wheaten Ameraucana egg color

[Kaede]

this is a question based in ignorance. Are wheaten ameraucana eggs bluer than other ameraucana eggs? I've been reading about ameraucana eggs in a Facebook group, and they are being advertised as having bluer eggs then other ameraucana eggs. Sort of like BCM have the darkest eggs of any marans

 

[chickengirl778]

Not in my experience, but I could be wrong!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I say hogwash... being relative to "wheaten"... I think it could be line specific though.

Makes me crazy that people like to take pics of their darkest eggs and act like that's what they get everyday.

Seems people should always get a second opinion on info gleaned fro FB.

I could be wrong too... but I don't buy it.

 

[Kaede]

How about BMC eggs being darker that other Marans? I've read about that in a bunch of places. But my local feed shop (who sells Easter Eggers as Easter Eggers not at Ameracuna's) says there is no difference in any color varieties of Marans.

 

[lomine]

I have heard the same thing about BCMs having the darkest eggs. But egg color can also very between two birds of the same breed. If you look at the Meyer hatchery site and the egg pictures you'll see different shades for each color of the breed but also different shades in each picture. It does look like the darkest is from the BCM, though. My darkest eggs come from my BCMs but I have no other Marans to compare them to so I can't say if it's all just a coincidence or in the breed color. I do agree with the idea that selective breeding is also a very big part of it.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I have 2 Wheatens.

As you can see one lays a slightly greener egg. I can generally only tell the difference if I put them side by side like in the picture.
I oddly enough also have 2 FBCM.

One lays a speckled egg, the other no speckles.
People also tell me the blue eggs taste better.

 

[Alexandra33]

I agree with the above...color saturation/darkness can easily vary among examples of the same breed.
My Wheaten AM hen doesn't lay eggs that are any bluer than the other varieties I've tried out. Then again, this could just be dependent upon individual, or genes.

I will say my BCM laid MUCH darker eggs that her Blue Splash "sister." This is only going on VERY limited experience, so once my young Wheaten, Black, and Black Copper girls begin turning out their lovely eggs, I shall update you on this subject. (if you'd like)

~Alex

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How about BMC eggs being darker that other Marans? I've read about that in a bunch of places. But my local feed shop (who sells Easter Eggers as Easter Eggers not at Ameracuna's) says there is no difference in any color varieties of Marans.

I am very unimpressed with hatchery Marans egg color.

Yes it *may* be true that FBCM have the darkest egg color, originally... BUT when I breed my splash female to my black male... their offspring females *should* get their fathers' egg shade... even if they are blue ladies. And lay an equally dark shade.

So it will most effect your flock by choosing a sire from the best color laying hen to breed to future hens...

I WAS impressed with my Marans boy who went to sire some babes for a broody sex link. Their offspring that hatched DID lay Marans colored eggs... from tan laying hens!

 

[mixedbreeds]

I am very unimpressed with hatchery Marans egg color.

Yes it *may* be true that FBCM have the darkest egg color, originally... BUT when I breed my splash female to my black male... their offspring females *should* get their fathers' egg shade... even if they are blue ladies. And lay an equally dark shade.

So it will most effect your flock by choosing a sire from the best color laying hen to breed to future hens...

I WAS impressed with my Marans boy who went to sire some babes for a broody sex link. Their offspring that hatched DID lay Marans colored eggs... from tan laying hens!

That’s interesting I have nice dark eggs from my BCM’s some do have speckles one other hens eggs are not that dark selective breeding the key for sure. I also have blue copper and cuckoo Marans both of those lay a more just brown egg some with speckles. Thanks for the tip I will cross my BCM’s boy with the cuckoo and see what happens.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks for the tip I will cross my BCM’s boy with the cuckoo and see what happens.

It will only help if your boy is a dark layer...

But did you realize that crossing your cuckoo ladies to your black boy, that you will get sex linked chick... all the gals will be black and the boys will be cuckoo, hatched with a white spot on their heads. You would then have to hatch the next generation to make your females cuckoo again with the darker egg color.

I should say... I think the speckled eggs are a lovely variation in the basket.

Regarding breeding black and blues... I will no longer be mingling the two colors... as cross breeding them is diminishing the color quality of BOTH in my opinion and experience. In other words... (in my Silkies I noticed it first but I'm SURE it carries over) The black becomes faded and not crisp looking. And the blue gets darker and darker (if you don't watch it). In my Marans the dark blue is still beautiful. But in my Silkies, it just makes for black and blue birds that you can BARELY tell apart.