Which Dark Egg Layer for Production and Size

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I would like to get some of the Dark Egg Layers to add some additional color to the already Green, Blue, White and Brown eggs that I sell. So I don't necessarily need the darkest of dark, but want a chicken that lays pretty regularly and a large or bigger egg. So which breed do you recommend? If you have a couple different Dark Egg Breeds, I really want to hear form you and your comparisons.

Barnevelder
Marans - Black / Blue
Marans - Cuckoo
Welsummer
Other?

Thanks!
--Ed

 

[Birch Run Farm]

I only have cuckoos and they just started laying. I am getting happier each day with them, eggs started out small but seem to be getting larger. They are not early layers, took a full 6 months for them to get going.

 

[Buster]

My marans took a while to get started but about as long as my others- ee's, BO's, and white orps. Out of 4 cuckoo marans I am getting 3-4 eggs a day and it's the middle of winter. Sorry I don't have any of the other breeds to compare to.

 

[hcammack]

I have heard the best dark layers are the Welsummers my Marans do not have the best lay rate. I will be able to tell you when all three veriaties I have start laying in spring the cuckoo's are the only ones that have layed for me and stopped for two months to molt and because of the daylite hours being short. I will be putting a light in today and we will see if they start to lay again. In spring the black and blue copper and Welsummers should start to lay. I will know more then.

Henry

 

[Katy]

My welsummers lay more consistantly than my Cuckoos, but I like my Marans personalities better.

 

[amazondoc]

Marans are known for large eggs, but not for frequency of laying. Barnevelders have pretty much lost the dark egg color in this country, and are also not known for frequency of laying. IMHO Welsummers are the best compromise between color, size, and production. And Wellie roosters are my idea of what a rooster ought to look like.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Anyone have eggs pictures to compare one breed to the other?

 

[amazondoc]

The eggs vary so much within each breed that it's really hard to make useful comparisons. Certain birds within the Marans breed are capable of laying the darkest eggs of all, but few Marans will actually lay that dark. IMHO Wellies will lay eggs as dark as many Marans.

Here are some of my Wellie eggs, mixed with bantam araucana eggs:

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Beautiful Eggs.

 

[hcammack]

The two darker eggs are from my Cuckoo Marans at the very begining of their laying cycle.