ISA Brown
Egg layer · France · 🌱 Beginner friendly
The ISA Brown is the friendly face of commercial egg genetics: a French-developed hybrid that can top 300 eggs in her first year while still wanting to sit on your knee. For pure output per bird, almost nothing in a backyard coop keeps up.
Eggs per year
280–320
Egg color
Brown
Egg size
Large
Hen weight
4–5 lbs
Temperament
Docile and affectionate
Broodiness
Rarely goes broody
Did you know?
"ISA" stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, the French company that created the hybrid in 1978 — the exact parent lines remain a trade secret.
Is the ISA Brown right for your flock?
Expect roughly 280–320 brown eggs a year from a healthy hen in her prime — production dips during molt and the short days of winter, and eases off as she ages. Planning space? A ISA Brown hen runs 4–5 lbs, so size the coop with our coop size calculator and estimate the feed bill with the feed cost calculator.
The ISA Brown shows up in
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Keeping ISA Browns?
Give every bird a profile in PoultryPal — track their eggs, weight, and life events, and see who's really your best layer.
