Dark Egg Breeds Thread

[geebs]

Can't help you... I got penes before they were all the rage... before I had marans... They were just a real lot of work to keep penned... then I got marans and had the beautiful docile Davis line and a the "valentine line" if you can call that a line...

My pene killed my Beautiful Davis roo... It about broke my heart... He was doing what he does best.... culling the unwanted intruders... He is a wonderful rooster my pene... which I couldn't seem to give away... but I finally managed.. His egg color that I hatched him from was the darkest I have ever seen of any bird anywhere... It was the size and similar but not quite the shape of a silkie... I got it from a person that had imported them... can't find the name or paperwork... Wasn't keeping track of that kind of stuff at the time.. It was a true penedesenca hatch.. I lost 5 birds over one winter (girls) and was left with only a 1/2 marans female. I ordered from several sources trying to replace them...never could.. only got what I believe to be crosses... I currently have a friend using the line for chocolate eggers. he he... The rooster is still the most wonderful fellow... I wish I had taken a picture of the egg but I didn't get a camera until 2009 and this sadly was early 2008 or late 2007... I just remember it was cold when I ordered the eggs.. most likely the fall of 2007.. There are not many birds that are very Pene looking especially not the black like I had... Shortly after the penes I got wellies, barnie, and marans... I wanted to look at all the traits with the birds in front of me.. I am down to marans...I have had every common color and some not so common. I am down to black copper... Do one thing and do it well I say.

It is my only marans focus.. I do have a couple token birds in the breakfast pen... but not as projects..

I kept the marans for the qualities that worked for my keep style.. Everyone chooses for themselves what works... I didn't like the noisy wellies... the barnies egg color.. yuck... No matter where I ordered... the penes just needed to roam.. couldn't have em randomly breeding and killing the other stock... Nice birds though for wild kept.. Never worried about em dying... too smart for that... also too smart to let ya get to the eggs.

I liked the Davis birds but settled on the smaller harder to deal with genetically Wade birds and the Gherke line like you Drom... Love em... Personable aren't they... super hardy... friendly but not annoyingly so... fairly quiet. Davis birds were bigger and louder though nice and friendly with less culling for sure... Great brightness to the Davis line eggs...

Ppl do what ppl want.. I am no different.. I got the ones I wanted for the reasons that suited me best.. I hope those looking to fulfill their dream find my posting helpful... Finding true penes is HARD... there are a lot out there now where there was only a couple breeders when I was looking.. There wasn't website and picture available then.. It was just hard to find em... My original birds came from Florida area... Wish I could remember who from as they were really good birds.. Even the hens had big gamey combs and nice white earlobes...something that seems to be lost in the blacks.

 

[n.smithurmond]

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Do you have some egg pictures to share? :

Sure! I acquired my first Marans chicks in April and one of the pullets started laying about 6 weeks ago! Here's a pic next to one of my Orpington's eggs.

 

[Darth Egger]

My Black Penedesencas pullets are some sort of a mess. They're tinier than my commercial-strain White Leghorns. I had to incubate four dozens, over five attempts, in order to hatch a trio and a single. The rooster got Marek's and the second one got hawked. At least they don't eat much.

 

[drom]

n.smithurmond :

Quote:
Do you have some egg pictures to share? :

Sure! I acquired my first Marans chicks in April and one of the pullets started laying about 6 weeks ago! Here's a pic next to one of my Orpington's eggs.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c381/nickismith/maraneggs.jpg​

AH!

I feel better now.

Beautiful eggs. I love pullet eggs!

 

[drom]

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Wow, I would be devastated if one of my Roosters killed another. My roosters spar with each other a lot but I have never been concerned that any of them would be in danger of serious injury. Of course they are all related and familiar with one another.

The Donna birds are are very personable. What Josh said about his Marans hens reminded me of mine; they are always following me around looking for snacks and being sociable. My roosters are not at all quiet though Geebs

You must have lucked out and gotten her quiet ones. What happened to her flock? I thought someone bought her flock and would be selling eggs, but the web site is still in limbo.

 

[drom]

Here's some eggs from this week. These were laid by a couple pullets who are still laying-everybody else has stopped.
These two girls are laying pretty good, even color right now, I'm real happy with that. But the size and shape are still not there. It's maybe hard to tell in the picture, but they just don't have the size yet. They have been laying since early September. Hopefully, when they all start back up laying in Jan/Feb the size will be larger and rounder.

It's raining today, so they are a little drippy

 

[drom]

Quote:
Do you have any pictures of their eggs?

 

[ruth]

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Very Nice - I like !!!

 

[drom]

Quote:
Very Nice - I like !!!

Thank you Ruth, that's a nice compliment coming from you-I noticed you have done very well in the egg shows recently!

 

[geebs]

Ya know Drom... You should enter your eggs... I think they would give Ruth a run for her money!!!

You entering more eggies at the next show Ruth????