Dark eggs

[HEChicken]

Until today I thought Marans laid the darkest eggs and have admired the pics of the chocolate brown eggs. But today I've seen two posts indicating that Welsummers also lay dark eggs. So now, because I'm curious and always willing to learn something new, I'm wondering which are the darkest overall? I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule (for example, some Marans lay exceptionally pale eggs while some Welsummers may lay exceptionally dark eggs) but as a general rule, which breed would be considered to lay the darkest eggs?

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Ummm, I believe overall the Marans are usually darker but I don't have any marans. Just going by what I have seen on here.

 

[Hozer]

I have both Welsummers and Black Copper Marans. I only have 2 Marans pullets. They are all together, so it is hard to tell, but I occasionally (maybe every other day) get a very dark more rounded egg that I assume is a Marans egg. So to answer your question, from my very limited experience and small sample size, I would say the darkest Black Copper Marans egg is noticeably darker than my darkest Welsummer egg.

Which breed do I prefer...the Welsummers (sorry, Marans folks). Friendlier, more intelligent, more vigorous, better layers, more consistant type, and I think the Welsummer's terra cotta eggs are prettier than the Marans egg. The Welsummer eggs seem to be more consistantly brown, where as the Marans egg color varies quite a bit. I have heard this also from another owner. As I said previously, that is one person's opinion based on very limited experience and birds from a single breeder.

 

[Mahonri]

Marans.

But I've never owned a Wellie

 

[GraceAK]

i have a wellie and she lays pretty dark eggs. Not marans dark, but the texture is different and if you crossed them the color would be really cool....

 

[milleryardchx]

they say black copper marans lay the darkest egg and wellsumers are more like a dark terracotta color. my bcm lays eggs the color of chocolate.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Good Question. I don't have either, but I intend on getting some Black Copper Marans this year for the eggs that I have googled and looked at. They appear to be darker than the Welsummer's, but the Welsummers are speckled making it an actually more attractive color. I have Cuckoo Marans and the McMurray site said they lay the darker eggs....well needless to say this is NOT the case. their egg color is no darker than my partridge cochin, in fact it isn't as dark. I was wondering if I was not feeding it properly until I became a byc member and saw the difference. People have to always check these things out from multiple sources.

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

I have three Wyandottes, a RIR, a Bl. Australorp, and two Appenzellers, and one of them is laying super dark eggs, too. Just don't know who it is.

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
I don't have Appenzellers but I do have the others and in my experience the RIR's lay very pretty dark coppery colored eggs --- BA's lay darker eggs but in my experience they are more a rosy brown color.

 

[Hozer]

Wellie eggs. Occasionally I get one that is completely covered with speckles over a terra cotta base color...cool. I mostly prefer the occasional "perfect" terra cotta colored egg we get...like the top left one, only darker.