Starting a new flock. Marans or Welsummers?

[TxAg11]

Several months ago a dog got into my back yard and wiped out most of our flock. Since then we have been fortifying and we are about ready to start anew.

We had 11 hens in all of various breeds (2 Gold sexlinks, 3 Amer/EE's, 1 Wyandotte, 1 Dominicker, 1 Australorp, 1 Buff Orp, 1 White Brahma, 1 RIR).

I found that our most prolific layers and best mannered hens were the Ameraucana's and golden sexlinks.
With our new flock I'm going to stick mostly to gold/black sexlinks (2 of each) and Ameraucana's. I do want 1-2 hens that lays the dark chocolate brown eggs, though. We live in Houston so it can get pretty hot.

I'm torn between the Copper Maran's and Welsummers. Do y'all have any experience or advice between these two breeds? I'm planning on getting 1-2 dark egg layers, but I just can't decide which breed will do best in our climate. A local breeder carries all varieties, so I'll be starting them all out as 3 mo/ old pullets together.
Any advice would be most welcome

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I don't have Welsummers, but I do like that you can get Marans in different colors. I have Wheaten, Blue Copper and Splash Copper, and will be adding a Golden Cuckoo eventually. If all he has is Black Copppers then I would go with the Welsummer probably, as I find the black coppers boring looking and perhaps the clean legs of the Welsummer are better in the heat anyway, though I can't say for sure.

 

[mcstewartchick]

I just started a new flock and I have two Welsummer chicks and one Cuckoo Maran. I can't speak to the weather hardiness questions and others you have, but I've found that out of those three chicks the Maran is much flightier and a little wacky compared to the Welsummers. They're still very young so time will tell.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I just started a new flock and I have two Welsummer chicks and one Cuckoo Maran. I can't speak to the weather hardiness questions and others you have, but I've found that out of those three chicks the Maran is much flightier and a little wacky compared to the Welsummers. They're still very young so time will tell.

Were they from a hatchery or a breeder?

 

[Kiki]

My Welsummers are fine in our Heat....and they lay dark eggs....not as dark as a FBCM...but dark enough IMO.

 

[sbhkma]

My Welsummers deal with the heat much better than my Cuckoo Marans. Marans do lay lovely dark dark eggs, but they're a bit more flighty and standoffish which, in addition to the lack of heat tolerance, means my next additions will be more Welsummers. I love the breed.

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

Excuse you, Marans are fabulous.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

I very much liked our welsummers when we had them they were not hatchery stock though they were good quality birds very strong and healthy breed. Our hens were good egg layers mine tended to be a bit shy but the roo "Johnny Cash" was great all around and a good looking fella. No issues with heat up here in the mountains like you get but they made it through our winter months easily. I would choose them over marans but to each their own.

 

[sbhkma]

My Wellies come flying to me when I call them, and I haven't spent a bunch of time socializing with them. They treat me like mommy hen. Funny to watch for sure. Very social and curious but not overly friendly. Great foragers and they love scorpions.

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

My Wellies come flying to me when I call them, and I haven't spent a bunch of time socializing with them. They treat me like mommy hen. Funny to watch for sure. Very social and curious but not overly friendly. Great foragers and they love scorpions.

Sound like something Chuck Norris would do. Eat scorpions, that is.