[cammi]

Hi

We got a Copper Black two days ago, and today she gave us an egg  but it wasn't dark brown  

She is a young girl who has just started to lay.  The egg we got today was SOOOO huge would that explain the 'normal' brown colour.  Do they get darker as they get older??  Do we just have to accept we wont be getting DB eggs??

[Casey76]

A Marans egg is darkest at the beginning of thier laying cycle, though the colour doesn't settle until after about 20 eggs.  They will then get lighter until the end of that cycle.

Unfortunately "hatchery" stock are not secifically bred for egg colour, and therefore it can be a bit hit and miss if you get dark brown egg layers

[jinty1911]

If you do a search for "darkbrowneggs" you can get a link on to his site.  Very informative and photos of the different colours of dark brown eggs.  Am sure some of them are real chocolate. Yum yum

[cammi]

thanks for link
http://www.darkbrowneggs.info/#/egg-colour-comparison/4543372454
certainly dont look like 5 or 8 more like 10 just normal egg colour  boo hoo

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi

We got a Copper Black two days ago, and today she gave us an egg  but it wasn't dark brown  

She is a young girl who has just started to lay.  The egg we got today was SOOOO huge would that explain the 'normal' brown colour.  Do they get darker as they get older??  Do we just have to accept we wont be getting DB eggs??

[/i]


Hi there - don't despair just yet, though even a first time Marans layer shouldn't be laying eggs quite that pale.  

The first few eggs can be very variable in size shape and colour, but after around 20 or so eggs have been laid she should be settled to around about the best colour you can expect from her, and gradually over the laying season (if she is a regular layer that is) the colour will  fade

A Marans should be capable of laying at least a Number 4 colour egg on the official chart at some time in her laying life, though even the darkest layers can produce eggs of different shades   The picture on the link you are looking at is just for a general comparison between breeds.  

A facsimile of the actual official colour chart is on http://www.darkbrowneggs.info/
Egg colour 4 is the true Marans colour egg.  
5, 6 and 7 are all classified as excellent
8 and 9 are truly exceptional and rarely produced.  

The background picture on my site show eggs laid by one of my girls last spring  GOOD GIRL

All the best
Sue
Dark Brown Eggs

[hillfooter]

You need to find a known good strain from a specialist breeder as most commonly available Marans will disappoint.  I've had more success with Welsummers and Barnevelders though Welsummers aren't very prolific. I used to breed these but my cock became such an aggressive so and so that that he had to go and I never replaced him as I was disappointed with the hens laying performance anyway.

As the website link says the colour can be very variable through the laying cycle and the examples you see photos of are the exceptional ones

My Welsummer's eggs below



HF

[sheridan]

I've got three standard hybrids, and one of them always lays very dark brown speckled eggs. Husband is convinced they taste nicer, and so are the kids!

[joyfull]

HF the colour of your welsummers eggs are the same colour that my late welsummer Peggy Lee used to lay. My cuckoo Marans Brenda Lee also lays the same shade but glossy  .

[AL Hathaway]

We also have a copper black who just started laying and to be honest i was bit sad i wanted the lush dark eggs but their getting a bit darker but she has  only been laying about a week now i read something stating that it can take 3 weeks if they lay 6 eggs a week or 20 eggs but not sure guess i will find out   but here is a pic of her first egg laid might help

[hillfooter]

HF the colour of your welsummers eggs are the same colour that my late welsummer Peggy Lee used to lay. My cuckoo Marans Brenda Lee also lays the same shade but glossy  .

Yes the WS eggs are a matt whereas the Barnevelders are semi gloss in fact like an egg shell

HF

[AL Hathaway]

You need to find a known good strain from a specialist breeder as most commonly available Marans will disappoint.  I've had more success with Welsummers and Barnevelders though Welsummers aren't very prolific. I used to breed these but my cock became such an aggressive so and so that that he had to go and I never replaced him as I was disappointed with the hens laying performance anyway.

As the website link says the colour can be very variable through the laying cycle and the examples you see photos of are the exceptional ones

My Welsummer's eggs below



HF

Yes but your Barnevelders and Welsummers lay a dark terracotta egg not the same as a Marans they lay dark chocolate brown eggs some say the Wheaton are the best for the Darker eggs but i think it's down to a personnel interest and taste in the breed The very dark coloured egg layers tend not to be quite as prolific The popularity for the dark egg lead to indiscriminate breeding over the past 20 -30 years to try and improve the identification of hens and cockerels at day old. Breeders have been adding other breeds to make the boys lighter coloured at an early stage. Good pure Marans can be devilishly difficult to sex when young

[joyfull]

Marans can lay all sorts of shades of brown all of which are acceptable, just like the araucana can lay all sorts of shades of blue/green eggs. It just depends on the strain, the age of the bird and also the weather can play a part in the colour.

[joyfull]

sorry AL how rude of me forgot to say hello and welcome, why not pop along to our welcome section and introduce yourself 

[Casey76]

Hi AL Hathaway, welcome to our mad, er henhouse!

These are examples of the Marans eggs I'm getting to incubate next week



They are from birchen and blue birchen hens.

It is not possible to sex black coper chicks reliably on hatching (using feather sexing methods) - they certainly can't be colour sexed.  Cuckoo birds can be, but it takes experience, and again it isn't infallable (size of spot on top of the head)

With regards to the colours of the eggs.  The more prolific the colour the better quality of eggs it tends to be - for example, black copper is proably the most common, along with cuckoo; therefore eggs coming from these birds (though I'm talking breeder, not hatchery) tend to be the best.  I believe the white Marans currently lays the palest eggs, and is a work in progress to improve egg colour.

I really think it depends though on what you want - eggs more often, or the very deep colour.

In France, a hen may be conformationally perfect, but if she can't lay at least a 4 on the colour chart, she will be disqualified in any shows!

[joyfull]

lovely colour Casey, hope they do well for you