Thoughts on Marans?

[User395221]

I love my Light Sussex. ( See my avatar) they're gentle and curious and friendly .you come to the run and they come running up.

My Marcy is lovely. She has lovely soft feathers (although she's actually a cross-breed, so I'm not sure whether the "normal" ones are the same). She does nice big white eggs. I'd definitely recommend the breed based on her, but again, she's just one chook. She's the biggest in her group, but she's never seemed interested in bossing anyone else about.

 

[peckpeckpeck]

This is my first year having chickens.
I couldn't get a marans because there was no availability when I was getting my chicks.
Instead I got 1 Rhode Island Red, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock and 1 Easter Egger. Nice variety in feather & egg color.
All 3 are really tame, come running up to greet us when we come out, let us hold them. They have gone through phases of being more or less cuddly, but always love socializing with us.
The RIR has laid every day almost sonce she started laying at 20 weeks. The other 2 started laying a couple weeks later & consistently lay about 4-5 eggs a week.
I am still interested in getting a marans sometime in the future. I have heard they're generally not as friendly as some other breeds. But their eggs are supposed to be tasty.
Fun fact: Supposedly they were James Bond's favorite kind of eggs.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

My absolute favorite is Red Sex links (called production red, cinnamon queen, red star, etc.) They are fantastic!!! layers of large brown eggs (6-7 a week) and are super friendly if hand raised. Most chickens will start to slow down or stop egg production after 3 years of laying, so keep that in mind. My last two RSLs were still laying strong at 3 years, but others have had different experiences. Here's a pic of my kiddo with his pet RSL "Honey" to convince you of their friendliness

Thanks, venymae. That's a cute picture. I definitely want a Red Sex Link. Another name for them is Golden Buff, right?, because I would want to get chicks from either Meyer's Hatchery or MyPetChicken.com, and they're only called Golden Buffs on there. And I heard they lay two eggs a day sometimes. When my siblings had chickens years ago, I think we had two Golden Buffs, because we got an egg in the evening occasionally, is what my mom said. And I think we also had an Easter Egger, 'cause we'd also get a blue egg. I think we got up to six chickens years ago, and one was a rooster, I believe, that we ended up getting rid of, and at least one hen was killed later on, and then we ended up getting rid of the rest of them; but my mom said we got eggs everyday.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Have you considered ordering a mixed layer package? Several hatcheries sell them. As a first time owner, you'd be able to tell your birds apart, you'd get different colored eggs (always interesting) and you'd get some temperament variety. Some places (mypetchicken is one, I think) allow you to order one of each breed. Maybe get five hens or so (whatever would provide you with enough eggs) and see what you like?

If you like the cuckoo coloration, you might like barred-rocks. They lay a rather pale egg, but they do have personality.

Yeah, I've thought a little bit about that, but I want to pick out my own breeds; and with the mixed package, you're not, right?
And I do like the Barred Rocks; my neighbor has a couple of those, and they're very social, but I probably wouldn't get any of those, because my neighbors' BR are constantly free-ranging, and I would want mine to free-range sometimes, too. But I'm thinking of a Dominique, if not a Cuckoo Marans. I heard things that I like about the Doms.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Sincere thanks to everybody who responded to this thread; at the same time, giving me more knowledge about breeds. Sorry I stopped responding personally to each one of you, but there's so much to put! This web site is more addicting than it should be. :/
I definitely want a Black Australorp, though.
Of these breeds I'm about to list that I want, could you name ten that I should get that you think would be best for me? Since I want friendly breeds, and my mom wants lots of eggs (we agreed on ten birds, since there's five of us at the house).
Speckled Sussex
White Plymouth Rock
Partridge Plymouth Rock
White Leghorn
Exchequer Leghorn
Columbian Wyandotte
Dominique
Welsummer
Easter Egger
Black Australorp
Golden Buff
Salmon Favorolle
Buff or Dark Brahma
Golden, Buff, or Silver Laced Polish

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Oh, and are Wyandottes known to be quiet and friendly? And do you think Delawares are good birds, too?

 

[Shay1]

I would definitely suggest a polish for friendliness because I have a polish rooster and he is one of my friendliest chickens. The only downside is he thinks I'm his hen. Brahmas are great to, in fact the polish rooster has a brahma rooster as a friend.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

I would definitely suggest a polish for friendliness because I have a polish rooster and he is one of my friendliest chickens. The only downside is he thinks I'm his hen. Brahmas are great to, in fact the polish rooster has a brahma rooster as a friend.

Lol. That's funny, but sweet.