Which lays more eggs, the Marans or the Barnevelder?

They're about even: Maranss typically lay 150–200 eggs a year and Barnevelders 150–200. Individual hens and strains vary more than the breed averages do.

Which starts laying first, the Marans or the Barnevelder?

About the same age: 22–26 weeks for the Marans and 20–28 for the Barnevelder. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Maranss and Barnevelders together?

Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.

What color eggs do Maranss and Barnevelders lay?

Both lay dark brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

Marans vs Barnevelder: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: both lay a similar number of eggs (150–200 vs 150–200 a year), and both start laying around the same age (22–26 weeks vs 20–28).

Figures reviewed against hatchery and breed-registry guidance · Last reviewed July 2026

Side by side

	Marans	Barnevelder
Eggs per year	≈ 150–200	≈ 150–200
Egg color	dark brown	dark brown
First egg	22–26 weeks	20–28 weeks
Size class	standard	standard
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	4 sq ft

Chocolate vs copper: both lay dark brown eggs at a modest rate, and the Barnevelder adds double-laced feathering and calm confinement manners.

Marans in brief

The chocolate-egg breed — the darkest shells in the coop, prized by egg-color collectors. Darkness fades through each laying cycle and hatchery strains lay lighter than breeder stock.

More detail: when do Marans chickens start laying?

Barnevelder in brief

A Dutch breed with double-laced feathering and dark coppery eggs; unhurried to mature and calm in confinement.

More detail: when do Barnevelder chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick the Marans for the darkest possible egg — breeder-line birds especially.

Pick the Barnevelder for the show-worthy lacing and a calm bird for smaller runs.

And honestly, most keepers don't have to choose. Both breeds eat the same feed and share a coop happily, so a couple of each is a common answer — use the coop size calculator to size the setup for your total flock, and the first egg calculator to see when each breed will start laying from your chicks' hatch date.

Frequently asked questions

Which lays more eggs, the Marans or the Barnevelder?: They're about even: Maranss typically lay 150–200 eggs a year and Barnevelders 150–200. Individual hens and strains vary more than the breed averages do.
Which starts laying first, the Marans or the Barnevelder?: About the same age: 22–26 weeks for the Marans and 20–28 for the Barnevelder. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Maranss and Barnevelders together?: Yes. Both need the same feed, coop, and run, and mixed-breed backyard flocks are the norm. Size the housing to the more demanding bird: plan on 4 sq ft of coop floor per bird for this pairing, plus run space.
What color eggs do Maranss and Barnevelders lay?: Both lay dark brown eggs, so this pairing won't diversify your egg basket — blue- and green-egg layers like the Easter Egger are the usual way to add color.

More breed matchups

Sources

First-egg age and egg counts are the consensus of multiple hatchery and breed-registry sources (no extension service tabulates per-breed figures), cross-checked and last reviewed July 2026.

The Livestock Conservancy — Chicken breed profiles