Which lays more eggs, the Welsummer or the Barnevelder?

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

Which starts laying first, the Welsummer or the Barnevelder?

The Welsummer usually starts sooner, at 20–24 weeks old; the Barnevelder typically starts at 20–28 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.

Can you keep Welsummers 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 Welsummers 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.

Welsummer vs Barnevelder: Which Chicken Breed Should You Get?

The short answer: both lay a similar number of eggs (160–200 vs 150–200 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

	Welsummer	Barnevelder
Eggs per year	≈ 160–200	≈ 150–200
Egg color	dark brown	dark brown
First egg	20–24 weeks	20–28 weeks
Size class	standard	standard
Coop floor per bird	4 sq ft	4 sq ft

Both lay dark eggs in the 150–200 range: the Welsummer’s are terracotta and often speckled, the Barnevelder’s dark and coppery — and the Welsummer is the better winter layer of the two.

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?

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 Welsummer for speckled eggs and winter production.

Pick the Barnevelder for double-laced looks and unruffled confinement manners.

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 Welsummer or the Barnevelder?: They're about even: Welsummers typically lay 160–200 eggs a year and Barnevelders 150–200. Individual hens and strains vary more than the breed averages do.
Which starts laying first, the Welsummer or the Barnevelder?: The Welsummer usually starts sooner, at 20–24 weeks old; the Barnevelder typically starts at 20–28 weeks. Daylight is the wildcard for both — a fall-hatched pullet often waits for lengthening spring days regardless of breed.
Can you keep Welsummers 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 Welsummers 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