Dark egg breeds, not laying very dark eggs?

[animalsrule1]

We ordered cuckoo marans and welsummers last year, hoping for the dark, dark eggs that we keep seeing everywhere. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, those beautiful, dark, dark, chocolatey looking eggs? Well, admittedly their eggs are darker than normal eggs, but not as dark as we expected. Have we done anything wrong? Are they not the right breed? Is there a way to make the shells darker?

From left to right, a welsummer egg (the spots are weird pigmentation things. Not mud.), a normal egg for comparison, and two cuckoo maran eggs.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You haven't done anything wrong, so put your mind at ease there. You say you "ordered" them, so I am guessing you got the birds from a hatchery? That is likely the issue. Egg color, like any other characteristic can be improved or degraded through breeding and most hatcheries are focused on production vs being able to focus their programs and lines on characteristics like getting a really good, dark egg color. If you want the nice, dark eggs you will want to find a breeder who is breeding for that good, dark color and get birds from their stock.

 

[farnorth]

I have the same thing. Got a Welsummer and a Cuckoo Maran for dark brown eggs and they aren't at all like the pictures I see. They are barely a little darker than the other hens eggs.

 

[animalsrule1]

Oh. Good to know Ol' Grey Mare. At least I'm not doing anything wrong. Thanks for letting me know that... Well, now I'm off to search for a breeder near me.