Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Runawaylobster]

I had that problem too when I first got my marans. I don't see it much any more. How old are they? I think it is a pullet problem more than a hen problem.

i had it too last year at first but it went away as they got older..

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Thank you, Ihilani Coffee. This gives me some hope. I think I'll hang on to the few pullets laying 'clean' dark eggs and cross them for now with our brown red Ameraucana roosters for some olive eggers. (It'll be neat to have a color-coordinated flock laying different colored eggs.) I'll see if there's any improvement in this regard and keep my eye out for another line of BCM. I wouldn't mind if it were an occasional issue, but it's pretty ridiculous with these gals.

do you have brown red ameraucana hens as well?
I am really trying to get brown red hatching eggs

 

[lvorganis]

So I got my first Marans! I some how stumbled on a breeder that is only a few minutes from me, who just happened to have just hatched some chicks. And then of course he had some pullets that my husband just had to have(chicken math). I am so excited for these birds! Here is to hoping I get a nice, big rooster out of one of them!

 

[wife2abirdman]

I am so excited. One of my hens just started laying. Now I just have to wait until my 2 month old cockerel grows out! BTW where can I get an egg color chart for Marans? Also is it possible that her eggs can get darker? I know they get lighter through the season but I was wondering if they would get darker with age, she is 10 months old.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

I am so excited. One of my hens just started laying. Now I just have to wait until my 2 month old cockerel grows out! BTW where can I get an egg color chart for Marans? Also is it possible that her eggs can get darker? I know they get lighter through the season but I was wondering if they would get darker with age, she is 10 months old.

Everyone says they will not get darker, but I've had it happen. She is one LOVELY splash pattern!

 

[DMRippy]

she almost looks mottled.love the tail fan in blue.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

she almost looks mottled.love the tail fan in blue.

Is the difference between splash and mottled that the individual feathers have two colors in mottled?

 

[BCMaraniac]

I am so excited. One of my hens just started laying. Now I just have to wait until my 2 month old cockerel grows out! BTW where can I get an egg color chart for Marans? Also is it possible that her eggs can get darker? I know they get lighter through the season but I was wondering if they would get darker with age, she is 10 months old.

I love her coloring! The color of my Marans eggs fluctuate somewhat. One of my hens began laying again a couple of weeks ago and her first few eggs were lighter, but easily identifiable because her eggs speckle, but they have darkened. Toward the end of the season last year they lightened significantly, but remained speckled. I have others a bit more consistent colorwise, but I don't have any that lay the really dark eggs. That really isn't my priority with them. My husband loves the free range eggs from the Marans, and I like raising the Marans capons for meat.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
IDK Really... still trying to get that info in my head.

Here are my Exchequer pullets but they look more mottled than exchequer to me.




I THINK mottling is more at the tip of the feather. Exchequer is more of a random pattern.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

IDK Really... still trying to get that info in my head.

Here are my Exchequer pullets but they look more mottled than exchequer to me.




I THINK mottling is more at the tip of the feather. Exchequer is more of a random pattern.

I SO appreciate your honesty Donna! So many people spew out things here they don't know are true, etc. We're a lot alike...just speak your truth and if the answer is IDK, well that's the answer.