California - Northern

[RooJi]

not usually. Are they french black copper marans or cuckoo or some. Other variety?

French black copper. Will her eggs getbigger? They are still a small my aussie just bumped up her ehg size to a medium and possibly a large and y dominique is still working on her medium to small egg

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Marans do neeD good feed. But they dont break the bank a d at least mine have above adverage egg laying careers. They do go down to more like 3 a week after the pullet year.

But they are the most personable dark egg layer and a very good (and exceptional y tasty) if slow dual purpose. All dual purpose will eat more.

Penedesenca have tons of personality not as friendly but are more of a free ranger type

 

[Hangtown Farms]

@hangtown farm can you post some picks? Where about are ypu located

Placerville

 

[Hangtown Farms]

@hangtown farm can you post some picks? Where about are ypu located

 

[chickee]

Penedesenca have tons of personality not as friendly but are more of a free ranger type

They DO lay beautiful dark eggs!

 

[ronott1]

I agree Lual, those dark eggs are worth it! Not only that . . my Golden Cuckoo Marans start laying at 6 months and I am getting 4-5 eggs every day out of 6 hens. And they laid all winter.

5 more days until hatch day.

Golden Cuckoo Marans, Olive Eggers, Easter Eggers, Ameraucana, Silkies and d'Anvers.

Most of us do not have chickens to make money so do not really care about feed conversion and etc. Most care about pet qualities(Who does not love to hug a fluffy chicken?). Marans lay very pretty eggs. Penedesencas do not care about me but the Pita Pintas love me! They are the best Large Fowl pet chicken for me so far(they lay a lot of eggs too).

I do not have FBCM because they are one of the breeds that have died at my place in the heat.

I greatly appreciate this discussion comparing the two breeds. I have raised Marans for 3 years and have enjoyed their calm personality and beautiful feathering. I would love to breed my all time favorite blue Marans hen with a good Ro. But part of me is pragmatic and I'm leaning towards the Penedesenca.

My goal is 80% efficient layers and 20% spice while maintaining a pretty egg basket.

Penedesencas are very feed efficient. I think Jason was saying that his are bigger than the average--and I am sure he said that the cockerels are big enough to eat. Black Penedesencas are listed as being Dual Purpose.

 

[farmhand]

Would a Golden Cuckoo Marans Ro over a Ark Blue hen give sex-linked Olive Egger chicks?

 

[ronott1]

French black copper. Will her eggs getbigger? They are still a small my aussie just bumped up her ehg size to a medium and possibly a large and y dominique is still working on her medium to small egg

The eggs will be darkest at the beginning of the egg laying cycle(first egg to molt). The color will get lighter over the cycle. For pullets, the eggs get bigger with each set that they lay--3 to 5 eggs, take a day off and then a bit bigger egg and so on. After a couple of months the eggs will settle in to a "normal" size for that hen. Then after the first molt the eggs will usually be a bit bigger.

Congratulations!

The Dominique will lay a smaller egg usually. It's a breed characteristic.

 

[farmhand]

Penedesencas are very feed efficient. I think Jason was saying that his are bigger than the average--and I am sure he said that the cockerels are big enough to eat. Black Penedesencas are listed as being Dual Purpose.

So there is a range of size and other characteristics in the different Penedesencas?

 

[ronott1]

Would a Golden Cuckoo Marans Ro over a Ark Blue hen give sex-linked Olive Egger chicks?

The arkansas Blues need to be used to make Black sexlinks since there is no silver in them. The hen has to have the barring to make black sex links so the Rooster has to be solid with the black genes.

In other words, go the other way--Arkansas blue rooster x cuckoo marans should make black sexlinks. Some would be blue and some would be black. The white spot is a bit harder to see on blue but you can still see it.