is not considered a viable meat producer. Leghorns are active and efficient foragers and are one of the best for free range chickens that can avoid predators. (However, the white variety of the leghorn might be easily seen by predators.) It is said that they typically avoid human contact and tend to be nervous and flighty, but we have found them to be curious and friendly, they just don't like to be picked up. They were our best layers last winter.
California Whites
This is primarily an egg laying breed. They are a cross between a White Leghorn hen and a California Grey rooster (aka Production Black). They are considered a commercial hybrid. They grow fast and hens may lay about 300 big white eggs per year. They are a hardy chicken that may exceed the White Leghorn in laying ability and longevity. Unlike the Leghorn that is reputed to be flighty, this breed is known as a quiet breed, easy to handle, hardy and a good winter egg layer, even in cold climates, They do well in small and medium flocks, in free-range or confinement.
Red Cross
This is a hybrid that is the result of crossing a Rhode Island Red rooster with a Columbian Rock hen to produce this hardy, quiet and easy to handle bird. Females are high producers of rich colored large brown eggs, making this cross a great choice for both the family farm and the large commercial laying house.
Production Reds
Production Red chickens are a hybrid developed specifically to be smaller in size and require less feed than other breeds for optimal egg production. They are a superb layer of large brown eggs. They will outlay almost any other breed of brown egg layer. Production Red Chickens are similar to the Rhode Island Red.
Not all breeds are available at all times, and they may be anywhere from a few days to several months old. They are priced according to age and how soon they are expected to start laying. Pullets over 4 months old that haven't sold will be incorporated into our layer flock and will no longer be for sale.
Some of the breeds we may have available:
Easter Eggers
An Easter Egger is any chicken that possesses the "blue egg" gene, but doesn't fully meet any breed standard defined in the American Poultry Association's (APA) standards. The name derives from the resemblance of their colorful eggs to Easter eggs, which can range from blue to green and sometimes even be pink or yellow. The Araucana, Ameraucana, and Easter Egger are descended from the same founder stock that spread around the world from Chile and the Falklands. (The chicks you see at feed stores labeled Araucana, Ameraucana or Americana are really Easter Eggers. True Araucanas and Ameraucanas are rare breeds.) These hybrids are good layers of colorful eggs and add beauty to both the barnyard and the egg basket.
Golden Comets
Golden Comets are a modern day egg laying strain of chicken. They are a cross between a Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn chicken. The hybrid vigor gives them the best traits of both breeds. Like Leghorns they start laying earlier than any other breed and are prolific layers. Like Rhode Island Red they are both cold and heat hardy. Temperament wise Comets are known for being very sweet and gentle. This makes them perfect for first time chicken owners. They often chose to interact with their owners instead of hanging out with their coop mates. Unlike many other breeds, small children can pick them up, hold them and carry them around. Their eggs are very large and often a deep, red brown color.
ISA Browns
The ISA Brown is a hybrid type of Sex Link chicken, which may have originally been the result of crossing Rhode Island Reds and Rhode Island Whites, but now contains genetics from a wide range of breeds. ISA stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, the company which developed the hybrid in 1978 for egg production. It is known for its high egg production of approximately 300 eggs per hen in the first year of laying. They lay a large to extra large brown egg and are very hardy. They have consistent and dependable egg shell strength and egg size. They are very similar to Golden Comets in appearance, temperament, and egg laying ability.
Sapphire Gems
The Sapphire Gem is a new (2018) sex-linked hybrid created by a breeder in the Czech Republic. It is a hybrid that contains the Dominate Blue gene and is known for being a good layer of large brown eggs. If you like Golden Comets and ISA Browns but want a little variety in your flock, these are the girls for you! Their blue plummage is a nice contrast to the red of the Golden Comets, and they rival the size of their eggs in a lighter brown. They are both cold and warm hardy and are very friendly. They are the first to greet me when I go outside and will eat treats out of my hand!
Sapphire Splashes
A lighter version of the Sapphire Gems, these were a new offering in 2020. We kept some for ourselves and were just as delighted with them as the Sapphire Gems - everything we love about them in a "splash" package.
Plymouth Barred Rocks
The Plymouth Rock is a dual-purpose, cold-hardy bird and therefore makes a great breed for the small farm or backyard flock owner. Prolific layers of brown eggs, the hens are not discouraged by cold weather. Their solid plumpness and yellow skin make a beautiful heavy roasting fowl. Their bodies are long, broad, and deep with bred-in strength and vitality. You can't beat them for steady, reliable chickens. The barred variety has a distinctive black and white pattern.
Plymouth Partridge Rocks
If you like Barred Rocks but want a little more color in your layer flock you will love these ladies! Everything you love about Plymouth Rocks in a pretty partridge package.
Plymouth Columbian Rocks
Add even more variety to your layer flock. Everything you love about Plymouth Rocks in another striking pattern - white with sharply contrasting black hackles, wing tips and tail! This is still a fairly rare color in the Rocks.
Silver Laced Wyandottes
The Silver Laced is the original Wyandotte and the other varieties were developed from it later with crosses on other breeds. It is an outstanding example of American poultry breeding ingenuity. Wyandottes are a docile, dual-purpose breed kept for their brown eggs and for meat. It is colorful, hardy, and productive. The broadfeathered, smooth fitting plumage is sharply marked. The general appearance is silvery white and lustrous greenish black as each feather is edged in a contrasting color. The close-fitting rose comb and good body size are valuable assets for winter laying. Cold weather doesn't seem to bother them at all as their hardiness and vigor keep them laying straight through the winter. They lay a nicely shaped, good sized egg, varying from light to rich brown and will set some.
Gold Laced Wyandottes
Just like the Silver Laced but with a gold base instead of silver. Add a little color variety with the same docile temperament, hardiness, and laying ability.
Columbian Wyandottes
Also like the Silver and Gold Laced but white with sharply contrasting black hackles, wing tips and tail. Add a little color variety with the same docile temperament, hardiness, and laying ability.
Black Australorps
The Australorp is of Australian origin, developed as a utility breed with a focus on egg laying. It achieved world-wide popularity in the 1920s after the breed broke numerous world records for number of eggs laid. They are also known to be good sitters and mothers, making them one of the most popular large heritage utility breeds of chicken. They are a top layer of large brown eggs and are well suited for the smaller backyard environment. They will tolerate confinement well, but like most of the heavier, larger breeds will also enjoy free ranging as they really do like to be active.They are a robust and healthy heritage breed with an easy going temperament. Although they can initially be a bit on the shy side, they have a gentle and sweet disposition and will warm up to you and will be a friendly and loveable barnyard companion.
Light Brahmas
The Brahma chicken is appreciated for its great size, strength and vigor. They have feathers on their shanks and toes, a pea comb, and smooth fitting plumage with dense down. From their beginning Brahmas have been recognized not only for their unusual appearance and size but also for their practical qualities. They are extremely hardy and considered a superior winter layer. Their eggs are large and uniformly medium brown. The hens tend to go broody in early summer. The breed is easy to contain, not being able to fly over even low fences very easily. Their calm and docile personalities lend them to tolerate confinement extremely well.
Asian Blacks
With its striking sleek black color, a blue/green hue on the black and red feather pattern, it is a beautiful addition to any flock. This hardy bird can adapt to many growing conditions and is a great dual-purpose breed to fill your egg basket or feed your family. Easy to handle and extremely friendly, these birds are a joy to keep and will lay about 250 brown eggs a year.
Black Sex Links
A cross between a Rhode Island Red rooster and a Barred Rock hen, both sexes hatch out black, but the males have a white dot on their heads making them easy to sex. Pullets feather out black with some red in their neck feathers. They are a versatile bird that is an excellent brown egg layer, about 250 a year. They have the temperament of a Barred Rock and can handle hot and cold climates making them easy to manage.
Salmon Faverolles
People own Faverolles for their silliness, their steady egg production, and their fine meat. Developed in Northern France at the turn of the 20th century, Faverolles are a fluffy and feathery breed famous for their genial nature and good looks. It is a composite breed created from a combination of Cochins, Houdan, Brahma, French Rennes, Flemish Cuckoo, Malines, and Dorking. They are big, strong and healthy as well as being regular and reliable layers. Everyone who keeps Faverolles are always delighted by how sweet, gentle and social they are. Many families love to fill their yard with them because they make eggcellent companions for their young kids. The downside of their peace loving natures is the fact that they can sometimes be bullied by less well-meaning chickens. Faverolles grow soft, smooth and fluffy beards and muffles that give them a distinctive look making them a standout beauty in anyone’s flock. They also have a fifth toe and feathered legs. These reliable egg laying ladies mature early and produce approximately 240 tinted eggs per year and are quite suitable for colder climates.
White Leghorns
White Leghorns are good layers of white eggs, laying an average of 280 per year and sometimes reaching 300–320. They were admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1874 and originates from Italy, Denmark, and England. This breed is very athletic, hardy, non-sitters and lay very nice large/X large white eggs. They have a good feed-to-egg conversion ratio. This breed is great for free range chicken farming or organic free range chicken eggs. Leghorns rarely exhibit broodiness and are thus well suited for uninterrupted egg laying. The Leghorn is a light breed that matures quickly and is not considered a viable meat producer. Leghorns are active and efficient foragers and are one of the best for free range chickens that can avoid predators. (However, the white variety of the leghorn might be easily seen by predators.) It is said that they typically avoid human contact and tend to be nervous and flighty, but we have found them to be curious and friendly, they just don't like to be picked up. They were our best layers last winter.
California Whites
This is primarily an egg laying breed. They are a cross between a White Leghorn hen and a California Grey rooster (aka Production Black). They are considered a commercial hybrid. They grow fast and hens may lay about 300 big white eggs per year. They are a hardy chicken that may exceed the White Leghorn in laying ability and longevity. Unlike the Leghorn that is reputed to be flighty, this breed is known as a quiet breed, easy to handle, hardy and a good winter egg layer, even in cold climates, They do well in small and medium flocks, in free-range or confinement.
Red Cross
This is a hybrid that is the result of crossing a Rhode Island Red rooster with a Columbian Rock hen to produce this hardy, quiet and easy to handle bird. Females are high producers of rich colored large brown eggs, making this cross a great choice for both the family farm and the large commercial laying house.
Production Reds
Production Red chickens are a hybrid developed specifically to be smaller in size and require less feed than other breeds for optimal egg production. They are a superb layer of large brown eggs. They will outlay almost any other breed of brown egg layer. Production Red Chickens are similar to the Rhode Island Red.
Not all breeds are available at all times, and they may be anywhere from a few days to several months old. They are priced according to age and how soon they are expected to start laying. Pullets over 4 months old that haven't sold will be incorporated into our layer flock and will no longer be for sale.