Whats the best chickens for eggs?

[Allisha]

Our Golden Cuckoo Marans consistently lay dark eggs, way darker than our other breeds, however, they do vary between dark eggs to very dark eggs. To me, they didn't start laying early, nor are they extremely great layers.

Our Appenzellar Spitzauben's lay fantastically. About once every day for each hen. However, it took FOREVER for them to start laying. Several months after our last breed started laying so that I definitely a con. But they have, I think, made up for it by being so reliable.

 

[Downtoearth]

I bought 15 newly hatched chicks Feb 17, 2016. All supposedly good layers except the rooster

. I had my first egg at 14.5 weeks from one buff Orpington June 10. I've had one from her every day and now getting eggs from the other BO hen. I'm waiting for the EE, 3 RIR, 2 SLW, Australorp, 2 Brahmas, Speckled Sussex, 2 Golden Comets to lay.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Congratulations that is great news. It's exciting after the long tedious wait yo finally start getting eggs.

 

[Sylvester017]

Well that's discouraging. I have 3 marans (I'm pretty sure they are not mixed breeds) and was really hoping for that dark egg color

Your Marans eggs will be darker than the average brown-egg layer -- just don't expect those dark dark dark chocolate eggs you see in online photos. I got about #4 color on the Marans egg chart. My friend's Cuckoo M's and BCM's were also around #4 -- we got our Marans all from different breeders so we can't blame that they all came from the same breeding stock. My friend's favorite eggs were her Ameraucana/Cuckoo Marans Olive Eggers -- not the most prolific layers but pretty eggs.

 

[Sylvester017]

This summer heat has impacted egg production. My 4 layers were scooting along at a solid 3 or 4 eggs a day.

The first couple days of 90+ degrees, it dropped to 1 or 2 eggs a day for almost a week. Now we're back to 3 eggs a day at least for the past few days.

My Blue Breda is still cranking out eggs in this blasted 105oF heat - she started last November and still cranking 4 to 5 eggs/week. My silly little Black Silkie clown decided she'd BEGIN laying in this heat! Laying eggs has brought back her appetite!

Silly little Silkie with cobwebs and debris in her "hair."


Our Blue Breda is not shy at all !!!

 

[Sylvester017]

You want heat? 105oF and this going on in back of our house!

 

[Sylvester017]

The bigger problem with Marans is that many people who aren't breeders are selling birds as Marans that anyone who new what they are doing would just sell as a mixed breed.
Your right about Americana, but there are breeders to vet there trying to improve the useablilty of them.

If my Marans wasn't such a big heavy and mean flockmate, I'd take the time to research for a top good Marans breeder but a 7-lb breed is not good to mix with our 2-lb Silkies. Had to re-home too many aggressive heavy or dual-purpose breeds in the last 5 yrs and finally found a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana and a Blue Breda that played "nice" with our Silkies. We have another Breda on order since the breed surprised us at being nice plus she's a prolific layer for a lighter-weight bird.

 

[Shezadandy]

You want heat? 105oF and this going on in back of our house!

Oh my gosh! That is seriously scary. I lived in Arizona for a long time. Lightning season always set a mountain on fire, as did the fireworks on 4th of July- and watching it burn its way towards the house was never fun. Neither was the smoke. Stay safe!

 

[Shezadandy]

I bought 15 newly hatched chicks Feb 17, 2016. All supposedly good layers except the rooster

. I had my first egg at 14.5 weeks from one buff Orpington June 10. I've had one from her every day and now getting eggs from the other BO hen. I'm waiting for the EE, 3 RIR, 2 SLW, Australorp, 2 Brahmas, Speckled Sussex, 2 Golden Comets to lay.

Wowwweee, 14 and a half weeks. Dang! Our BO started in week 20 and did an egg every single day for 45 consecutive days. The fun is just beginning!

 

[FlockOfHens]

My golden laced wyandotte lays about every day