Hyline brown chickens are the world’s most balanced and prolific jumbo brown egg producer, with sweet and friendly personalities.
They are just developed for egg production however they are also used for meat when they stop laying, hyline browns are one of the best productive layers.
This article covers everything about this hybrid layer, like how much they cost, compared with isa browns and brown shavers, etc.
Let’s dive deep into their life.
Quick Overview
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Origin |
United States |
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Developer by |
Lowa USA, around 90 years ago by a poultry company called Hyline International |
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Purpose |
Eggs |
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Eggs Per Year |
300+ |
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Eggs Color |
Brown |
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Eggs Size |
Large |
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Temperament |
Friendly and Calm |
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Feather Color |
Red with white Under Feathers |
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Skin Color |
Yellow |
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Comb |
Single |
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Bird Size |
Medium to Large |
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Body Weight at 17 Weeks of Age |
Around 3 Lbs |
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Body Weight at 70 Weeks of Age |
Around 4.5 Lbs |
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Lifespan |
3 to 6 years |
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Broodiness |
Rare |
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Climate Tolerance |
Any |
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Suitable for Backyard |
Yes |
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Suitable for Beginners |
Yes |
What are Hyline Brown Chickens
Hyline Brown chickens are a famous type of hybrid chicken just bred for laying eggs and they are a Red Link.
Red Link is made by mixing a white female chicken with a red male chicken, like a Rhode Island Red male and a White Plymouth Rock female.
Hyline Brown chickens are the best choice for eggs and are well known for their prolific brown eggs you see in stores, they also lay the largest eggs compared to other Hy-Line varieties.
They are hardy, adaptable, and easy to care for, not requiring any special attention all the time which makes them perfect for new chicken raising or families with children.
Hy-Line Brown chickens are also famous for being pretty calm, simple to look after, and friendly, which is why everyone wants to raise them for eggs and disposition.
Brown Hyline Chicken Origin and History
About 90 years ago in Iowa, USA, the hyline chickens began. In Australia, SBA has the license to breed Hyline Browns, and they’re good at it.
They’re a Red Link, which is created by crossing a white female chicken with a red male chicken, such as a Rhode Island Red male and a White Plymouth Rock female.
The Hy-Line Brown chicken is often mistaken for the ISA Brown chicken, and some people just refer to it as brown layers.
They can lay for nearly 2 years and sometimes these chickens can keep laying eggs for up to 5 years with proper care.
What Breeds Make Hyline Brown Chickens
Hyline Chickens are mostly mixed, made for laying eggs, hyline Chickens aren’t one breed, but a type of hens made by Hy-Line International company.
Hy-Line International mixes different chicken types to create hens that lay lots of eggs, eat well, and stay healthy and one of them is brown hyline chickens.
Hy-Line brown chickens are Red Links, made by crossing a white hen chicken with a red rooster chicken, like a Rhode Island Red dad and a White Plymouth Rock mom.
Hyline Brown Chicken Characteristics
They have brown feathers with white splashes, mostly on the back. The shades of brown vary from light to dark. Hy-line brown pullets are red with white spots, and roosters are white with red spots.
They have a single comb, mostly large, and some even droop over. Hyline Browns are medium to large chickens, with hens weighing about 4-8 pounds and roosters a bit heavier.
Hyline Brown chicken matures early, usually between 16 to 20 weeks, and reaches a weight of 5-8 pounds when fully grown. They can produce over 300 eggs per year.
These chickens start laying eggs earlier, usually between sixteen to twenty-two weeks of age, compared to other breeds that may start laying at twenty-four weeks or later.
Hyline Brown Chicken Egg Production
Hyline Brown chickens are the top large brown egg layer globally, they start laying early and lay over 300 eggs a year their eggs also hit the 60-gram size.
These hens will lay almost one egg every day for about two years. To do that, they require high-protein feed, at least 16 percent protein content.
They start laying eggs early, around 20 to 24 weeks old, and keep laying steadily for about 100 weeks or 2 years.
Their eggs have a pleasing shape and brown color, similar to the ones you find at grocery stores or markets.
Hyline Brown Chicken Temperament
Hyline Brown Chickens can be great pets for you and your children and also for laying prolific eggs, they love being around humans and enjoying human company.
The Hyline Brown chicken has nice, calm, and friendly temperaments, making them perfect for keeping in your backyard or flock.
They’re super hardy, adaptable, and easy to take care of, they can handle different climates and environments without any problems.
Hyline Brown Chicken Lifespan
A chicken’s lifespan or life expectancy can depend on the environment where they live, the diet which they eat, and care.
Sometimes hyline brown chickens might get sick with cancer around 18 months old and can die from it and most of these chickens don’t make it past 3 years.
Commercial hybrids like Shaver Browns and Hyline Browns are light and productive breeds, due to this they usually only live for 3 to 6 years with proper care, however many backyard chicken keepers report them as living around 2-3 years.
Hyline Brown Chicken Price in Hatcheries
You can pick many offline online hatcheries to buy Hyline Brown chicken. At about 18 weeks old they can cost about $20.
Typically their prices range from a few dollars per chick for day-old chicks to higher prices for older pullets or breeding stock.
To get accurate pricing information, it’s best to contact local hatcheries or suppliers or online hatcheries directly as prices can fluctuate based on market conditions and availability.
Or go to this site to know the exact price information; Afrimash, Waitawacreek, talkinghens, or woodburyhatchery.
Things You Should Know About Hyline Brown
There are some important things about hyline brown chicken that you should know if you want to know more about them:
- Hyline brown chickens can turn food into eggs well, And they need more protein compared to other chickens to lay a lot of eggs.
- These chickens keep getting better with each new generation from Hy-Line. They use the latest breeding technology to make them live longer and produce more eggs.
- Some Hyline Brown chickens might develop a condition called cross beak, which could be due to genetic problems or issues during hatching.
- Another issue is a crooked beak, which isn’t as serious. With a crooked beak, the top part doesn’t align perfectly, being slightly shifted to one side.
- All Hyline Brown trimmed beaks, as chicken with cross-beak and crooked beak conditions may require further trimming and could raise the chance of even death.
- Another issue we faced was that 3 out of the 15 had trouble with poop sticking to their butt feathers. Two of them had it bad enough that we had to give them baths.
- They’re not the best in rainy weather. Their feathers aren’t as waterproof, they’re smaller and less dense.
- These birds aren’t bred for long lives, they won’t live as long as other breeds because they put a lot of energy into laying lots of eggs.
Hyline Brown Management Guide
Hyline Brown chickens are the healthiest breed and do not require special care but like all birds, they are also susceptible to many diseases such as tapeworms and other parasites.
Here are more things you should know to manage Hyline Brown chickens:
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Preparing Coop for Hyline Brown
Make sure to provide a comfortable, well-built, ventilated, and safe from-predators chicken coop to live safely and comfortably.
You should give each chicken at least 2 to 3 square feet of space in the coop, and about 8 to 10 square feet of space outside for moving and exploring.
Try to clean and dry the coop at least twice or thrice a week and make sure to dry the coop after wetting them.
Provide nesting boxes filled with clean and soft straws to lay eggs and collect eggs daily to prevent wasting and dirtiness.
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Health Care for Hyline Brown Chicken
Regularly checking for signs of illness and injuries and seeking advice from a veterinarian will help maintain their health and well-being.
Provide needed vaccination and deworming as recommended by the veterinarian and keep their surroundings and their coop clean to prevent microorganisms and infections.
Make sure to give your Hyline Brown a chicken friend so they don’t feel lonely and to prevent any mental issues.
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Diet for Hyline Brown Chickens
Provide a balanced diet, including commercial feed, to your Hyline Brown chickens to meet all their nutritional requirements.
Basically, with these breeds, you’ll get more eggs for the same amount of food compared to others. Just stick to the 16% or 17% protein feed and you’ll see the rewards.
Adding fruits, vegetables, and occasional treats to their diet, to keep them happy and active. Ensure access to clean and fresh water all the time.
Make sure to avoid any harmful food like chocolate, avocado skin or pit, coffee or tea, apple seeds, raw potatoes, green potatoes, onions, garlic, or raw eggs.
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Daily Care for Hyline Brown Chicken
Regular maintenance is essential to keeping your Hyline Brown chickens healthy, happy, and gorgeous.
Trim any stray and unnecessary feathers and nails to prevent them from becoming overgrown, which could cause mobility and vision problems.
Make sure to provide clean and dry soil in their surroundings for dust baths. Dust baths help regulate oil production and keep their feathers healthy.
Hyline Brown vs Isa Brown
Hyline Brown and Isa Brown hybrid chickens are popular commercial hybrid breeds known for their egg-laying abilities.
Hyline Brown was started in Iowa, USA, around 90 years ago by a poultry company called Hyline International. ISA Brown chickens were developed by the Institut de Sélection Animale (ISA) in 1978.
They both are well known for their prolific egg-laying capabilities and both have almost the same laying rate producing 300+ large eggs per year, with slight differences in egg color.
They both have a super friendly and non-aggressive temperament, making them perfect for families with children and first-time chicken keepers.
They both have brown feathers and may have slight differences in appearance, though they are both generally brown-feathered with variations in shades.
These chickens don’t live long due to their high production rate, hyline brown can live for 3-6 years, and Isa brown can live for 5-7 years if properly cared for.
They both don’t go broody because they’re layer birds bred specifically for egg production, and they’ve been genetically chosen to avoid broodiness.
Hyline Chickens vs Brown Shaver
Hyline Brown and Brown Shaver are popular laying hen breeds known for their high egg production capabilities.
Hyline Brown Chicken:
- Hyline Brown was started in Iowa, USA, around 90 years ago by a poultry company called Hyline International.
- Hyline Brown chickens are well known for their prolific egg-laying abilities, consistently producing over 300 large, dark brown eggs each year.
- They are calm and sweet birds and have a super friendly and non-aggressive temperament.
- They normally have brown and red feathers with white speckles, though variations exist depending on the particular strain.
- Hyline brown has a relatively lower lifespan due to their higher production, they can live for 3-6 years with proper care.
Brown Shaver Chicken:
- Brown Shavers chicken is a hybrid breed, sometimes referred to as Hyline chicken.
- They have wonderful personalities and can be excellent pets and super friendly for children to care for.
- Their life expectancy is generally lower, they can live only for 3-6 years due to their genes.
- Shaver Brown is a highly efficient and balanced brown egg layer, laying around 300 brown eggs per year.
- They also have brown feathers with shades like hyline brown chicken and may have slight variations in appearance.
Conclusion
In summary, hyline brown chickens are one of the world’s balanced brown egg layers and are well known for their prolific egg-laying ability with calm and friendly personalities.
They are commercial breeds and bred from different types of egg-laying chickens, to produce plenty of eggs.
You can buy hyline brown chickens from any local or online hatcheries such as Afrimash, Waitawacreek, talkinghens, or woodburyhatchery and add them to your backyard or flock.
Have you ever raised a prolific egg layer? Feel free to share your thoughts with us. We are here to help you.
FAQs
How many eggs do hyline brown chickens lay per day?
Hyline brown hens can lay an egg a day for the first two years.
How long do hyline chickens lay for?
These prolific egg layers lay for approximately 2 years, and some of them can lay for up to 4 to 5 years with proper care.
At what age do hyline brown chickens start laying?
As these chickens mature early, they start laying eggs between sixteen to twenty-two weeks of age and lay for approximately 2 years.
How long do hyline brown chickens live?
Hyline Browns are light and productive chickens, due to this they usually only live for 3 to 6 years with proper care, however many backyard chicken keepers report them as living around 2-3 years.
Are hyline browns good egg layers?
Hyline Brown hens are among the top egg-layers in the world, making them the perfect pick for anyone seeking a consistent and plentiful source of fresh eggs.