What's your favourite white egg layer?

I am looking for input on white egg layers. I have many different colours of eggs... blue, green, brown, cream, dark brown with speckles, etc. But, I don't have any white eggs. So, I am looking to add a few white egg layers.

What are your favourite breeds? I would like to find birds with a calm disposition. I don't require birds that lay every day, a few eggs a week is plenty.

Thanks!

I had an Ancona bantam that was a great layer and a pretty bird. She laid a very large white egg for a bantam. She was, as my husband used to say, very skittery! They do have a large comb. I am not sure they are in Canada, but I do like them for a white layer.
I don't know anything about them, but the Red Caps seem to be an interesting white layer.

I have a couple Polish. I love them for their personality, and the way they make me smile. The egg size isn't bad. Not huge, but really not a bad size. One of them is calm, and you can walk up to her to pick her up, but the other bird can run really fast if she doesn't want to be handled. Then she's like a road runner. I do love them though, and I think handling them lots is important (as with most birds).

I have not yet found a calm standard white egg layer but I liked the Mottled Houdan inspite of it being a little skiddish.

Oh I almost forgot about my Houdan hen. A good friend of ours gave my son a pair of Houdans (what an awesome gift!) and I love them. She hasn't layed for me since I put her in with my other hens but hopefully she will start again soon. I am going to try to hatch some out next spring. The roo is so adorable and easy to handle, he gets to stay in the fancy coop with all the girls.

Do you have Houdans Dan?

Hmmm I haven't heard of Red Caps ... will have to look them up. Thanks for the ideas everyone!

I too am enjoying my Houdans. I don't find them skittish, just busy. They are easily caught. Apparently the meat is quite fine as well.

*Shameless plug* I have several with incorrect toes that I would happily sell to someone uninterested in showing!

I see you have added as I was typing! Do you like your Houdans?

Sue

I was pleasantly surprised by the Houdans. I expected them to be on the wild side. For those who don't know this about me, I kind of have a bird phobia Yes, its true. I like them from a distance but the thought of picking them up or having them fly around my head kind of freaks me out. Anyways, one of the nasty storms came through and blew apart my temporary pen the Houdan pair were in. I went out in the pouring rain and gusting wind, walked over and just picked the roo up! He snuggled into my coat and didn't make a peep, even when my Lab tried to jump up and check him out. Then I did the same thing with the hen. I was so impressed!! They are my new favourite birds in the coop. I absolutely love them!! The roo has so much personality and is so gentle.

I beleive that sicilian buttercups lay white eggs aswell. I should double check that, but Im pretty sure. I have a few youngsters growing up for next years breeding, and they are quiet friendly, and the hen is very nicely marked. The combs are just so interesting.

My pick for white egg layers is the dorking. I have the silver grey dorkings. Medium to large white eggs, about 5 a week. Hens are very calm if handled a bit but never aggressive or forward. Only thing is they have a fairly large comb ( more the roosters than the hens) so frost damage can be a problem.

poplar girl wrote:My pick for white egg layers is the dorking. I have the silver grey dorkings. Medium to large white eggs, about 5 a week. Hens are very calm if handled a bit but never aggressive or forward. Only thing is they have a fairly large comb ( more the roosters than the hens) so frost damage can be a problem.

Correct on all counts PG! If I could only have one white layer it'd be Dorkies. Blue Andalusuans are also a good friendly intelligent (for a chicken) breed. Derbyshire Red caps are definitely flighty and wily. The only time you can catch them is at midnight on a moonless night, awesome free rangers though, but don't expect them to roost in the coop at night! Sumatras are similar to Andalusians with their sparkling dark eyes and inscrutable expressions. If you want talkative chickens, get some of those, I love my 2 girls. Eggs are medium only and only a 3-4 or so a week unless they are trying to fill a nest. Andalusians laid the biggest then dorkies then Sumatras. Never kept the redcaps to laying age. Oh an Buttercups are sweet, polite, friendly pretty little things, also susceptible to frost bite, eggs smaller like sumatras and and about as often.

I like my Appenzeller Spitzhaubens for white eggs. They can be flighty when young but calm right down when they start to lay eggs especially when they are handled lots. They are excellent foragers and only have two small horns for a comb.

Appenzeller Spitza what? This is great, a bunch of new breeds for me to look into. I didn't know Dorks laid white eggs either... will you have some for sale Poplar Girl?

Buttercups sound nice too... hmmm I knew there would be many to choose from. Does anyone here sell Andalusians?

Neat topic blackdove. I really enjoyed reading everyone’s experiences with different breeds, some I’ve never heard of before until now. I also realized I don’t have a single white layer. Will have to remedy that!

I will most likely be getting 1 or 2 (white?) Leghorn pullets/hens, even though I heard they can be flighty. But they will be useful with my current project and that's what I need. Good luck in choosing just one breed!

gubi wrote:I like my Appenzeller Spitzhaubens for white eggs. They can be flighty when young but calm right down when they start to lay eggs especially when they are handled lots. They are excellent foragers and only have two small horns for a comb.

I have 5 of these as well, and its a rare day I don't have 5 white eggs. They do well in cold climates. Mine stay outside at night on a covered perch instead of going in the coop.
I find their personalities entertaining as well.

And yes, buttercups lay a white egg as well.

I love the gold ones, they sure are pretty!


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Blue Andalusians get my vote. My girl lays a white (almost a pinky toned) egg. They are not as flighty as my Brown Danish Leghorns (also lay white eggs) and lay a much larger egg. They do have a very impressive comb, so large that they kinda flop over so maybe not suited for a nippy winter.

XOX Monika

The only white egg layer we have here are the Polish
They are alittle flighty but I must say they always have eggs in the nest box
we have been hatching since June.
we are eating them now but will start collecting and hatching again next month. as soon as all that are in the bator are hatched out

Here's a pic of the Blue Andalusians... they are beautiful too!

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Hey blackdove
they are nice looking
do you breed Blue Andalusians??
if so Might have to get some eggs or chicks from you they look great

Joe

I have Norwegian Jaerhon's they lay size large eggs and the hens are only 3 and 1/2 pounds. Thay are what I thinks is the best laying breed.

We have a blue andulsian hen and she's got really nice colouring. We got her POL last year so not as easy for the kids to pick up and carry around like the RIRs we got as chicks but I wouldn't call her flighty at all. Maybe because she's in a mixed flock but she's pretty calm, loves to get out and forage. She doesn't pick on anyone and she doesn't get picked on. She just mixes well with the flock. She's obviously not from production type lines as we get maybe 2 eggs a week and they're medium sized. She's our only large sized white egg layer but most of our bantams lay white eggs (when they lay!! Seems they're either all laying or they all quit!).

appway wrote:Hey blackdove
they are nice looking
do you breed Blue Andalusians??
if so Might have to get some eggs or chicks from you they look great

Joe

No I don't have any yet Joe, sorry. I was doing some research last night on a few of the breeds in this thread that I am not familiar with and thought I would post a pic for everyone. They do look lovely. Maybe Island Girl has some for sale ... or knows someone selling them.

SerJay, where did you get your Andalusian hen from?

JaerhonChanteclerEuskies wrote:I have Norwegian Jaerhon's they lay size large eggs and the hens are only 3 and 1/2 pounds. Thay are what I thinks is the best laying breed.

I am not familiar with this breed either. I will have to check them out too. This is great... thank you everyone! Glad I asked.

Do you sell them too JaerhonChanteclerEuskies?

My favourite is the Silver Spangled Hamburgs. Not a large egg but I swear sometimes they lay two eggs in one day. Can be a little on the flighty side, but excellent free rangers too. And beautiful to look at.

I will be selling a few pairs.