Changing egg colors

[vlprince]

I was given a pair of Welsummer hens and a Maran hen and when I first got them they layed beautiful dark eggs. Shortly after I received them their egg color changed. The eggs from these hens are now indistinguishable from the eggs from my Rhode Island Reds. I'm wondering if the change is dietary (they get a mash of layer pellets in the morning as well as free choice crumble), and lots of good scraps (they were free ranging when I first got them, but we have had predator problems and are now confining our flock.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. The eggs are still delicious and the hens are lovely, but my mother loves those dark brown eggs!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Sorry, I can't help, but

 

[obbsessedwithchickens]

sometimes as a hen ages the color of her egg lightens, but if they'er still young i have know idea why they are lighter.

 

[fldiver97]

I think I read somewhere that the color of the Marans eggs does get lighter after a period of time. I don't remember details but if you check some posts re Marans-egg color you should find some info. I have a Wheaten Marans and she lays beautiful huge dark brown eggs, not the darkest brown on the egg color chart for the Marans (I think the darkest is 9) but I have noticed some fluctuation in color and also some are more speckled than others. Ambers eggs have so far been way darker that my RIRs but I don't think they have been more than a 4 or 5 on the color scale. Hope someone that knows more about Marans and Welsumers will post .....

 

[vlprince]

Thanks! I read that they can lay lighter eggs with time, but I've only had the hens a couple weeks and the color disappeared very rapidly. I was thinking of trying a different brand of pellets to see if it made a difference, but was wondering if there was anything else I should be trying!