Which lays more eggs, the Marans or the Welsummer?

They're about even: Maranss typically lay 150–200 eggs a year and Welsummers 160–200. Individual hens and strains vary more than the breed averages do.

Which starts laying first, the Marans or the Welsummer?

The Welsummer usually starts sooner, at 20–24 weeks old; the Marans typically starts at 22–26 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Maranss and Welsummers 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 Welsummers 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 Welsummer: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: both lay a similar number of eggs (150–200 vs 160–200 a year), and the Welsummer starts sooner, at 20–24 weeks.

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

Side by side

	Marans	Welsummer
Eggs per year	≈ 150–200	≈ 160–200
Egg color	dark brown	dark brown
First egg	22–26 weeks	20–24 weeks
Size class	standard	standard
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	4 sq ft

The two dark-egg heavyweights: Marans lay the darkest chocolate shells in the coop, while Welsummers lay speckled terracotta and keep laying through winter better than most dark-egg breeds.

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?

Welsummer in brief

Lays deep terracotta eggs, often speckled, and keeps laying through winter better than most dark-egg breeds. The rooster on the Kellogg's box is a Welsummer.

More detail: when do Welsummer chickens start laying?

Which should you pick?

Pick the Marans for maximum shell darkness — no other breed goes as deep, though the color fades late in each laying cycle and breeder lines lay darker than hatchery stock.

Pick the Welsummer for speckled terracotta eggs and better winter laying.

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 Welsummer?: They're about even: Maranss typically lay 150–200 eggs a year and Welsummers 160–200. Individual hens and strains vary more than the breed averages do.
Which starts laying first, the Marans or the Welsummer?: The Welsummer usually starts sooner, at 20–24 weeks old; the Marans typically starts at 22–26 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Maranss and Welsummers 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 Welsummers 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