When I first ordered chicks Marans were high on my want list but the hatchery (Ideal) was sold out. I just got an e-mail saying they now have them. After reading this board so much I got to thinking they might not be the best quality, as in laying the Dark chocolate colored eggs. I already have 4 Buff Orps so I don't need more "brown" eggs. The kicker is that I only want three girlie Marans.
Would I be better off contacting a Breeder of Marans? I'm not sure who would want to sell me good ones that lay the really Dark eggs because I'm not a breeder, they'll just be pets that lay eggs and probably die of old age.
Question - Cuckoo Marans
Annie if you want some very dark eggs and chickens for just pets, I'd stay away from the Black/Coppers and get two or three welsummer chickens. Those that come from the hatchery lay a beautiful dark egg and are not difficult to find. The black/coppers are very expensive and really for the most part not worth it. Most people with black coppers will charge you a min of twenty five bucks a mature bird. Welsummers will be maybe five bucks for a two-three week old bird.
It is also very expensive to ship mature birds. Either breed will definitely give you eggs a LOT darker than a Buff Orpington even if not top quality.
hey Porky.. what do you mean by that... are you saying wesummer eggs are inferior to buff eggs?
I think they are bird wise, but I figured egg-wise they both have good tasting eggs
Hi Fran, Porkpal was refering the the darkness of the shell. The welsummer has a much darker shell than the orthington. Annie was wanting dark shelled eggs, just for looks. Hay.
Cuckoo Marans frequently lay as dark an egg as many Black Copper Marans and are a lot easier to find. I think they were the original "dark egg" Marans.
Welsummer eggs are beautiful, but a bit more terra cotta coloured than Marans or Penedesenca.
I totally forgot about the Welsummer! Another thing I thought about, later, was.. as much as I love my chicks, chickens will be chickens. If I get a few more chicks won't these chicks have a hard time accepting them? I don't want a pecking war. I know I couldn't just put new babies in with these and would have to wait until they a couple months older. Maybe the Cuckoo and Welsummer should stay on my wish list until next year?
My Buff Orpingtons are very meek and have accepted newbies half their size with minimal harassment.
The lesser quality I was referring to was on another thread where a member was bemoaning the fact that hatcheries often don't sell their top specimens. I feel that unless you want show stock, what comes from the hatchery is quite acceptable.
I'm so glad to hear your Buffs are meek. I have 4 Buffs, 12 EE'ers, and 3 Silkies. The Silkies and EE roos are going to my friend. Show stock doesn't interest me, a good temperament and an interesting egg color is more important. My DH calls me Chick Woman LOL. I might be obsessed.
now you know I was just messin with pork... I happen to have both.. and like em just the same.. well thats not really true.. the welsummers are not very friendly birds..
See my welsummer hens are a lot friendlier than my Buffs orps are. I'd take more of them in a heart beat. I'm actually selling half my Buff orps to get 2 more welsummers. but then i can't pick up either chicken from either breed.. i just judge the nicer ones on who "talks" to me & follows me around sweetly.
lol.. I just want a hug every now and then... no really, I would be happy just having them around my feet and feel comfortable and knowing that I am their master/protector and NOT the enemy.. I have yet to have a welsummer look to me for food.. yes I feed them.. but never a thank you.. the others.. they KNOW where their food comes from..
The famous rebel Orpingtons of Greykyttn! I somehow don't think your birds are quite typical of the breed. Not all of mine are readily pick-up-able but many are, and they are good greeters and talkers and seem to enjoy being held once caught.
mine haven't been like anything i thought they were.. which is what originally started me thinking it was bc of the hatchery& maybe they were just... not right. Some of them have a couple coal black feathers sticking out of them as well after they molted. Which doesn't help my suspicion. 2 of them & both my welsummers will eat out of my hand if its strawberry cuttings.. or white bread. picky little things they are.
if caught mine fight like crazy... hate being picked up. songbird & miss mouth talk to me a lot. but they are the only ones. :)