Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome! - Page 3848

I think my black copper marans started to lay. Today was her second egg. But they are so light in color.  My RIR gives me darker eggs.

The second one was a little bit darker. Do yours start light and they get darker eventually? or what you have is what you will always get?
 

Yes, some pullets eggs do start out lighter then darken up as they get their "ink jets" working better.  If they are not darker by the second week or so of lay, that is probably the color they will be. That said, the heat has a lot to do with the egg color too, so seeing as how you are in PR they may also darken a bit when it cools off. It's so hot here now, I'd be thrilled to get ANY eggs from my girls, but they have all quit laying for now...

Yes, some pullets eggs do start out lighter then darken up as they get their "ink jets" working better.  If they are not darker by the second week or so of lay, that is probably the color they will be. That said, the heat has a lot to do with the egg color too, so seeing as how you are in PR they may also darken a bit when it cools off. It's so hot here now, I'd be thrilled to get ANY eggs from my girls, but they have all quit laying for now...

Good to know. One of my splashes has laid two eggs over the past 4 days and it was reaaaaal light. Still darker then anything we have coming from the other breeds, but still light on a marans scale. I didn't think it would get darker over a period of time...... maybe it will. 

Thanks a lot. I hatched her from a egg that was maybe a number 7 in color. She is only 6 to 7 months old and I read that they take longer to lay the first egg.  so lets she if she matures her color. She is not laying every day. seems like I get one of her eggs every two days but this is her second so she will improve. Thanks again.

That's not to say if she is laying a 4 now, all of a sudden it will jump to a 7! Pretty much all of mine starting laying around a 5, and some got to a 6, others a 5+.  The last eggs I got from any of the girls were horrible!! Stress factors, such as this awful hot and dry weather, will also contribute to a loss of egg color.

Is that her in your avatar? If so, that is not a #7 egg.  My girls here all start laying between 20-26 weeks of age. Most of mine started laying in  the cooler parts of the year.

Congrats on the Wy's Donna. I decided after all the trouble I had trying to get that other BLRW roo that I just didn't want to monkey with them anymore.

Have 10 eggs from my project Blue Laced Barnie girl, Stoo that are slated to get into the incubator, for now,  BL-Barnies are going to have to suffice my itch for the blue lacing.