Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[armorfirelady]

Is it true that the color of the egg changes as time passes? They may start out lighter than get darker as they laying cycle progresses?

I'm guessing my darkest egg is from my BCM/EE mix right now since my PR have never laid darker eggs. I am looking forward to my other BCM eggs to see how dark they will get. She was hatched from very dark eggs a fellow BYCer got from another breeder. I am curious to see how she lays

 

[Wynette]

They do sometimes begin laying a little lighter, but it doens't typically take very long for them to darken up. Then, as they go through their laying cycle, they will slowly lighten up. When they take a break from laying, they will once again be their darkest. And, as the hen ages, the eggs become lighter, as well. So, a one year old hen will lay a much darker egg, typically, than a 4 year old hen of the same breeding.

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
Pray a lot! LOL

Seriously, When you get eggs that dark its hard to hatch them. I normally get eggs around 5.5 on the egg chart. Not too many that dark now. You should ask Wynette, she has been getting eggs that dark for a while now.

 

[marquisella]

Chad, several breeders breed for very dark eggs. That said, even the darkest layer sometimes has offspring that do not lay as dark as the momma. We cross our fingers and hope for the best. Here are a couple pics of some of the nicer eggs my hens have laid - I know other folks have hens who lay eggs much darker, though:

Wynette , you are too modest! Your eggs are beating the pants of everyone else....

 

[blackbirds13]

Wynette , you are too modest! Your eggs are beating the pants of everyone else....

They are really fabulous... but your birds are nothing to sneeze at either there Marquisella. I still mourn losing that young boy this spring that I picked up at Springfield.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Those look like hens to me.

 

[happyfrenchman]

I should say... JennieB... those look like hens to me... pullets actually. Turkey..... perhaps you might like some chicken dinner this Thanksgiving because I fear those are cockerels...

 

[chicken pickin]

Here is one of my young roos I have been growing out. He is 14 weeks old. Thoughts?

 

[Wynette]

Pickin - initial thoughts (and I am not an expert) are that his eyes are too dark, as are his shanks. Also, he doesn't have much color coming in on his saddles; do you know if he has pure black crossed into him (per shank color)? His color balance isn't great, but it's not bad, either. Some people think it's okay to use pure black and that it helps to "cover" mossiness in the offspring. He appears to have decent shank feathering, his tail angle is good, I do like his nice, long back, and he appears to have the correct topline - all this is never 100% certain when giving feedback via pictures, but from what I see, those are my pesonal thoughts.

 

[jenniebean123]

So ya think mine are pullets