Want to add a dark color egg to the mix!

[HEChicken]

Black Copper Marans(the darkest layers available) were just too hard to get hold of.
From what I have been told, the darker the egg, the poorer the layer. It takes time to put on all that pigment, so the more darker the egg, ie the more pigment required to get that dark coloration, the longer the egg must stay in the chicken.

Its true - the feed stores never seem to get them in. Last year I ordered hatching eggs off eBay. I won an auction for 8+ eggs and the seller sent 11. Only one hatched but count my lucky stars, it was a pullet. I would have to say she is a decent layer - not like the production varieties for sure, but she tends to lay eggs 3 days in a row, take a day off and continue in that cycle. So I get 5-6 a week from her which I don't consider bad at all. She started laying around October, and then took the whole month of January and half of Feb off. I was a little peeved that a new laying pullet was taking a break so soon, I have to admit. But since she started back up again a couple of weeks ago, she has gone back to her consistent 3 on, 1 off cycle, so I really can't complain.

 

[SIMZ]

I have 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 BCM's, and 3 Welsummers. They've all just started laying and I'm actually quite pleased with how they're doing. I probably bring in between 3-5 eggs a day and I'm not sure they're all laying yet.

I have two golden comets that lay fairly dark eggs (although they're getting a little lighter as time goes on) and are incredible layers. I'm not sure if they all lay darker eggs, but they definitely add color to my eggs.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have been drooling over dark egg layers for months now. I have some Wellsumer chicks on the way. Black Copper Marans(the darkest layers available) were just too hard to get hold of.
From what I have been told, the darker the egg, the poorer the layer. It takes time to put on all that pigment, so the more darker the egg, ie the more pigment required to get that dark coloration, the longer the egg must stay in the chicken.
I have an Australorp and a RIR for production, getting a light brown egg almost every day, and I have some EEs and the aforementioned Wellsumers for variety. I fully anticipate the colored layers wont give me more than three eggs a week, at most.
That's just the way it is.
Also, you will get darker layers if you get your Wellsumers or BCMs from a breeder vs a hatchery. Also, Black Copper Marans lay darker eggs than Cuckoo Marans.
Just my two cents.

My oldest welsummer hen is 2 1/2 and she still lays 5-6 eggs a week for me. (except while molting) And her eggs are plenty dark. She's breeder quality, not hatchery quality.

I can't speak for how hatchery welsummers lay, because I've never had any of them.


My BCM's were decent layers, not as good as my wellies, but they were fine.

 

[CSWolffe]

Now see, I'm getting conflicting information. In other threads I was explicitly told that darker layers tend to lay less frequently because of the extra time needed to apply the extra pigment. I guess this just goes to show that one again, chickens are frustrating beasties that don't always do what they are expected. Some are great layers, some are not, and breed traits are more of a guideline, a suggestion, than a hard rule.
Anyway you look at it, I am looking forward to my EEs and Wellsumers, no matter what their laying rate is.
SIMZ, I had one Gold Commett who laid six to seven large, medium-dark eggs a week. Sadly, we had to give her away due to aggression issues. Other than her, I am a fan of the breed, and some day would love to have another.

 

[HEChicken]

Now see, I'm getting conflicting information. In other threads I was explicitly told that darker layers tend to lay less frequently because of the extra time needed to apply the extra pigment. I guess this just goes to show that one again, chickens are frustrating beasties that don't always do what they are expected. Some are great layers, some are not, and breed traits are more of a guideline, a suggestion, than a hard rule.
Anyway you look at it, I am looking forward to my EEs and Wellsumers, no matter what their laying rate is.
SIMZ, I had one Gold Commett who laid six to seven large, medium-dark eggs a week. Sadly, we had to give her away due to aggression issues. Other than her, I am a fan of the breed, and some day would love to have another.

Sometimes it is in the eye of the beholder. I remember a story once about a set of identical twins separated at birth to be adopted by different families. They were followed by a researcher interested to know how much of how they turned out was due to genetics and how much to upbringing. So when they were two, each of their adoptive mothers was questioned about various aspects of the child's personality. In answer to the question about eating, the first mother sighed and indicated frustration with how picky her daughter was. Couldn't get her to eat anything, unless it had maple syrup slathered all over it. The second mother beamed when asked the question and gushed that her daughter was a wonderful eater. As long as she slathered maple syrup over everything, there was nothing she couldn't get her daughter to eat. In other words, it sounds like both girls had similar eating habits - the only thing that changed was the mothers outlooks.

So when you get what seems like conflicting info, keep in mind that each person approaches it from a different perspective. Compared to a production egg layer like a Golden Comet, you may find that a BCM will never lay as well.

Oh - one last thing - keep in mind that a Golden Comet is not actually a breed. It is a "mutt" produced specifically for high egg production. The hatcheries like to give fun names to their production breeds rather than call them "mutts". So you will see the names "Red Star", "Black Star", "Golden Comet", "Amberlink" and so on but they are not, in reality, BREEDS. Any Golden Comet you get will probably be an excellent egg layer - but the personality could be entirely different.

 

[CSWolffe]

That's an excellent perspective, HEChicken, thank you.
I am aware that sex-links are mutts, like EEs, bred more for production laying and of course, easily identifyable sex linked traits. Gold Comets, also called Red Stars, are just a cross between either a RIR or NHR cockeral, and any of White Rock, SL Wyandotte, RIW, or Delaware hens. With so many breeds possible, egg color and personality from breeding are really a gamble. Still, my GC was a great layer of medium dark eggs, and other than the pecking issue she was a great hen. Most of the folk around here seem to have had good experience with GCs, and I think they all come from the same hatchery, purchased at the feed store.
Back on topic, I suggest a core of production layers like Australorps, RIRs, Sex-Links like Black Stars and Gold Cometts, Barred Rocks and Orpingtons, and then for variety add in some Easter Eggers, Olive Eggers, Wellsumers, and if you can find them, Black Copper Marans.
That's my plan. I have three hens at the moment, a SL Wyandotte, a RIR, and a Black Australorp, and have my EE and Wellsumer on order. Five hens works for us, with a nice solid core of production layers that should give me twelve to twenty light brown eggs each week, and my two variety layers which should give me three to five green/blue or dark brown eggs each week. That's a good rate for me, and I can be happy with it. Comes back to perception. Three to five dark brown eggs from a Wellsumer is what I expect, so if I get more I will be thrilled.

 

[Crazyhenlady]

Hmmm..Thanks for all the info! Interesting about it takes longer to make the color of the DARK egg so they don't lay as much...I first fell in love with the dark eggs watching Martha Stewart ..lol The Maran was her favorite and she showed the eggs they laid. I had never seen a egg that dark. Guess for her it doesn't matter because she can afford hundreds even if they are crappy layers...

 

[SIMZ]

That's my plan. I have three hens at the moment, a SL Wyandotte, a RIR, and a Black Australorp, and have my EE and Wellsumer on order. Five hens works for us, with a nice solid core of production layers that should give me twelve to twenty light brown eggs each week, and my two variety layers which should give me three to five green/blue or dark brown eggs each week. That's a good rate for me, and I can be happy with it. Comes back to perception. Three to five dark brown eggs from a Wellsumer is what I expect, so if I get more I will be thrilled.

Great planning!! Aren't chickens fun?