cuckoo maranas started laying

[ga_goat]

and the eggs are not dark , shoot they are only ½ as dark as my 5 RIR's , did I get sold a bill of goods and they aren't true cuckoo's or do they get darker with age ?? they grew faster than any other chickens I have ever raised . is this normal for maranas ?

 

[Katy]

Where did you get your chicks? If they were from a hatchery it's not surprising they aren't very dark. Sometimes they'll darken up a little but most often they're the darkest they're going to be when they first start laying.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Here is a pic of mine they're hatchery ones not as dark as the ones I hatched myself but I'm pretty sure they would be a 4 and that's as light as they can go and still be a "Marans"

the other brown eggs are Delawares, Rocks and a meatie cross...

 

[StormyMoon]

My Maran just started laying she gave me a tiny egg


this is what i was getting before thinking it was my Maran laying

This is what I thought was hers but now seems i have a mystery layer.
but the eggs have gotten bigger after this tiny one.

I guess when they start they are strange then get darker as they go......? I can't think of anything else it could be.

 

[Lotsapaints]

I don't really know the first eggs were funny and small but still dark brown some spotted now they are (after 2 weeks) getting the shine that Marans eggs are supposed to have and the color is deepening to a red clay or brick color. My Cuckoos are penned separate so I know who is laying what you can't use the eggs they lay for the first month to judge their color....I was only hoping that they would at least lay a 4 being hatchery girls and it looks like they might. Yes people have said they sometimes get darker and mine are getting a deeper color. I have younger pullets from much darker eggs so I dunno what they will lay this is my first time raising Marans so I'm learning as I go

I have seen Cuckoo eggs as dark as Black Coppers but the darkest I've hatched is a 6 or 7...

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
I am new to this too is there some type of chart how do you know what number the color is?

 

[Lotsapaints]

the Marans of America site...I copied one need to buy one too... There is a thread in the breeds section full of Marans people who are very helpful they've been teaching me lots

 

[StormyMoon]

Thank you lotsapaints

and to the OP this is very helpful......

 

[ga_goat]

Well I have 4 hens and was able to put fingernail polish on the toe nails on them all as they were laying and none laid a dark egg, so I just moved them into the laying pen with the other crossbreeds and the 2 roos in the butcher pen for the nextime I have time to get around to that and emptied another pen . .. next time I will hatch the eggs myself and not trust someone else's word .

 

[Lotsapaints]

Quote:
Sorry that happened to you I too had problems even with hatching eggs they cam from dark eggs but sure are not up to the SOP so I understand your frustrations I would try and get hatching eggs from somebody on this board I've seen plenty of nice ones...after I spent my money