How well do marans lay??

[chickeneyfoot]

I've seen so many different answers.
Do marans lay 100-125 or 5-7 eggs a week?

I want to buy all of the different marans if they can lay well. Need opinions!
Thanks

 

[Debbi]

Let me put it this way; they ain't Leghorns!

I haven't had an egg out of 7 girls, in two weeks. They are a somewhat moderate/mediocre layer even under the best conditions, and winter doesn't help. If you are hoping for huge egg production, this may not be the breed for you.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I'll be interested to see the replies to this.

My Black Copper Maran just started laying about three weeks ago, and I get around 4 eggs a week from her. Of course, it is Winter time, so that may be a factor...

( My Red Sex Link, however, started laying about three months ago, and I get an egg from her every. single. day...she doesn't seem to care if it's Winter or not...)

 

[chickeneyfoot]

If marans lay 5-7 then that'll be okay.

Yes more input please

 

[wood&feathers]

My black copper doesn't lay as many as my cuckoo. When she's at it the cuckoo pumps out 5 or 6 a week. Both are very good broodies - they go broody suddenly and see it through, usually near the end of July. This of course puts a huge hole in their yearly average.

 

[Debbi]

Two of mine are second year layers. They went into their adult molt in August, after laying all last winter. They started laying again in November this year when the cold appeared, but since it's warmed up, pretty much nothing. Seems they did better in the cold. Like I said before, the weather has been crazy here for the last year and still is; I sure hope they pick up. Besides SOP problems within the breed, the non-laying thing is not boding well with me right now. They are high maintainence in my opinion, and the production is poor. Lots going in, nothing in return...

 

[hdowden]

have 3 and at least 2 were laying until winter so got 2 eggs a day for at least 3-4 days a week if not more days

 

[chickeneyfoot]

Do you think you ever got 5 eggs a week from 1 hen?

 

[NYREDS]

Egg production, like other factors, is a genetic trait. Production bred birds lay a lot of eggs because they were selectively bred to do so.
Marans have been selectively bred to produce dark coloured eggs, not a lot of eggs. To the best of my knowledge most Marans strains are not particularly productive.
If you are enamored with the dark eggs, Marans are for you. If you want a lot of eggs from non-hybrid chickens fet Australorps.

 

[flgardengirl]

If you live in a hot climate, they seem to lay better in the fall winter spring. If you live in a cold climate they seem to lay better in the spring, summer, early fall. Mine are doing a pretty good job right now but like Debbie said they are not the best layers. If you want a reliable steady egg layer get leghorns or gold or red sexlinks, rir, barred rocks, silver laced wyandottes etc. They all lay more eggs than Marans.