Marans egg color variations and laying concerns

[chicks4kids]

I bought mine from a breeder in the spring and they just started laying at 35 weeks...here is one of the two layers color

I'm not sure how dark they are but the 2nd hen lays an even darker egg without the speckles on it. The marans egg should be noticeably (sp?) different than the other. These are next to barred rocks, black australorpe, cochin, ee's....

 

[holly530]

I got my first BCM egg today. It's the small dark one! It is pretty but I had hoped for that deep deep chocolate color. I am still happy with this though. I have another girl that has yet to lay and I wonder how her eggs will look. I might try to get a few more.

 

[dekel18042]

From what I've read on here is that the eggs usually tend to get lighter as the hen ages. Your marans egg should be alot darker than it is...I think maybe someone sold you a hen that was less than pure.

X2 There is a large variation of colors within the marans breeds and some are speckled and some aren't. Each hen seems to have her own color and if anything the eggs lighten as she gets deeper into laying her clutch.
I do like the color my marans lay, but they are among my poorest layers.

 

[Ryannjnc]

I wouldn't breed with that bird because of the color.

 

[chickenmomma87]

Thats a beautiful pink looking egg

 

[b-crow]

I got my first French Black Copper Maran a couple months ago. I quarantined her before I put her in the regular coop/run. She started laying dark, milk chocolate colored eggs in the quarantine run. Then she stopped laying for a while. She had a wet cough and didn't eat as well. When she recovered and started laying again her first few eggs had membrane, but no shell. When she started producing shells again they were light brown with dark brown speckles. She has produced a dozen or so now with the lighter color.

My question is: why would that change? Is she lacking certain nutrients, or does she have a condition that might result in lighter eggs?

 

[dekel18042]

I got my first French Black Copper Maran a couple months ago. I quarantined her before I put her in the regular coop/run. She started laying dark, milk chocolate colored eggs in the quarantine run. Then she stopped laying for a while. She had a wet cough and didn't eat as well. When she recovered and started laying again her first few eggs had membrane, but no shell. When she started producing shells again they were light brown with dark brown speckles. She has produced a dozen or so now with the lighter color.

My question is: why would that change? Is she lacking certain nutrients, or does she have a condition that might result in lighter eggs?

While I don't know why your specific hen's egg color has changed I do that that Black Copper Marans eggs are always darkest at the beginning of their laying cycle. As they lay more and more eggs, the color will lighten a bit. Then they stop laying and molt and when they resume laying their eggs are dark again for a bit.
I also found if I hatch from the lighter eggs the daughters will lay darker eggs at the beginning that gradually lighten.
BTW, my blue splash marans tend to lay freckled eggs as opposed to the black copper.

 

[HanBrand]

I just found this colour chart online. I think my black copper Maran has started laying. At first I thought it must has been my rhode island red ad they weren't very dark (top right is closest to mine). I had a much bigger lighter egg a few days later so I'm guessing that is Reds egg. Wish the Maran egg was darker but never mind. Looking forward to getting green and blue eggs from my Cream Legbar and Lavender Araucana