Want more egg colors

[Ponte]

I have three BO, one SS, and one EE.
They give us the eggs shown on the picture.
We have ample space so want to bring in two more chicks and add egg color variety.
What do you suggest ?

 

[bantamluv]

hey there! personally, i love having a wide color variety of eggs, as i'm sure you do! two of my favorite breeds for colored eggs are olive eggers (they lay a deep green egg as the name implies) and black copper marans (they lay a rich, dark copper colored egg - also as the name implies!). that's just my suggestion, but i hope you find what you're looking for !

 

[Ponte]

that’s the two which I have though of but wanted to see if there are other options which I have not considered.
Also I keep reading that many black copper Marans lay eggs not much darker than what one of my BO lays. (The egg at 3 o’clock on the picture)

 

[Buckeye Amy]

Nice eggs! You should add a dark brown egg layer I think. How about a nice Welsummer? Or a Marans?

 

[Ponte]

Nice eggs! You should add a dark brown egg layer I think. How about a nice Welsummer? Or a Marans?

Since we live in south Florida and our chickens do not stop laying in the winter, will the eggs ever be chocolate brown ?

 

[Buckeye Amy]

Since we live in south Florida and our chickens do not stop laying in the winter, will the eggs ever be chocolate brown ?

I don't see why not. Egg laying is dependent on day length, not temperature. Hens needs roughly 14 hours of daylight to lay well. If anything, hens (in NW Ohio summers) tend to slow down in the heat of summer. You'll never know until you try!

 

[Ponte]

I don't see why not. Egg laying is dependent on day length, not temperature.

Thought I heard that Marans and Welsummer eggs are dark brown only at the beginning of the laying season and that they loose the dark coloring as the season progresses.

 

[Buckeye Amy]

Thought I heard that Marans and Welsummer eggs are dark brown only at the beginning of the laying season and that they loose the dark coloring as the season progresses.

I've not had any Marans, but I have had Welsummers. Their dark brown eggs did not fade.

 

[Folly's place]

Their eggs might get a bit lighter, but still will be plenty dark!
French Marans, not the clean legged cuckoo Marans, are what you want, and maybe Welsummers. I do like my French Marans from Cackle!
Mary

 

[aart]

Since we live in south Florida and our chickens do not stop laying in the winter

Um... they will stop laying in winter, even in FL.
It's about the change in daylight hours, as well as the duration.
Plus they need to molt at about 18 months.

Marans and Welsummer can lay pretty dark eggs, but it depends on the 'line' just how dark they will be. It's a bit of a crap shoot unless you get them from an honest breeder that focuses on egg color. Color can fade as laying season progresses. Both breeds are not prolific layers either, keep that in mind.

I'd suggest you get more than 2 chicks, in case of fatalities, or unwanted males in case you can't get sexed birds(and even if you can-sexing is not 100%), you can always sell any extras.