A Question about Marans

[jeremy]

Does the roo or the hen affect the color of the eggs?

If I get good dark eggs from the female is she a keeper? Or will I have to let the pair breed and see how the offspring lay to really tell?

Thanks!

 

[basicliving]

I don't have Marans - but hopefully this will bump you up and someone that does will weigh in.

 

[pipermark]

I did a little Google and there seems to be different opinions, my guess therefor is that both the rooster and hen are involved. Why that opinion, because that makes breeding for egg color more difficult, and in my life experience , the more difficult path is usually the correct one.

Now that didnt sound cynical did it?

 

[Katy]

They both affect the color of the eggs the offspring will lay. I only hatch my very darkest eggs.

 

[enola]

I would think that both of the hen and the rooster contribute genes that decide the color of the egg that a resulting pullet would lay.

So, if you keep roosters hatched from the preferred shade of egg, and breed them to hens that produce the preferred shade of egg, you will be closer to the perfect egg with each succeeding generation.

Actually, after proofreading what I just typed, this train of thought would apply to every breed of chicken.

If I am not correct, someone please correct me, as I am getting ready to branch out into dark brown eggs layers.