black copper marans or barnevelders or welsummers?????

[lizrndiver]

I have a chance to get some 11 month old pullets either Black Copper Marans or Barnevelders or Welsummers (or both ahhhhhh!!!!)

Any recommendations for one breed over the other? I can also get some chicks as well.

Oh my heavens have I got chicken fever bad!!!!!!! (FYI I already have 4 11 month old pullets and 30 chicks on the way).

Liz

Edited because I just got off the phone with the breeder and she told me about the welsummers

 

[Illia]

Get em all!

Welsummers are good for Terra Cotta colored eggs.

Barnevelders generally don't have dark eggs at all, and are flighty - But still very pretty!

Black Copper Marans lay the darkest of all the eggs, but it depends who you get them from. Lately with the Marans hype, some people sell pretty light egg ones, and claim otherwise.

( My Avatar has Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Marans eggs. )

 

[lizrndiver]

I know this doesn't guarantee anything, but I am getting them from a heritage hen breeder. She raises those 3 lines as well as red, buff, and light sussex.

She was pretty honest about the egg colors and what they are working on in their breeding. This makes me trust her more.

Hmmmmm.....decisions, decisions.......

Liz

 

[sephiroth]

I like Welsummers. Nice birds, nice roosters. Pretty too. BCM roosters look pretty nice too, though I hear they can be mean.

I have started some BCMs, so don't have much expereince with them...None with Barnevelders.

 

[Klorinth]

I have Cuckoo Marans and like them very much. I wish i had access to some nice Black Copper. Very nice birds. Great eggs. The darker the better for me, although it is very hard to candle the dark eggs.

 

[sephiroth]

Cuckoo Marans -- I have two, one silver and one golden. Neither lay a particulary dark egg. My Welsummer lays much darker.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I only have welsummers- and I LOVE them. They are sweet, intelligent, and very pretty. The eggs are sooo nice too

 

[grandmaof5]

*sigh...I've been trying to find a person with good Welsummers up here in eastern Canada; I'm jealous.

 

[pinkchick]

I have Welsummers and Marans and very soon Barnevelders (Barnies are in the bator

) My advise is the get one of all three and see how you like them and if they are the bird that fits your needs.
I cannot speak of Barnevelders yet but I can tell you that my Welsummers are not as super snuggly like my Marans but both are fantastic breeds. Sweet, great personalities and good layers. Welsummers can be noisy though so if you live in the city or burbs you may want to re-think Wellies. I'm sure others will pop in and agree about the Wellies and their egg songs!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I love my welsummers. (haven't got the egg song yet or an egg) They are not snuggly types, more independent. (at least mine are) I have 2 BCM pullets, but they are only 4 weeks old, so I can't speak much for their personality yet. Other than 1 screams it's head off more than any chick I've ever had when I pick her up. The other one is super mellow. Nothing bothers her.

I say get them all.