Dark Brown and Chocolate Egg Laying Chicken Breeds

Dark brown eggs stand out in any egg carton. These breeds lay eggs from rich terracotta to deep chocolate brown, and a few add speckles on top. Mix them with blue and olive layers for a colorful basket.

Shop by egg color: Brown egg layers | Colored egg layers | Dark egg layers | White egg layers

Our dark egg layers

  • French Black Copper Marans: Some of the darkest chocolate eggs of any breed. About 150–200 eggs a year.
  • Blue Copper Marans: Dark eggs from a soft blue bird with copper hackles. About 200 eggs a year.
  • Cuckoo Marans: Barred feathers and dark brown eggs. About 180 eggs a year.
  • Blue Cuckoo Marans: A softer blue-gray version of the Cuckoo Marans. About 180 eggs a year.
  • Welsummer: Dark terracotta eggs, often speckled. About 160–200 eggs a year.
  • Barnevelder: Double-laced feathers and dark brown eggs. About 180 eggs a year.
  • Welbar: Dark brown eggs from a barred Welsummer type. About 240 eggs a year.

What makes an egg dark

A hen adds brown pigment to the outside of the shell in the last hours before she lays. Dark egg breeds add more of it. Eggs are usually darkest early in the laying season and lighten a little as the season goes on, then darken again after the winter break.

Learn more in our Marans breed guide, see what color eggs each chicken breed lays, or browse the chicken egg color chart.

How ordering works

All chick orders are pre-orders by hatch date. Shipped chicks travel by USPS Priority Mail to your local post office, and the post office calls when they arrive. Free local pickup is available on many of our own breeds at 21084 Dover Bridge Rd, Preston, MD 21655. Most breeds have a 6-chick minimum for shipping, and you can mix breeds that ship the same week. See chick shipping rates and times.

Quick answers

Which chicken lays the darkest eggs?

Marans lay the darkest chocolate brown eggs of the breeds we carry. Welsummers and Barnevelders are also dark.

Do dark eggs taste different?

No. Shell color does not change taste or nutrition.