Best Egg Laying Chickens 2026 — Every Hen (and Duck) That Lays 300+ Eggs a Year

Two backyard birds quietly out-lay every commercial hybrid on the market — and the poultry industry spent decades burying them. In this deep dive we break down the Black Australorp (the hen that laid 364 eggs in 365 days) and the Khaki Campbell duck (~340 eggs a year): their history, why they beat ISA Browns and Cornish Cross long-term, how to source genuine production stock, and the exact setup to get 300+ eggs a year with half the feed and no vet bills.