Anyone have Barnvelders?

[Redfeathers]

My friend is going to buy a couple of Barnvelder hens but was told they are not good egg layers. I've read on the charts that they are good layers. What is your personal input on this breed. Good layers or bad????

 

[Cocky]

I'd also like to know how their eggs compare in color to welsummers or marans.

 

[AussieSharon]

I don't have any but I remeber reading a post that EweSheep used to have some and said the egg color was no where near as dark as welsummers or marans.