Dark Eggs from Hatchery

[SisterFlash]

Has anyone had their Barnevelder, Welsummer, or Marans lay eggs from hens purchased from a hatchery like Ideal or MM?

How dark were they? Any pics?

Sounds like some of you were disappointed in the coloring of the eggs.

ALso Ideal sells both the feather legged and clean legged Marans. If you had the feather legged Marans did it lay darker eggs than the clean?

Just wondering since it appears this maybe more the french variety over the english clean legged variety if what I have been learning is correct.

Thanks again

Barb

 

[Angi_H]

I had hatchery stock a few years ago from MM and was very very disapointed they were only a 3 on the Maran egg color chart. I sold them all. Now I have Kelly Cratty lines of Cuckoo marans and am getting eggs 6 to 8 on the egg scale 9 is almost black and a 1 is a white egg. So that tells you something. The problem with hatcherys is they just hatch any egg they get they dont work to keep that nice dark coloring in the genes. I only hatch the darkest eggs and keep only the hens that continue to lay the darkest eggs of them all on a constant manner. I now have 2 Roosters and 9 hens all from very very dark egg lines. If you can go for eggs from a breeder that has nice dark eggs and breeds for the darkness.

Angi

 

[SisterFlash]

Thanks I think this is the way I will have to go. After seeing all the beautiful dark egg layers here it will be hard to accept the others.

Thanks for your info.

Barb

 

[ksacres]

I think that Sandhill has some dark egg laying breeds. Their stock is a little better quality than most hatcheries. They are more geared towards preservation, and don't produce nearly as many, and they manage their own birds.

www.sandhillpreservation.com

 

[Angi_H]

here is what one of my pullets first eggs look like that was laid in the last 9 days. She is the only one laying right now though the rest are either in molt or will pick up soon.

 

[fdnick]

go here http://www.bevsmarans.com TOP quality Marans

Denna

 

[Angi_H]

Yes I know Bev and I am getting eggs from her in the spring.

Angi

 

[Katy]

I'm on her list too and I can't wait to get them!

 

[Angi_H]

I bought all of my stock from Linda Hamid of Sweet Water Marans. When she down sized her flock. So I have a great Marna stock. So beautiful. Bevs you can sex from hatch the Cockerals from the pullets as the cockerals will be allot lighter then the pullets. One thing I want to breed into my flock.

Angi

 

[SisterFlash]

Thanks you all for you great info.

Now I just have to get experienced at hatching.

Hopefully I will be getting a bator after christmas with christmas money.

What fun.

Barb