All my marans eggs have a blood spots, what the heck?

[rungirl]

I got Black Copper Marans chicks from a breeder this spring. It's my first time with this breed. Only 3 turned out to be pullets and they just started laying. So far MOST of them have had blood spots in their eggs. I won't be able to sell these eggs. I'm really bummed because they are such pretty eggs otherwise. Anybody know if this is common for Marans? Is it possible they'll grow out of it? I can't believe it's almost every egg. My other hen's eggs are fine, it's just these 3 new pullets.

Lisa

 

[Johnn]

My light sussex hen had about 20 blood spots in hers afyer recovering from broody

 

[rungirl]

OK, so now I'm hearing this is more common in this breed... Any Marans breeders know about this?

Lisa

 

[Bravo]

I've read from a few people on the Marans threads that this is common. To be honest, it was a rare occasion when I would actually eat the eggs--most went straight in the incubator LOL. Right now I have a backyard laying flock but only 1 has started laying (and I haven't opened any of hers yet).

Are your nesting boxes high off the ground? I read several articles that jumping up to roost or to nesting boxes can cause the ovum to detach incorrectly resulting in a blood/meat spot.

 

[farmerChef]

I have read (somewhere on here I think) that blood/meat spots are genetic, and it can pass on to the next generation.

 

[Illia]

It's sort of common with mine, yes. About 1 in 3 hens get a bloodspot in their egg maybe once a week, regardless of age.

 

[rungirl]

Thanks, Illia.

I was hoping you'd chime in with an answer. I've seen your posts about your Marans and Ameraucanas. I have both also. As much as I am also "crazy for color", I'm kind of losing patience with so-called breeders. I'm wondering if maybe these Marans are too inbred. I had a lot of wry tails in this bunch, which I culled and now this blood spot issue emerges, which is probably also hereditary. Everybody who raises Marans claims to have gotten them from the same famous lines, but who really knows. I'd like to raise them, but I don't know where the best place to start. Obviously, I don't want to breed these hens now! What do you do about the blood spots in your flock? Are you breeding them out?

Lisa

 

[dretd]

Quote:
I lowered my high perch in the coop because the girls had been landing pretty hard. Maybe from 3 feet to 2 feet. I did have realtively frequent blood spots prior to the adjustment and now I rarely see any. It may just be coincidence, but thats my story.

 

[Chickenmenagerie]

Same here. My two BCMs from a breeder consistently have very small blood spots. They are two years old and have had them from the start. Kinda disappointing after the squirrel tails and so-so colored eggs.

 

[Chicnsrthebest]

Yep, same thing here. We've been candling our eggs on a regular basis, and had been catching the bloody eggs, but lately, someone got 4 dozen eggs from us and we were horrified to find that even after candling 3 dozen turned out to have pinkish whites and funny colored yolks.

This is only happening with the Black Copper Marans.

I thought maybe the roo was being too hard on the hens, but we have a couple of Orp hens with them and not one of their eggs has been bloody.
We have made the decision never to sell our BCM eggs for eating because we've lost a couple of customers on account of this.
That's very upsetting.