Choosing Chicks Maran vs Welsummer

[Skibum]

I think I will be going with Meyer Hatchery this spring(good price point and ability to order female only and smaller batches) I have enough space for conservatively 5 or up to 7 more chickens. I will need to build a cover for their larger run as my chickens mostly only stay in their covered run during the winter. Another summer of chicken projects instead of house projects. Woof.

I know I want more colorful eggs so I think I will go with 4 colorful assortment chicks.

I also want some dark brown eggs so I’m between Marans and Welsummers. I think the welsummers are quite lovely in their feathering and eggs and they’re cheaper… any opinions?

 

[nuthatched]

Most hatchery birds don't have the really dark eggs, maybe a terracotta at best.
I'd get the welsummer, marans are overrated.:]
Have you priced out other hatcheries? Meyers is good but they're pricey.

 

[Skibum]

Most hatchery birds don't have the really dark eggs, maybe a terracotta at best.
I'd get the welsummer, marans are overrated.:]
Have you priced out other hatcheries? Meyers is good but they're pricey.

Well the chicks I’m looking at are all $6 or less and they provide Mareks for pretty cheap. Last year I bought from Feather Lover Farms and my god are they expensive and I didn’t have great success with my first batch (2 cream leg bars died within months of being outside other breeds seem fine but am now trying to nurse a surprise mix that came with my order that is suffering from reproductive problems)

I’m fine with them not being especially dark. I’m sure they’ll still be darker than my Double Silver Laced Barnevelders which are closer to bantam sized and lay small light brown eggs. Terra Cotta sounds lovely and I also love speckling which it seems like some Welsummers have.

I am open to other options. I am in Colorado so Ohio isn’t particuarly close. Definitely wouldn’t want anywhere further than that for shipment.

 

[nuthatched]

Well the chicks I’m looking at are all $6 or less and they provide Mareks for pretty cheap. Last year I bought from Feather Lover Farms and my god are they expensive and I didn’t have great success with my first batch (2 cream leg bars died within months of being outside other breeds seem fine but am now trying to nurse a surprise mix that came with my order that is suffering from reproductive problems)

I am open to other options. I am in Colorado so Ohio isn’t particuarly close. Definitely wouldn’t want anywhere further than that for shipment.

Their $50 shipping is what I was thinking about. Feather Lover Farms has a few breeds I'm interested in but good grief, I can't justify their prices to myself. Doesn't sound like their stock is great.

 

[Skibum]

Their $50 shipping is what I was thinking about. Feather Lover Farms has a few breeds I'm interested in but good grief, I can't justify their prices to myself. Doesn't sound like their stock is great.

Which are you interested in? I have some of their Double Silver laced barnevelders which are extremely lovely. I edited my above post to add that. They are gorgeous (one has some gray leaking in her head feathers but I don’t mind) they are very consistent layers but their eggs are small as I think they’re closer to bantam size) my accidental mix was I think DSLB and isbar and she is gorgeous and her eggs are gorgeous but she’s currently fighting off a reproductive problem. I bought their assortment and got so many roos which is why I’m adamant on getting from a hatchery where you can select females only. Straight run is not kind to more pet leaning keepers.

 

[nuthatched]

Which are you interested in? I have some of their Double Silver laced barnevelders which are extremely lovely. I edited my above post to add that. They are gorgeous (one has some gray leaking in her head feathers but I don’t mind) they are very consistent layers but their eggs are small as I think they’re closer to bantam size) my accidental mix was I think DSLB and isbar and she is gorgeous and her eggs are gorgeous but she’s currently fighting off a reproductive problem. I bought their assortment and got so many roos which is why I’m adamant on getting from a hatchery where you can select females only. Straight run is not kind to more pet leaning keepers.

That's a good idea and makes sense.
Their Barnevelders, silverrudds and frost white legbars is what I was interested in, but $60-$70 a chick....
I found a farm in North Carolina that has very nice Barnevelders and ships eggs if I ever wanted to try them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Their $50 shipping is what I was thinking about. Feather Lover Farms has a few breeds I'm interested in but good grief, I can't justify their prices to myself.

They're scam artist.. I got ripped off for about $300+ and never saw a chick either.

Just search them in the BYC search box!

ETA:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/malaysian-serama-bantam-questions.1542092/post-26026980

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-these-hatcheries-farms.1442965/post-23961349

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I have both and they are both wonderful chickens, gorgeous color eggs. The Maran's eggs (BCM's,) have bloom often that makes them look sort of maroon color. The Welsummer eggs are always speckled dark brown, very pretty. Both chickens have fun personalities. are gorgeous birds. Welsummers are great flyers, can jump really high when younger. One of my Welsummer's fly up and over my entire coop (8 ft.) That's the only big difference so if that would be a problem with your setup, I'd consider it. Below Welsummer eggs are closest to kitty, Maran's are the darkest.....

 

[nuthatched]

I have both and they are both wonderful chickens, gorgeous color eggs. The Maran's eggs (BCM's,) have bloom often that makes them look sort of maroon color. The Welsummer eggs are always speckled dark brown, very pretty. Both chickens have fun personalities. are gorgeous birds. Welsummers are great flyers, can jump really high when younger. One of my Welsummer's fly up and over my entire coop (8 ft.) That's the only big difference so if that would be a problem with your setup, I'd consider it. Below Welsummer eggs are closest to kitty, Maran's are the darkest.....

View attachment 3372601

What a pretty kitty!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I had both (my BCM died of heat stroke this last summer, it was an especially hot summer in Tx) they both came from MPC. My Welsummer lays a lovely terracotta egg with speckles sometimes but is very finicky, if it's too hot I'm lucky if I get 1 egg a week, but she's a great winter layer, and a very friendly chatty lady (she's almost 2) My BCM's egg was chocolate brown and absolutely gorgeous! She was very friendly too and followed me around like a puppy, lol.