Dark Egg Breeds Thread

[shesaredroan]

oesdog,
My cuckoos have never given me DARK eggs. My cuckoos are from a hatchery, and I've learned (the hard way) hatchery birds probably will never give as dark an egg as birds from a breeder. Hatcheries are 'mass production' places, whereas breeders lovingly/carefully tend and watch for proper egg color.
Do you know where Gerty is in her cycle......... after molt the darkest eggs will come, then the longer they lay the lighter the eggs will get, until their next molt.
I don't believe you did anything wrong and I don't think there's anything wrong with Gerty.

The black copper marans give the darkest egg of all the marans. All other marans breeds are trying to reach for the egg color of the BCM.

Give Gerty a hug

and a treat, when she goes through her next molt she'll give you eggs that are darker than what you're getting now.

You might want to look into getting BCM for the truly DARK eggs or if cuckoos are what you love, look into getting some from folks here at BYC.

 

[drom]

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Great Pictures BrkSpgs!

You are so darn fun. Your rooster's head looks like a little umbrella.

It looks like you live in paradise there in the woods. I'm jealous, those golden raspberries are so expensive out here in the store. All I have is blackberry bushes, and I always end up ravaged by thorns when I try to pick them.

I looked it up. you must have gone to Letchworth State Park. I'd never heard of it before. I guess it must be so pretty back east everywhere now. You guys get the spectacular fall color that we just don't get in California. I have always wanted to take a trip back East in the Fall and stay in some B & Bs and take in all the beauty.

Hey there, either that is a very, very big chair or you are a Hobbit. I'd like to have a very large chair like that for my front yard near the road. So I could sit in it and freak people out who drive by in the neighborhood. "What are you staring at pal? That's right, I'm a hobbit. So what, you got problem with tiny people or something?"

 

[drom]

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She's just fine. All Marans eggs lighten toward the end of the lay cycle and over the course of the hen's life. It's too bad Marans eggs don't stay dark, but they don't. shesaredroan is correct, the BCMs lay the darkest eggs and tend to maintain the color best over time. I've seen some very dark Blue Copper eggs also. Regardless of the variety though, all Marans eggs lighten during the season. When they have a rest from laying, either because they are brooding or molting, they will usually start back up laying darker again. But the darkest eggs you will ever get from your Marans is their first few months of pullet eggs.

 

[oesdog]

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Oh thanks - I was begining to wonder if my Gerty was a Maran at all - I thought they all should lay dark eggs???? My Gerty bless her is just into her molt. So from what you guys have said its no wonder I was a bit worried as her eggs would have gone lighter before the molt naturally.

I have a little baby cuckoo Maran - its a hatchery egg and so is the Legbar. So chances are she may not lay very dark either. But at least I know there is nothing wrong. I was thinking maybe the baby is not Maran - barred rock????
She is supposed to be Maran. She is about 18 weeks old and I have had a hard time keeping her alive.

Gerty the old girl is about 3 yrs old. She came from an Egg farm. - Though its not a bad place all the birds there are PRs/RIRs and they are major spoiled. They are free range and are well looked after. The fellows daughter wanted rare breeds so he got her some and then like a lot of kids she moved out and he was left with them. As they didn;t go with his Egg production birds he gave them to me. Gerty would have been about 1 yr when I got her. Her eggs then were quite Dark still now at 3 yrs they are lighter and lighter.

This is probably the best pic I have of her right now. - She is on her roost beside Isobella the SS ( I call them both the Buzzards!)

This is the baby Omlet - she has been a struggle to keep alive and is soo small but I hope she will catch up. Maran or Barred Rock?

Anyhow thanks for the help - I am glad my Gerty is a Maran - she is a very big girl and I love her so much!!!!

Oesdog

 

[drom]

Quote:
Oh thanks - I was begining to wonder if my Gerty was a Maran at all - I thought they all should lay dark eggs???? My Gerty bless her is just into her molt. So from what you guys have said its no wonder I was a bit worried as her eggs would have gone lighter before the molt naturally.

I have a little baby cuckoo Maran - its a hatchery egg and so is the Legbar. So chances are she may not lay very dark either. But at least I know there is nothing wrong. I was thinking maybe the baby is not Maran - barred rock????
She is supposed to be Maran. She is about 18 weeks old and I have had a hard time keeping her alive.

Gerty the old girl is about 3 yrs old. She came from an Egg farm. - Though its not a bad place all the birds there are PRs/RIRs and they are major spoiled. They are free range and are well looked after. The fellows daughter wanted rare breeds so he got her some and then like a lot of kids she moved out and he was left with them. As they didn;t go with his Egg production birds he gave them to me. Gerty would have been about 1 yr when I got her. Her eggs then were quite Dark still now at 3 yrs they are lighter and lighter.

This is probably the best pic I have of her right now. - She is on her roost beside Isobella the SS ( I call them both the Buzzards!)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/59801_buzzards.jpg

This is the baby Omlet - she has been a struggle to keep alive and is soo small but I hope she will catch up. Maran or Barred Rock?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/59801_sa400039.jpg

Anyhow thanks for the help - I am glad my Gerty is a Maran - she is a very big girl and I love her so much!!!!

Oesdog

Well, barred rocks have yellow legs and the cuckoo Marans have whitish-pink legs. That is the quickest way to tell them apart.

 

[oesdog]

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Thanks that is great news because both my girls deffinately have pink legs!!!!!!!!
I am really happy about that as I no now they are both Marans.

Oesdog

 

[Happy Chooks]

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Must see pictures

I'll get some pics up as soon as I can. My internet is in and out (mostly out) until Friday when they get it fixed.

 

[drom]

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Thanks that is great news because both my girls deffinately have pink legs!!!!!!!!
I am really happy about that as I no now they are both Marans.

Oesdog

Excellent

Well, Omlet should be healthy eating that good Irish grass!

 

[oesdog]

Quote:
Thanks that is great news because both my girls deffinately have pink legs!!!!!!!!
I am really happy about that as I no now they are both Marans.

Oesdog

Excellent

Well, Omlet should be healthy eating that good Irish grass!

My poor wee omlet has been really ill and the vet told me to kill her a few times. I have not and she is ok at the moment just a wee bit small for her weeks.
She is good and strong at the moment so I am hoping the worst has passed and we will get a good adult laying hen out of her yet.

She got hot porridge made with yogurt and some left over rice today!!!! Well spoiled she is!!!!!! Tomorrow is warm Tomato soup and home made bread!!!!

They get good treats!!!! Especially now the weather here is freezing cold!!!!!

Oesdog

 

[berkeleysprings]

well our hopes and good wishes are with you ,,,,,,and do what you feal is right ,,,,,,,,, it sounds like your doing the right thing feeding her goodies
and keeping her happy , hope she gets better,,,


Quote:
Excellent

Well, Omlet should be healthy eating that good Irish grass!

My poor wee omlet has been really ill and the vet told me to kill her a few times. I have not and she is ok at the moment just a wee bit small for her weeks.
She is good and strong at the moment so I am hoping the worst has passed and we will get a good adult laying hen out of her yet.

She got hot porridge made with yogurt and some left over rice today!!!! Well spoiled she is!!!!!! Tomorrow is warm Tomato soup and home made bread!!!!

They get good treats!!!! Especially now the weather here is freezing cold!!!!!

Oesdog