Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Wynette]

I am repeating this question in hopes someone will know before it gets buried. I have three pullets that are about 5 months old... Yesterday, two of them laid a pair of Rhode Island Red brown colored egg with tiny brown speckles on it... They are new chickens so I wanted to know if this was normal? The birds look just like the black coppers in all the pictures. They have feathered legs. White skin and feet. Their parents looked great although, I never did see any eggs during my trip to the breeder. The egg is bottom heavy like the Marans in the standard. These birds look great by everything I have been able to gather. I was just wondering if this is something commonly seen when a hen first starts to lay. I noticed some anomalies with my blue copper pullets at first, but they are laying quite a dark caramel colored egg now.

please allow folks time to answer your question; you posted it just 3 hours ago.

That said - 5 months is quite young for them to begin laying. Some lay very dark eggs, and some do not. They do sometimes darken up after the first week or two, sometimes they do not. The dark egg genetic is extremely difficult to work with, and unfortunately, not all Marans lay a nice, dark egg. However, they should not have "white" legs; so, I suspect you may have a cross there...it's difficult to know without seeing pictures, but the female Black Copper's legs should be dark slate (very dark gray). If yours are WHITE, there is a problem with their genetics. Can you post some pictures?

 

[dcbcaaron]

just found this thread! I'm so excited!

. I have some FBCM's that I got back in March, and I am so ready for them to start laying, this is my first time to have marans, so I'm not used to the longer wait for them to get their laying started up, the anticipation is driving me crazy

. I'll have to post some pics in a bit, I would love some opinions on their coloring.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Thanks Wynette....I apologize for the re-post but I must tell you, I have posted on here before and wound up 8 pages down while two people talked about how much they loved their cute little chickens......

I should have said their feet were white on the bottoms...their legs are black... feathered on the outsides. And on countback it is 5 months and 3 weeks since they were hatched.

I will get some pictures... I just gave away my last extra rooster... he was (I am pretty sure) a beauty. I still have the one. I will take some pics and put them on here for more experienced eyes. The eggs in question that I was referring to looked like a more rounded rhode island red egg with tiny dark speckles....I looked back (in the refrigerator) to see if there were any others I might have mistaken as from my RIRs... I know from my Blue Copper hens, that speckling can occur but their eggs are overal much darker. I suspect I just need to let them get their machinery in gear before I get too worried about it.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Ok... here are some pictures... the legs are black. The pads of the feet are very white. No eggs today so I am still waiting to see. My question pertained to whether when they start laying,

 

[pawtraitart]

Ok... here are some pictures... the legs are black. The pads of the feet are very white. No eggs today so I am still waiting to see. My question pertained to whether when they start laying,

The first eggs from my pullets is typically close to what they will lay as they mature given that the color will vary with the hens cycle. I've never had one like you are describing come from any variety of Marans that I raise. Photos of your eggs would help.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Thank you Pawtraitart... the first picture is the egg in question.... you can zoom in and see the speckles that look dark, but there are not many of them.... the second pic is the egg with three eggs from my Blue Coppers for contrast. I would have missed it as a Rhode Island Red egg except it looked like a pullet egg and my RIRs are older girls. (4+ years and lay a much larger egg).

 

[pawtraitart]

Thank you Pawtraitart... the first picture is the egg in question.... you can zoom in and see the speckles that look dark, but there are not many of them.... the second pic is the egg with three eggs from my Blue Coppers for contrast. I would have missed it as a Rhode Island Red egg except it looked like a pullet egg and my RIRs are older girls. (4+ years and lay a much larger egg).

Hmm......well....don't panic yet. See what you get after the pullet has produced 7 eggs or so. If there is a way to keep your BCM separated that would help. When I have new layers I like to document their egg color and match it up with their numbered wing bands. But then again...I'm a bit of a poultry nerd.

 

[math ace]

Thank you Pawtraitart... the first picture is the egg in question.... you can zoom in and see the speckles that look dark, but there are not many of them.... the second pic is the egg with three eggs from my Blue Coppers for contrast. I would have missed it as a Rhode Island Red egg except it looked like a pullet egg and my RIRs are older girls. (4+ years and lay a much larger egg).

Your egg may have a heavy calcium deposit / coating on it that makes it look light.
Get the egg wet and see if it darkens (don't rub it) and then dries light again. If it does, then what you see is a calcium film making the egg look lighter.

As to whether the eggs get darker or lighter as the birds lay...

Mine tend to stay the same throughout the season. I have a friend whose stock lays eggs that get lighter towards the end of the season. Yet, I have heard of others who get darker after the initial light eggs are laid..... Time will tell

 

[marquisella]

Thank you Pawtraitart... the first picture is the egg in question.... you can zoom in and see the speckles that look dark, but there are not many of them.... the second pic is the egg with three eggs from my Blue Coppers for contrast. I would have missed it as a Rhode Island Red egg except it looked like a pullet egg and my RIRs are older girls. (4+ years and lay a much larger egg).

Mine usually get darker in a week or two. Just wait it out.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Well... I wet it but it didn't really make it any better... perhaps a few more speckles. I am not sure which chicken laid it. It might be that two hens laid similar eggs. (that would be worse). They are all at least half brother and sister so ... if the one is laying like that, the others are just as likely..... My blue coppers are from a different place. (I have some of their eggs in the cooker (mated with a beautiful Blue Copper Rooster that I have since given away. Perhaps they will throw some blacks that are more dark. A friend of mine has a black copper hen he is gonna give me. He says it lays a dark egg and that may have to be my foundation. I have been looking around... I live near Macon Ga. and there was a fellow selling "Black Coppers" from a line that is overseen by Mr. Wade Jeane himself. Not too far away for a quick road trip. I appreciate you guys taking the time. I have learned alot from some on here.... I know alot about chickens but the "Red and Brown" Marans have alot of the traits I like. Plus the eggs are (hypothetically anyway) beautiful. I will get there.