It's common in Marans...I have birds from a breeder where EVERY one of them had eyes that looked practically black. It's just yet anoter of the things that we need to cull for.I have wondered about eye color also and like you I had thought pearl eye meant a whitish pearl colorI have one boy whose eyes are very dark, nearly black at 6 months. What would that be called and would it be a fault or a DQ?
Maybe someone could post pictures of eyes that are correct and those that are DQ or faults?
It's difficult for me, as I always want them to be a darker reddish brown - they call for "bay" - in a horse, the color bay is dark reddish brown - very dark. In Marans, the eye should be pumpkin colored - orange, if you will. Let me see if I have any close enough pics. If I do, I'll post in a bit; if not, I'll get some tonight of some that are too dark, and some that are correct.