Dark egg addiction...

[cariboujaguar]

I just discovered the penedesenca breed, there is an ad on my locak CL for some LINK I am so addicted to these dark egg layers, now I'm looking at these... does anyone know anything about them? They look like they might be fiesty LOL

 

[Picco]

Check my BYC page, I have some info. The breed is very flighty like the other Mediterraneans so they do best free ranging. If they are cooped up they tend to be nervous. They are a dark layer but their eggs are different than the other breeds. You will not see the dark brown chocolate eggs that you see in marans. Pen eggs are more of a dark red terracotta color, a really unique color of their own. $10 dollars is a good price for chicks, with the creles you can tell the pullets apart from the roos too so you can get an even better deal (girls brown, boys gray). The partridges you can tell with some accuracy too, but I don't remember which was which as far as what color the pullets are. The breed isn't really that small. The creles and partridges are leghorn sized and the blacks are a bit bigger.

 

[cariboujaguar]

Thank you so much for the info, I contacted them about the chicks and might get a few. It would be interesting to see what a cross with these and Marans would do in terms of egg color I will go look at your page now

Oh, also, if they prefer free ranging (which we also prefer) how do you keep them from laying eggs all over the planet VS in their coop? Do you just lock them in for awhile then let them out once they accustomed to laying in their boxes?

 

[Mahonri]

Can't wait until my little GC Maran's pullet starts laying.

 

[92caddy]

I have blacks, mine are NOT good layers and lay alot of double yokes. They are a VERY FLIGHTY bird, they are almost nuts at times, mine are not that bad, but when a stranger comes around they will go nuts. Their egg stays dark all year long, they do NOT get lighter as they lay like the marans. I have the wheaton color also, but they are about a month old, so no eggs for awhile from them..................

 

[Picco]

Their egg stays dark all year long, they do NOT get lighter as they lay like the marans.

My eggs fade like the marans...you're lucky! I have beautiful dark eggs in the spring and then they lighten up a lot. Mine vary in color too from light to dark and from speckled to plain...they are a strange breed.​