Maran and???

[SarahInAlaska]

I just got these two girls yesterday. I was told they are maran mixes that lay the deep dark eggs. Any idea what they might be mixed with?

And this poor girl has a bald spot on her neck from her previous flock pecking her clean.

 

[SarahInAlaska]

Anybody got any ideas? The bald gal ended up getting a bad pecking injury do she's been inside healing up. We have her in a dog crate in the 75 degree garage with my chicks and silkie. Even with all the stress she actually laid an egg today in the kennel but its a rich cream color with dark red/brown spots on the shell. Not what I was expecting after being told they were laying a dark brown egg. So, what might they be mixed with and was I duped and not getting my lively dark eggs out of these girls? I'm still new to this and thought I knew enough about the breed but won't be surprised if I messed up.

 

[ramirezframing]

with black marans and black coppers it can be hard to not get a different breed or to get a poor egg color line. some marans lay a lighter egg with the darker spots. I would wait a while and get a few eggs from them to see if they are truly marans. This is one reason I like the French line as they have the feathered shanks and thus can be told from a black sex link and other black breeds, just not a mix. Did you by chance ask to see some of the eggs before you got them? Which if they are that bad of a seller doesn't mean these hens laid them but you would at lest know that something did Good luck

 

[SarahInAlaska]

It was a Craigslist deal. I know I shouldn't just take someone's word for it (I don't really trust people) but we were slogging through mud and wind and cold to get to the coop and since I only paid $5 each ( they were pecked pretty bad) I didn't worry too much about it. The other one hasn't laid yet so waiting a bit is all I can do. I've got some BCM hatching eggs that I candled yesterday and I might have some chicks in there but its really hard to see through the super dark shells. So I might have to wait a little longer for my dark eggs if these girls don't make them.

 

[ramirezframing]

for 5 bucks I think its a deal even if they aint marans, as long as they are still laying eggs at any rate. good luck with your hatch (might just leave all eggs till a few days after hatch to make sure you don't throw a good egg out, What I do when hatching marans)

 

[SarahInAlaska]

for 5 bucks I think its a deal even if they aint marans, as long as they are still laying eggs at any rate.  good luck with your hatch (might just leave all eggs till a few days after hatch to make sure you don't throw a good egg out, What I do when hatching marans)

That's what I thought! Her reason for rehoming was they weren't laying enough (every other day) and she had new pullets taking their place. Come to find out they were super crowded and had been pecked to bits. I'd quit laying too! So they are settling in and getting integrated here and starting to lay so $5 for any laying bird isn't bad! Thanks! I'll make sure to give the eggs a few extra days to be sure!