Marans eggs *pics*

[Oblio13]

Everything I've read about Marans says that the egg color gets lighter as the laying cycle progresses. Mine are doing the opposite. Here are eggs typical of what I was getting a couple weeks ago, almost the exact color of terracota:

Here's what I'm getting now:

Go figure.

 

[cheeptrick]

These are the same color I'm getting...the ones I hatched out were wicked dark...but mine are very light.

They sure are pretty though...

 

[onthespot]

Wow, that is very odd. Might I inquire where you got your birds or original hatching eggs from? That makes me nervous about my upcoming soon to be laying pullets, all three of them, lol. If you know other breeders that got their birds/eggs from the same source, how are theirs turning out? I have always read and heard that they start out as dark as they will ever be, then go lighter, until they go off laying for a while, then the new cycle they start real dark again...

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
Bev Davis

 

[onthespot]

If mine lay dark I'll give you some.

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
My old rooster got killed, and my young one's not quite old enough to do his duty yet, but soon. Maybe we could trade eggs. We'll see if mine keep getting darker.

 

[onthespot]

are your wheatens laying yet?

 

[Oblio13]

Quote:
Not yet, probably another month or two.

ETA I have four laying Black Copper hens, one BC cockerel, one Wheaten cockerel, and four Wheaten pullets. The former are about 20 weeks old, the latter about 12.

 

[Katy]

Our wheatens should start laying about the same time. I'm anxious to see how their color is. They hatched from pretty dark eggs, so I hope it carries through.

 

[onthespot]

these are my actual eggs I got off of ebay, with two chicks hatched already. I am hoping for something along these lines. you can be sure I will post pics of whatever hatches.

and here is the bird that hatched out of the darkest of my eggs. He is also the roo that most closely matches the breed standard, thank god!