Farmhouse Eggs -- what breed?

[Blisschick]

Does anyone know what breed Farmhouse Eggs uses as laying stock? My husband was surprised at how dark the eggs were when he bought them. I'm guessing that they're Marans since they're the most popular, but since they're not especially dark, I'm wondering if they may be something else. I couldn't find anything on their website.

 

[Spangled]

I couldn't find anything on their site either. Funny they wouldn't have at least one photo of a chicken.

I would guess, by looking at the eggs, that they are probably some sort of Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, Production Red, ISA Brown, etc., type of chicken. New Hampshires and Rhode Island Reds often have eggs that color and Production Reds and ISA Browns have RIR genes in them if I'm remembering correctly. I have seen New Hampshire and ISA Brown eggs that color.

Having Marans myself, they don't lay as much as my New Hampshires. Marans would not be the breed of choice for a commercial egg business because they would have to feed the Marans so much feed and would get too few eggs. Unless, of course, they were charging $10 a dozen or something a little bit out of the ordinary.

Plus, Marans eggs would likely be darker than those most of the time.

 

[Chicks on DL]

I have a Golden Comet who is a reliable layer and lays darker colored eggs that have a copper tone to them. She is I think part White Plymouth Rock and part New Hampshire Red (at least that is what I have read about the breed). She has a wonderful temperament and is the most curious and adventurous. We truly enjoy her.

 

[Blisschick]

I guess I could email them and ask them. They probably are some kind of production breed, because as you said, they'd have to be pretty heavy layers to be able to keep up with demand. I've never had Marans, so I had no idea how well they actually lay. My BLRW are dual purpose also, and they don't lay near as well as my EE's did. Hubby is complaining that no one is laying, but it's hard to explain that not all chickens lay at the same rate. All he sees is the feed bill.

I've been toying with throwing a few in the incubator to see if they're fertile, but after looking at the cracked eggs, I don't think they are. I told the hubby that they may or may not have a roo running around with them. I guess I could ask that, too.

 

[mstricer]

Farmhouse fresh in our area , are the Amish, which they usually use Golden Buffs or RIR or a combo.

 

[TammyTX]

Does anyone know what breed Farmhouse Eggs uses as laying stock? My husband was surprised at how dark the eggs were when he bought them. I'm guessing that they're Marans since they're the most popular, but since they're not especially dark, I'm wondering if they may be something else. I couldn't find anything on their website.

I have emailed and never received an answer. My "Red Star" lays a nice size egg on a regular basis but the Cal-Maine Farmhouse Eggs are a darker speckled brown and very pretty and large. They actually remind me of Welsummer eggs, but they are not prolific producers. These eggs are carried by the HEB stores in Texas. I'm sure other places carry them, too.

Glad to see I am not the only one interested...albeit two years later.

 

[Michael OShay]

Does anyone know what breed Farmhouse Eggs uses as laying stock? My husband was surprised at how dark the eggs were when he bought them. I'm guessing that they're Marans since they're the most popular, but since they're not especially dark, I'm wondering if they may be something else. I couldn't find anything on their website.

Farmhouse eggs is a brand name under which Cal-Maine sells eggs in the US. For brown egg laying stock, they use Red Sex Links, and for white egg laying stock, they use White Leghorns.

 

[Felix1]

I bought some Hyline Browns from an egg laying operation that were "spent". They lay like crazy and produce a jumbo very dark brown egg with speckles...not what I expected at all.

 

[Michael OShay]

I bought some Hyline Browns from an egg laying operation that were "spent". They lay like crazy and produce a jumbo very dark brown egg with speckles...not what I expected at all.

That's due to the age of the Red Sex Links you bought. The older they are, the darker their eggs get.

 

[Bennie Ross]

I asked them on email and they replied that their chickens were Production RIRs. And because they have no roos in the hen houses the eggs are not fertile. And after a week of incubation I checked and they were right. NOT FERTILE!