Dark Brown Eggs

[R@ndy]

What Breed would best for nice dark brown eggs and produce good??

 

[Fruit Juice]

Welsummers and Marans

 

[tfpets]

Welsummers - lay decently dark, productive and easily available

Marans - lay darker again - depends on the lines you get for availability and the price you will pay for them - alot of varieties

Penedesencas - another dark egg layer - Lay less frequently and a flighty bird, but lovely and pretty bird

Langshans - a nice layer, available more easily as a flock bird, decently dark egg - productive (not as dark as the "dark" egg layers, but nice)

Barnevelders - brown eggs, but darker than the lighter brown eggs - and nice beatiful birds - hard to find too -

I only have the Marans (Black Copper, Cuckoo) and the Penedesencas...I have one baby Barnevelder.

Good luck!
Tina

 

[Krys109uk]

I've heard some Penedescencas can lay a very dark egg. Marans from authentic French lines can also lay very dak eggs. Welsumers tend to lay a terra cotta coloured egg though I have seen much darker. Barnefelders most often lay a milk coffee coloured egg.

 

[R@ndy]

Thanks for the help


I think I will go with the Marans Do they produce well??

 

[citalk2much]

Friends have some they are good layers

 

[tfpets]

R@ndy :

Thanks for the help


I think I will go with the Marans Do they produce well??

My Marans are great layers, waaayy better than my Penedesencas - very moody birds, Penedesencas are!

Marans are in high demand right now, and if you get hatchery stock, you may end up with a bird that doesnt lay an egg any darker than a Rhode Isanld Red or Barred Rock, which alot of Cuckoo Marans hatchery stock are crossed with....Just a word of caution, if you dont already know...research and educate yourself if you expect to get truly "dark" egg layers??

Tina/tfpets​

 

[R@ndy]

If I was going to order from a hatchery?? CAn I call them and ask if they are pure bred??

 

[Solsken Farm]

R@ndy :

If I was going to order from a hatchery?? CAn I call them and ask if they are pure bred??

Hatchery cuckoo marans lay a very disappointing egg from what I have been told by people. I have to say for big, dark eggs from a hatchery, I'd go with red stars. Our red stars are prolific layers, lovely gentle hens and their eggs are huge. They are pretty dark, sometimes darker than some of the "Marans" eggs I have spent a lot of money on from breeders.

I cannot speak to hatchery welsummers.​

 

[R@ndy]

Thank ya very much... I do plan on ordering a dozen or red stars real soon....