Lugnut the average for a Rhode Island red is 250-280 eggs a year with many pullets laying over 300 the first year, pretty much the same with barred rocks

I always liked have chickens, raising them up from chicks and finding the first pullet egg. We always had Rhode Island Reds. There first egg was about the size of a Dove egg. After about 2 wks is when the double yokes would show up for a couple of weeks. That real dark yellow yoke is what I liked. You could tell when they were outside and eating vegetation is when the yokes would turn color.

I once had a small flock of Parmenter Red's (a Rhode Island variation) that I crossed with a Barred Rock rooster. The resulting hens were solid black and were very good layers.

If you do the opposite (rhode island red roo over barred rock hens) you get black sex links, you can tell the pullets from cockerels as soon as they hatch and the resulting birds are laying machines.

I think a Rhode Island red rooster over a white rock is a red star and has similar characteristics, same with Rhode island red rooster over Delaware hen.

Thanks RM. I knew RIR's and rocks were two of the readily available top-produces. I used to track that info but can't find my chicken file right now.

I had most of the popular breeds, but the White rocks produced best, probably the only reason to cross with the reds was for the easy sexing.
Last batch were Buff Orpingtons, nice quiet birds, good layers but big, they need more groceries...and they go broody way easier then White Rocks....

I'm glad to hear that you went to chicken school. Not just anyone can say that.

Here is a chicken variety that lays a lot of eggs, year round. From Murray McMurray
*******************************************************************

Australorps
Black Australorp chickens originated in Australia and were introduced in the United States in the 1920s. Developed from Black Orpingtons imported from England, the Australorp was bred for egg production without sacrificing too much in size and meat quality. Some sensational results were made in the Australian program with one hen setting a laying record of 364 eggs in 365 days. To this day, Black Australorps are still one of the best light brown egg layers of all the heavy breeds.
Black Australorps have glossy black feathers with a greenish-purple sheen, and large red combs. Australorps are very large birds — cockerels (males) weigh 6 to 8 pounds at maturity, and pullets (females) weigh 5 to 7 pounds. As a dual-purpose breed, Australorps have pinkish-white skin and plump bodies and dress out nicely once the birds have matured. Pullets mature early, starting to lay between 5 and 6 months of age.
Australorps are quiet, gentle, and stand confinement well. Baby chicks are black with a good deal of white in the underparts and small white patches around the head and wings.
We have handled this breed for years and it is one of the best of our heavy breeds.

I had some australorps once. You will notice in their description that intelligence was not listed as one of their attributes.

Stupidest bird on the planet Earth.

I too had Australorps, not again, The batch I had couldn't keep up with the buffs, and would rate far behind the white rocks.