Welsummer vs Cuckoo Maran Eggs for Darkness

[AmericanKraut]

Hi all!

I have the chance to pick up some cuckoo marans and/or welsummer pullet chicks (90% guarantee) next month. Due to having a bit too many chickens I can only take two. Which has the best odds of laying darker eggs?

From what I understand cuckoo aren't quite as dark as black copper but I can't find those locally and would like to add a dark egg layer.

I know Welsummer can have speckles. I know I could take one of each but if people are saying here one breed is likely to lay darker than the other, then I want two of that breed. So looking for input.

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi all!

I have the chance to pick up some cuckoo marans and/or welsummer pullet chicks (90% guarantee) next month. Due to having a bit too many chickens I can only take two. Which has the best odds of laying darker eggs?

From what I understand cuckoo aren't quite as dark as black copper but I can't find those locally and would like to add a dark egg layer.

I know Welsummer can have speckles. I know I could take one of each but if people are saying here one breed is likely to lay darker than the other, then I want two of that breed. So looking for input.

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise!

Will you be picking up these birds from hatchery stock or from a breeder? The hatchery version of either breed will be a bit of a wild card due to the breeding of them not being focused on maintaining their characteristic egg color because the emphasis is on breeding for sheer production. If you really want good, dark eggs I would find a reputable breeder to source them from and ask to see samples of the eggs being produced by their stock, that will give you an idea of what the birds you are getting are likely to give you.

 

[AmericanKraut]

Unfortunately, from a small hatchery so I already was suspecting and now confirmed by you they'll likely be lighter. There's a great Welsummer breeder by me but she's had some unexpected incubating trouble and said she's hatching an unexpected amount of roos then ever before. For Marans, the only breeder near me has a 10 chick minimum and she was willing to do less, 6, for me because we got talking and stuff but that's still too many more than I can take and those were 8 weeks. I have a brooder box now of 1 weeks and the ones in May will be fresh hatched so I'd have a lot of juveniles of too many ages then, too. Plus I have two adult cream Legbars. I'm hoping to get chicks that can join my current brooder box or the next one in May and unfortunately just not finding a local breeder.

 

[AmericanKraut]

I think I'll just wait on the breeder with the hatching issues and all the cockerals. She's a really nice lady and takes good care of her birds.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Michael OShay]

I've had both Cuckoo Marans and Welsummers and the darkness of their chocolate eggs varies somewhat from hen to hen (especially with hatchery grade hens). The chocolate eggs both breeds are beautiful; in my personal opinion they are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world. I suppose I'm very slightly partial to the Welsummer eggs as I like the profusion of very dark speckles that are common to their eggs.

 

[AmericanKraut]

I've had both Cuckoo Marans and Welsummers and the darkness of their chocolate eggs varies somewhat from hen to hen (especially with hatchery grade hens). The chocolate eggs both breeds are beautiful; in my personal opinion they are the prettiest eggs in the chicken world. I suppose I'm very slightly partial to the Welsummer eggs as I like the profusion of very dark speckles that are common to their eggs.

They both seem like beautiful breeds with lovely eggs! The speckles are a nice added bonus!