Breeds for REALLY DARK brown eggs?

[PrairieFarmer]

I've got a hen from Illia and she has just starting laying eggs and they are SUPER dark.

 

[Illia]

I've got a hen from Illia and she has just starting laying eggs and they are SUPER dark.

You need to show me pics!!

I'd love to see her and her eggs.

 

[poularde]

My hatchery marans didn't lay any darker that a regular brown egg layer. I bought some BCM's from a good breeder and was shocked when she laid her first brown egg. SOOO dark. I would say hatchery birds would be a waste of time.

I agree! I have one Cuckoo from a hatchery and I can not tell the difference between her eggs and my Orpingtons. I bought some chicks from a locale breeder. Eggs were darker. I got eggs from someone who is working on egg color. Those eggs are beautiful. No comparison. If you want truly dark eggs go with a breeder Here are some comparison shots of my eggs from the different birds. .

 

[braindead101]

A friend has a flock of cuckoo marans and they are not laying dark brown 'chocolate' colored eggs. Never have. The eggs are good though.

 

[Spangled]

The hatchery marans that I have seen lay eggs in the range of 3 or 4 as opposed to good breeders who raise hens that lay 5-7 or above.

I'm glad to see some feedback from hatcheries.

Are you referring to hatchery Black Copper Marans vs. good breeder Black Copper Marans? Or are you comparing Cuckoo Marans eggs? Exactly which type of Marans eggs are you talking about?

 

[Spangled]

My hatchery marans didn't lay any darker that a regular brown egg layer. I bought some BCM's from a good breeder and was shocked when she laid her first brown egg. SOOO dark.

I'm delighted to see some feedback from hatchery eggs.

Are you referring to hatchery Black Copper Marans vs. good breeder Black Copper Marans? Or are you comparing Cuckoo Marans eggs from a hatchery with Black Copper Marans eggs from a breeder? Exactly which type of Marans eggs are you talking about?

 

[Spangled]

I do know this... the egg color shown in the hatchery catalog was no where near the color I was getting.

That would sting.

I had heard before I'd ever even heard of a Black Copper Marans that the Cuckoo eggs had lost their color, while the catalogs still listed them as "chocolate" layers. It was kind of like the catalog writers didn't ever look at the chickens or eggs that they were describing.

I do like how Meyer does now (2012-this is my first catalog of theirs) show photos of 3 eggs from the Cuckoos. They look like a New Hampshire egg. The photo of the Black Copper Marans, however, are 1 light, 1 medium dark, and 1 dark. So 33% are a pretty decent representation of a dark Black Copper Marans egg. Even the medium would satisfy me when comparing how easy it would be to order chicks and get them in the mail when compared with the struggle I went through for my Black Copper Marans (hatching eggs shaken up in transit, 2 separate batches, 6 weeks babysitting an incubator).

I was thinking that Meyer only started selling these in 2009, right? It was posted somewhere that they got them from a fairly well known breeder. I have no way to confirm it, so I won't mention the name. I remember there being some sketchy comments back then like, "How could Breeder X sell Black Copper Marans eggs to a hatchery?" Some folks were scandalized. Maybe rightly so, maybe not. I don't have a horse in the race, so I'm just an spectator.

I have no idea if the hatchery will be able to maintain egg color over the years, but what's to stop them from just buying more breeder chickens from the same breeder they bought from before so that egg color can be retained in their hatchery stock?

So to me, my abbreviated summation would be: Hatchery=a risk possibly for egg color, but easy logistics. Breeder=a risk for shipping eggs, but you can see the egg color that your hens hatch from. Trade offs.

I'm glad you finally got your dark eggs from the Black Coppers. I think the eggs are pretty as can be.

 

[FarmGirl01]

Well stated. I was lucky enough to find a nice lady in Little Rock that has some great birds. I did buy some eggs, about 2 years ago, thru the mail that didn't hatch. Shipping is so hard on the eggs.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

is the McMurray Hatchery just America???

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: It depends on the strain. Pure Fugate Cuckoo Marans have long been noted for their very dark eggs. I know there are at least a couple of folk out there on the Net who still keep the Fugate strain in its pure form. I do believe the Pure Fugate don't have the feather legs which is a problem if you want to show the birds. You would breed to add in the feathers in a generation or 2 by crossing to another very dark egg Cuckoo strain, then crossing back to the Fugate to restore egg color which will be a bit paler due to the cross. Can be fixed in a couple of generations.
Or find someone who has already done this. If you just want really dark eggs, then leg feathers aren't an issue for you. Best way to find a really dark egg laying strain of Maras is to see who is winning consistently at the egg shows, which results are posted online. Do not cross strains unless you are forced to do it.
Best,
Karen
Waterford English Light Sussex
western PA, USA