What breeds of chicken lay really-super-dark-chocolate-brown/red eggs?

[redfeather]

And would live comfortably with a buff orptington rooster? (i.e. not too tiny a chicken).

 

[Domestic_goddess]

Barnevelders, Welsummers, Marans, Penedesenca, and Empordanesas all lay very dark brown eggs.

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
Yep. But Marans are the most reliable for this, and I say they're pretty darn sweet.

Maran eggs:

Barnvelders do, too, but aren[t that sweet IMO.

 

[EweSheep]

Barnvelders in my opinion needs more work on the egg color, they are by far the lighter colored of dark eggs.

Penes by far were the darkest and then the Marans (not the Cuckoos) are right up there with the Penes.

I am aware of a few Welsummers that lays dark reddish tint eggs but they are fewer in between.

 

[redfeather]

The hatchery that I would be getting chicks from only has Cuckoo Marans (is that the only kind or am I somehow confused about something?). I don't think they have Penes... They do have Welsummers though. The hatchery's descriptions of the birds boasts that they lay rich dark brown. Am I to believe them? Say I order 2-3 of each when I get a few Delawares this febuary?

(this is the hatchery that the local co-op orders from http://www.welphatchery.com/ )

 

[EweSheep]

No, do not believe them or any hatchery that says that.

You would be better off getting some from BYCers or go to the Marans' Club website for the breeders. They have been really focused on quality and getting darker eggs.

 

[Carolyn]

I just got some Welsummers, 2nd generation of hatchery parents. They lay a nice dark brown egg. The owner says all his welsummers do. He wanted to start a flock of Barnenvelders but decided to sell them all because their eggs were not dark brown at all. I have read it is really hard to get Barnenvelders that lay the very dark eggs; impossible from a factory.

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Quote:
Agreed!!! I have some hatchery Welsummers and while they are sweet birds and do lay a nice brown speckled egg, it is no where near dark brown. I have a NHR hen that lays a darker egg.

I know hatcheries tend to be the cheapest and easiest in a lot of cases, but if you are really and truly interested in a rich, dark brown egg, you simply must go with an established breeder and there are a ton of them on BYC.

 

[TajMahalChickens]

I find that my Welsummers lay a normal color brown egg with dark brown speckles. Neat looking egg, but but it isn't the rich chocolate brown that many people expect. I got mine from Nature's hatchery in Naperville, Illinois. Not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

My welsummers laid pretty dark eggs with speckles but having never had the other dark layers I can't really compare.