RIR breeding question about darker eggs

[Knight Hawk Ranch]

After reading all the info on Marans and their famous egg color, I got to thinking (yes, that is dangerous).
Has anyone tried breeding RIR for darker egg color?

I thought I might try for fun to see how it would go.
I currently have production birds and they are pretty nice layers, however have noticed that some eggs are darker than others.

Would taking the darker eggs to set, hatch, raise, cull/keep and then repeat? Selection for darker eggs and once grown, correct conformation/coloring?

Has anyone ever tried this? and if so, what were the results?

 

[Byrdj]

I don't know of anyone who has tried it, but it makes sense. I know that Marans breeders are supposed only hatch the darkest eggs to keep the eggs acceptable in the color chart. Also, Ameraucana breeders are always trying to get the egg color closer to blue than to green by picking the bluest eggs to hatch.

That would be a fun project. You may have to start with a rooster that you know hatched from a dark egg. They are as important if not more than the hen in determining egg color.

 

[greathorse]

Quote:
I considered using a marans or wellsummer rooster and crossing on RIR for egg color and then correcting typpe, Some folks wiser than me thought I was heading down a useless path. YOur idea is likely a wiser one. But you do have some fairly common breeds laying dark eggs. the magic seems to be in the marans at this time