Marans, Barnevelders, or Welsummers? Olive Eggers?

[Three Little Bunnies]

Hi!

I would really like to get some chocolate egg-layers and some Olive Eggers at some point. What have your experiences been with those breeds? I would like some Marans, and the hatchery I am considering has Black Copper, Blue Copper, Cuckoo, and Noir Marans, along with Barnevelders and Welsummers. If I had these breeds, I am assuming I could breed my own Olive Eggers (because brown + blue = olive, or so I've heard), although I would rather buy sexed chicks.

So, what have your experiences been with these breeds? Health? Chick survivability? Egg production? Temperament?

Have you ordered from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries? What were your experiences with this hatchery?

Thanks!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I just now received two olive eggers, a black copper maran hen, and a blue copper maran roo, but they are all babies! I know one olive egger has one parent that was a maran, and I know the hatchery frequently uses easter eggers, marans, and welsummers to breed their olive eggers. I have an adult welsummer hen, and she loves me the most of all my birds. She is always under my feet, investigating me, helping dig for worms in the garden, etc. She lays the most beautiful eggs! BUT she is not cuddly. She will do all she can to avoid you touching her. When I do catch her she just accepts her fate, but I believe it is common for her breed to be kind of flighty. She and my barred rock are my most reliable egg layers, reaching six a week some times and both lay huge eggs! I am excited to see how my new babies turn out, but for now all I can say is they are cute little fuzz butts.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

I just now received two olive eggers, a black copper maran hen, and a blue copper maran roo, but they are all babies! I know one olive egger has one parent that was a maran, and I know the hatchery frequently uses easter eggers, marans, and welsummers to breed their olive eggers. I have an adult welsummer hen, and she loves me the most of all my birds. She is always under my feet, investigating me, helping dig for worms in the garden, etc. She lays the most beautiful eggs! BUT she is not cuddly. She will do all she can to avoid you touching her. When I do catch her she just accepts her fate, but I believe it is common for her breed to be kind of flighty. She and my barred rock are my most reliable egg layers, reaching six a week some times and both lay huge eggs! My welsummer eggs are beautiful too. Truly a unique egg! I am excited to see how my new babies turn out, but for now all I can say is they are cute little fuzz butts.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Bre_tree]

Hi! We recently ordered 25 chicks (2 of them were welsummers) from Mt healthy, and they arrived healthy and happy! They’re 3 weeks old now and we have had no losses! They messed up one of our orders the first time we placed it, but upon calling them they were quick to resolve the issue. They also sent us two free mystery chicks! Shipping was also relatively fast for both of our orders, and they updated us with emails throughout the whole process. The only thing you might need to be concerned about is the date that they’re expected to ship, the website apparently does not always match up with what is actually available, so calling to place an order might be your best bet to get a more accurate idea of when they’ll arrive.

 

[Sae]

My black copper marans is top of the pecking order although she is a slower moving hen quite gentle really. Just a big chicken. Shes very quiet. She hoots rather than clucks lol! She does fuss a lot at roost time. My welsummer is obsessed with foraging and compared to the rest kind of does her own thing. if shes missing from the flock i dont panic. Shes around somewhere. She has a very low pitch murmer rather than a cluck. Shes quite skittish and by far the most shy of the bunch but will eat from my hand, still comes to greet me. Shes a bit moody somedays with the other hens but not too bad. Both lay nice eggs, marans has a much darker egg of course. Both speckled. I have had a few health issues with my welsummer but she was adopted at almost 2 years of age from a very overcrowded hen house.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Hi! We recently ordered 25 chicks (2 of them were welsummers) from Mt healthy, and they arrived healthy and happy! They’re 3 weeks old now and we have had no losses! They messed up one of our orders the first time we placed it, but upon calling them they were quick to resolve the issue. They also sent us two free mystery chicks! Shipping was also relatively fast for both of our orders, and they updated us with emails throughout the whole process. The only thing you might need to be concerned about is the date that they’re expected to ship, the website apparently does not always match up with what is actually available, so calling to place an order might be your best bet to get a more accurate idea of when they’ll arrive.

Thank you! I have ordered from other hatcheries and lost several chicks (although none were DOA) so I have hopes that other hatcheries would be better.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

My black copper marans is top of the pecking order although she is a slower moving hen quite gentle really. Just a big chicken. Shes very quiet. She hoots rather than clucks lol! She does fuss a lot at roost time. My welsummer is obsessed with foraging and compared to the rest kind of does her own thing. if shes missing from the flock i dont panic. Shes around somewhere. She has a very low pitch murmer rather than a cluck. Shes quite skittish and by far the most shy of the bunch but will eat from my hand, still comes to greet me. Shes a bit moody somedays with the other hens but not too bad. Both lay nice eggs, marans has a much darker egg of course. Both speckled. I have had a few health issues with my welsummer but she was adopted at almost 2 years of age from a very overcrowded hen house.

Thanks! I like the idea of a quiet hen, my big girls are pretty loud sometimes!

 

[Sae]

Thanks! I like the idea of a quiet hen, my big girls are pretty loud sometimes!

Haha yes i agree, i have an easter egger and plymouth rock who have no issue telling me how they feel!

 

[Cluckarella]

Hi! We recently ordered 25 chicks (2 of them were welsummers) from Mt healthy, and they arrived healthy and happy! They’re 3 weeks old now and we have had no losses! They messed up one of our orders the first time we placed it, but upon calling them they were quick to resolve the issue. They also sent us two free mystery chicks! Shipping was also relatively fast for both of our orders, and they updated us with emails throughout the whole process. The only thing you might need to be concerned about is the date that they’re expected to ship, the website apparently does not always match up with what is actually available, so calling to place an order might be your best bet to get a more accurate idea of when they’ll arrive.

I agree with the website vs REAL ship dates., as my confirmation said shipping was a week later than it said on the site. But that's ok - I'd rather they focus on the chicks than the website.