Cuckoo Marans eggs changed from dark brown to almost beige??

[scoutyyy]

My Cuckoo Marans are 8 months old. In the beginning they were laying rich dark brown speckled
eggs - absolutely beautiful. Now, since October, they have been laying very light brown, non-speckled eggs.
I miss my beautiful dark brown ones. They forage on 5 acres 6 hrs/day and I did change
their food a few months ago from lay mash to lay crumble, and I throw in a little oyster shell.

None of my other breeds have had any egg color change - just the Cuckoo's. Will I ever get the deep brown color back?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i have never had these birds before but i did read that their eggs are always darker at first lay then lighten up through the season then go back dark again in spring

 

[aart]

I have read the same thing as granny....

.....am wondering if you use supplemental light to keep them laying thru winter, will the eggs go back dark in spring or do they need to stop laying in winter and when they start back up as days lengthen they will be darker again?

 

[1muttsfan]

The decrease in egg color is due to the bird's using up the pigments stored in their skin and fat. These carotenoid pigments are what cause the brown color in the eggs. While not in lay, birds store pigments in their tissue. Once they start laying, the pigments in their tissues are gradually drawn out and used on the eggs, both on the shell and in the yolk for color. Increasing the pigments in their diet may help improve the egg color some, but they likely will be lighter in color until the hens have a break from laying.

Interestingly, really good layers are more likely to produce lighter eggs more quickly, as they are using up their pigments sooner. Selecting for birds that continue over time to lay very dark eggs can result in selecting birds that lay fewer eggs.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I have read the same thing as granny....

.....am wondering if you use supplemental light to keep them laying thru winter, will the eggs go back dark in spring or do they need to stop laying in winter and when they start back up as days lengthen they will be darker again?

i belive its after a break. she is giving them bout everything they would have in the spring sounds like. but you are right they didnt tell that part

 

[Granny Hatchet]

The decrease in egg color is due to the bird's using up the pigments stored in their skin and fat. These carotenoid pigments are what cause the brown color in the eggs. While not in lay, birds store pigments in their tissue. Once they start laying, the pigments in their tissues are gradually drawn out and used on the eggs, both on the shell and in the yolk for color. Increasing the pigments in their diet may help improve the egg color some, but they likely will be lighter in color until the hens have a break from laying.

Interestingly, really good layers are more likely to produce lighter eggs more quickly, as they are using up their pigments sooner. Selecting for birds that continue over time to lay very dark eggs can result in selecting birds that lay fewer eggs.

thanks for the info, at least this is clear to understand and i did not know that white would ,in the long run, be better layers.i knew it lightenend but not why