Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[marquisella]

I agree. Stress, temperature, a lot of rain, change of location, and probably length of laying cycle & hens age. As a pullet begins laying, the egg takes longer to move through the "inner works" so the paint gets sprayed on for a longer period of time,thus becomes darker. AS that same hen lays more, things speed up as her insides enlarge, and the time it takes to pass through is shorter so eggs get less paint. Does that make sense? When a hen lays off laying for a period of time, like in a molt, her innards shrink some, so when she starts laying again, the egg takes more time to more though the paint center, gets more paint deposited, etc, etc.

That is how you can tell when a hen is laying or not by measuring the pelvis. The pelvic bones are spread apart farther when she is in full lay, than when she is not laying, or just beginning to lay. They go back when she stops laying. Then get spread apart again as she lays more.

Sue


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[berkeleysprings]

i wonder how much diet plays a part also , i haven’t come to any conclusions yet on dark eggs , my breeder stock came from great lines , eggs were nice color and when i hatched they grew up to lay one color number or two lighter on the Marans chart ,,so dark egg layers don’t produce dark layers but they might so i think its kind of hit and miss the diet and genetics play a part and so i wonder about the closed flocks for generations haven’t improved color much or improved frequency of producing off spring that lay darker eggs if the answer “completely crossing the birds to get different role of the dice “ might be a thought il try...to me my thoughts are a small percentage of the hit or miss factor will always be the same

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That makes no sence to me. How can the chicks lay dark eggs, if she doesn't even come from a dark egg?

The part people say about the genes are there for dark eggs ..... That is another thing I don't understand. I look at it like this (and I may be wrong) .... Say, in humans, "the genes are there," for such and such. OK, My sisters and I all came from the same gene pool ... and (believe me!) the results are VERY different. So, I look at the eggs the same way. I just feel like they NEED to be dark to get the next generation to lay dark. I don't buy the story, "the genes are there." If the egg they come from is not dark, then chances are they will not lay dark eggs either. That is what I feel anyway.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I'm just

that I can hatch a second generation to test some of this stuff!!

Thank you, those of you who offered encouragement after my fubar with my eggs this morning...

: I'm going to keep the faith and hope for the best.

 

[geebs]

Keep us posted .... I might run a contest or something one of these days for extra eggies... (I do have ppl pay for their shipping)

 

[kathyinmo]

OH, I love contests and games! I just had one on Random Ramblings .... It was alot of fun!

 

[NateDomRIR]

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OLIVE EGGERS!!!
I just hatched out (4) chicks, (1) with feathered legs. They are a Black Ameraucauna(purebred)/a Golden Salmon Marans cull. She laid really dark eggs but she was missing the Salmon. The chicks look like they will be black like the Daddy. My Ameraucaunas lay nice sky blue eggs, hopefully the chicks will lay nice "OLIVE" eggs. 6 months is too long.

 

[Mahonri]

Hi, I need an expert.

I have 3 GC Marans pullets. What would the chicks look like if I put a French Black Copper Roo over them. He is a real big boy and the GC Marans girls are nice sized too!

Could they be sexed at birth?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[pinkchick]

Mahonri~

Barred/Cuckoo females can only pass the barred gene on to her male offspring....thus these male offspring would be cuckoo, the females of this crossing would be black. Hope this helps!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I couldn't help myself... I candled ONE of the eggs this evening... it's still moving.

I am

 

[Friend2Fowl]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

I couldn't help myself... I candled ONE of the eggs this evening... it's still moving.

I am