Cackle Hatchery breeds, weeks to lay?

[WashingtonWino]

Hi there! I'd love input from anyone who has the following breeds from Cackle, pertaining to the age at which your hens started to lay, the egg color and the # of eggs per week.

Australorp
Gold Laced Wyandotte
Golden Comet
Black Copper Marans
Welsummer

It would also be helpful to know what time of year they got going. My chicks will hit 16 weeks at the beginning of June so I anticipate getting eggs by summer's end.

Thank you in advance!

 

[popsicle]

Of your listed breeds, I have one Black Copper Marans from Cackle (I sold the other four from the order). She started laying around 30-weeks, and lays a 4 or 5 on the egg color scale (though often with dark speckles).

 

[WashingtonWino]

Thank you! 30 weeks, yikes!

 

[WashingtonWino]

Sorry to bug, Popsicle but I have a problem:

Marans is looking suspiciously rooster-y, but since s(he) is the only one I have, I don't have another of the same breed for comparison. I'm learning that Marans are early bloomers sometimes. Was yours big and bossy as a chick, with a comb that "popped" out early?

Thanks a million,

 

[popsicle]

Yup--same thing happened to me. There were a few days I was concerned that my single Marans was going to be expensive soup, and I was even more worried that the expensive "pullets" I sold were going to have some cockerels.

Just remember, in a mixed batch of birds, they will develop at different rates. The thick legs on Wyandotte pullets always get me when I see them next to other breeds.

 

[WashingtonWino]

Thanks for the reassurance, s(he)s very smart and has a funny little personality, I do hope I can keep her and my colorful egg basket. Thanks for answering my questions, I really appreciate it.

 

[popsicle]

Thanks for the reassurance, s(he)s very smart and has a funny little personality, I do hope I can keep her and my colorful egg basket. Thanks for answering my questions, I really appreciate it.

It's funny you say smart... When my Cackle Marans was about 8-weeks old, a dog got into my coop and killed 30 birds--including many chicks from the same order as the Marans and most of my older birds. The neighbors witnessed the attack (they were the ones that caught the dog for me) and said, "that black one is smart, she slowly walked and hid under that bench." I've got five more coming in April, I'm going to keep all of them this time.

 

[WashingtonWino]

Nice! Mine knows her name (Sherman) and mostly comes when called. The rest of the flock is not getting the idea yet.

Sorry you lost so many, but glad someone was on hand to save the rest. Good luck with your chicks and thanks again!