[Connor]

I have a bluebelle, black rock cross, daisybelle, and a light sussex in one pen!
They are all great layers and they were running with a rooster not sure of breed but was infertile....So am looking a new rooster to put to the hens to produce a good egg layer just like a hybrid!

Some roosters that i have been offered include. Rhode Island Red, Light sussex, and a marron out of them what is the best for me probelm and is there any other good roosters that will do the same job

Many thanks!

[Ryder]

If you get a Rhode Island Rooster you should get a fairly good layer when crossed with the hens you have.  The light Sussex rooster will also produce decent layers but proabaly not as good as the RIR.  By "marron" did you mean A Marans?  If so I would say stick with the RIR or LS instead the Marans for a better layer.

But non of these crosses will produce layers as good as commercial ones, as they are usually from specially bred strains.  On the bright side, your hens should be much more healtheir and longer lasting.  Most commercial ones burn out in under 2 years and then have many health issues.

[Connor]

Ok thanks will get the RIR are they easy to sex?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Hi
I would say the rhode island red is the best solution, however light sussex are good layers too.

[Ryder]

The RIR rooster crossed with your light sussex hen will be easy to sex based on colour.  Not sure about when crossed with any of your other hens.

[Steph Hen]

For lots of eggs I would go for RIR.
The marans would give you layers of interesting colours- unless someone wants to correct me, I've read that shell colour genes are mostly inherited from the paternal line.

[Castle Farm]

I think you will find that it's the strain and not the breed that has the possibility of increased egg numbers.

[in the hills]

Maybe a good strain of 'utility' RIR. A neighbour had RIR from an exhibition strain and didn't find them to lay well. Our utility RIR have been good layers.

[Stereo]

Most hybrids will lay fairly well if it's from the standard type breeds. We got Marans cross sussex and they they lay every day and we've got all kinds of other mix ups too. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think if it was me I would go for a Marans cockerel to try and get a darker egg.

Remember the more they lay when they are young, the faster they will burn out and you then have the choice of culling / selling or keeping an unproductive hen for a few years. Personally, we find that breeds like Welsummer fit our egg buyer patterns as we have little or no demand for eggs in the winter and get inundated if we have a lot of hybrids. From now on we are going for pure breeds only. I also think that they are generally hardier birds although that my just be our experience.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I agree ure breeds are the best in fact I kee 2 buff susse hens and they are very Productive layers.

[WoodlandsDevon]

I managed to get hold of a goldline cockerel from a farm near here. I had to wait a year before their supplier had any through. 'Johnstons of Mountnorris' 11 Porthill Rd, Mountnorris, Armagh BT60 2TY, sell hatching eggs of various good laying strains. They do light sussex and they sell hatching eggs, chicks and POL, you could hatch some and keep a cock, they'll be from excellent laying strains.
 http://www.johnstonspoultry.com/sussex.html