ISA Browns: Early Layers
ISA Brown Chick
ISA Browns are the one hatchery-grade bird I deal with, as there really isn’t any other way to get my hands on these sociable easy-care layers, other than the feed store, but those are shipped chicks and you know how I feel about those.
ISA Browns are fantastic layers, laying early and often, and this spring’s hatchlings are likely to lay straight through the winter. Last year’s gals hatched in February, were laying by June, and kept me in eggs all winter long, five to six a day, from six hens. ISA Browns are sweet, sturdy, and pretty layers of many medium and large brown eggs.
Best of all, the females hatch brown and the males are white, so we know who is who at hatch. This is one of the two breeds that I work with that we can do this with, so if you just want pullets, this is the breed for you.
I have ordered hatching eggs for my own Table Egg flock, but I don’t really need 36 chicks — I will make the extras available to you. This is a once-a-year hatch, so if you want some of these sweeties, set your pick-up appointment for some time after Feb 17th and let me know how many to set aside for you.
Friendly and sociable, these are my go-to birds if I just want eggs, lots and lots of eggs.
The ISA stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, the French group that developed this hybrid in 1978 for superior egg laying. As a hybrid, the genetics that contribute to the superior egg-laying are limited to one generation. You can’t breed your ISA Browns and expect the same result.
You can learn how to reserve chicks here.
