What would you choose?

[5ArrowFarms]

If you had 24 eggs and only 22 spots, which would you leave OUT, and why?

I’m starting my first batch of hatching eggs. I’m not entirely thrilled that not all are pure, but it’s a start. I want a friendly flock, good to excellent layers, rainbow of eggs & ability to sell eggs or birds when needed.

Copper marans (pure)
Olive Eggers (covered by maran Roo)
Welsummer (?roo)
Cream Crested Legbar (?roo)
Leghorn (?roo)

 

[fluffycrow]

The question is what breeds the roosters on your farm are. I'd definitely keep the Marans in. The OEs aren't pure to begin with

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You can always leave the two darkest out, candle the whites at day 4 and if any are empty, switch them out for the two darkest ones.

 

[5ArrowFarms]

The question is what breeds the roosters on your farm are. I'd definitely keep the Marans in. The OEs aren't pure to begin with

Good question, for sure. I currently have a welsummer roo & a leghorn roo (both were accidental acquires last year). But we are open to a maran roo (if there is one in this hatch).

 

[5ArrowFarms]

You can always leave the two darkest out, candle the whites at day 4 and if any are empty, switch them out for the two darkest ones.

I may be too new to this to feel comfortable with that. LoL. Wouldn’t that affect the hatch health within the last 3 days on those eggs? I don’t think I want leghorns, as we prefer a dual purpose and friendly flock. I def wanted the marans (dark eggs).

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I may be too new to this to feel comfortable with that. LoL. Wouldn’t that affect the hatch health within the last 3 days on those eggs? I don’t think I want leghorns, as we prefer a dual purpose and friendly flock. I def wanted the marans (dark eggs).

I do it with my incubator. At 4 days younger, they usually turn out fine. But if you would rather just not put in 2 leghorns, that's fine too

 

[dekel18042]

If you had 24 eggs and only 22 spots, which would you leave OUT, and why?

I’m starting my first batch of hatching eggs. I’m not entirely thrilled that not all are pure, but it’s a start. I want a friendly flock, good to excellent layers, rainbow of eggs & ability to sell eggs or birds when needed.

Copper marans (pure)
Olive Eggers (covered by maran Roo)
Welsummer (?roo)
Cream Crested Legbar (?roo)
Leghorn (?roo)

Over the years I've had several types of marans, Black copper, cuckoo and French wheaten. Although I've liked all the hens and think the egg color fantastic, they have been among my poorest layers. I have some wheaten Marans now and rarely get an egg.
The Welsumers lay much better, and often speckled eggs
Some of my best laying hens are olive eggers, welsumer crosses and they rarely miss a day.(I wouldn't use the marans roo) Mine are Welsumer X Ameraucana.
My crested cream legbars lay well but their eggs are more a blue green/not a true blue But their roosters have all been very nice..
My bluest eggs come from my Ameraucanas, Easter eggers and my California grey x Ameraucana crosses.
Leghorns lay well but I am not enamored with the breed. I've never met a nice leghorn rooster. California greys lay just as well, extra large white eggs and are not as flighty, or if you like white hens you can get California whites.