I have rarely seen bud high counts on my daylilies (as high as the registration data indicates), regardless of grown in a pot with planting mix or grown in the ground. Perhaps it is the water situation, perhaps it is a bit too much shade, though I am sure our latitude also plays a part. At any rate, if I have a large flowered daylily with at least 12 flowers per scape, I count that as good. ("Large" does not just mean UFs.)
The best performers (among the registered daylilies) bud count wise this summer have been 'Four Eyes' and what may (or may not) be 'Black Falcon Ritual'. (The latter might be a seedling of BFR.) Both well exceeded 12 buds, and 'Four Eyes' is reblooming. Interestingly enough, 'Steller's Jay' (another Lambertson) also has good bud count and branching here (but alas, the flowers rarely open well - they seem to need warm nights).
I also have a couple of red tet seedlings (both out of 'Bamboo Spitfire' but by different parents) with 5.5" blooms which run about 20 buds, but sadly, they don't rebloom. (I blame the shade, here. 'Bamboo Spitfire' was a reliable rebloomer at our old house, but never here.) I like them well enough, though (especially the first one) that I let them stay.
As many have said (and Richard Norris, iirc, addressed this in an essay of his on hybridizing), you have to ignore the registered data and observe what performs well in
your garden.
