Egg size and darkness vary both by breed, age and individual bird. Expect small eggs in the first month(s) to a year, after a hen's first molt (usually the fall after she turns one) she will lay bigger eggs though they may lighten with age and also within a laying cycle. My Marans is still in her first month of laying and her eggs remain small, especially next to our Golden Buff (Red Star/Golden Comet/Sex-link) but they are bigger than the tiny white eggs my husband's Dorking has started laying. My Marans first egg had a thick lavender bloom on it that was very streaky and had dark blotches underneath, so I ended up washing it and it was more carmel colored with dark brown spots, her next few eggs got slightly darker, some had the purple bloom on them, other were a redder brown color, I think each egg she lays is darker and more beautiful than the next. Here are some pictures to illustrate:
Morgaine's first egg just laid, purple and streaky
Morgaine's first egg washed and polished with some olive oil. The dark spots were very thick, both extra calcium and pigment, her body was just starting to work things out
Morgaine's first egg on left, Amelia our GB's on left
First at top washed and polished with a dab of olive oil, second left unwashed and third right washed and standing on its end. The are different hues both because the were handled differently but also because she made them differently. I haven't washed any of her eggs since these first three until just before I'm going to use them and they all look different.
Her first half dozen. The one in the front left spot was her sixth, it was darker red than the rest and had extra calcium on the ends. These eggs are much lighter than what she is laying now.
And yes, light in photography can make a big difference. These are her three most recent eggs, this pic was taken in front of a west facing window in the morning with the camera low and behind the eggs
This second pic is in front of the same window with the camera higher and above the eggs
And the third is taken the same time of day in front of an east facing window.
Some pictures of Marans eggs look lighter than they actually are and some can use a trick of the light to make them look darker and of course every Marans lays a different shade, some breeder lines are darker but even within the same line and the same hen there is variation. So try not to be disappointed if your first few eggs aren't as dark as you think a Marans is "supposed to be". I'm sure they will be beautiful no matter what!
We've been having bad light for many weeks now, it's just cloudy all the time. And the lights we've got at home don't want to work together with my phone camera to show the colors correctly. Here are some older pics of the eggs.
These Marans eggs aren't our own, but I've got some of these under a broody at the moment. They're a bit darker than our own. They too look a bit light in the picture.
Yes, of course its normal, especially on here Chickens are a hobby and can be pricey (they can also be raised quite frugally too). Just don't spend more than you have or more than you really need to. And if its your parents money, make sure you respect their limits. But yes, I love snuggling with my girls, taking pictures of them and their eggs, planning out what breeds I'm going to get in the future (I even make collages on my computer). I highly recommend getting a little egg blower so you can save their first eggs but still eat them too! This is the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/BestPysanky-blwr-2-Blas-Fix-Egg-Blower/dp/B00BDSBOXA# Great for Easter time too! Enjoy your girls! Do you have other breeds?
@autumnhearth , the darker cream colored eggs come from a Speckled Sussex pullet, while the smaller and lighter colored ones are from Finnish Alho landrace chickens.
Thanks for the great info !!!
Yes I have rhode island reds and I have other mixed hens
The money is mine don't worry
I never raised chickens before only after I got married my husband came home with 11 chicks I was So surprised we still have them they are the mixed ones then we decided to buy pure bred rhode island
Red my husbands favorite breed and then I went crazy for the marans eggs so we decided to buy a hen and a roo and now we're hatching RIR eggs e
@autumnhearth , the darker cream colored eggs come from a Speckled Sussex pullet, while the smaller and lighter colored ones are from Finnish Alho landrace chickens.
Thanks for the great info !!!
Yes I have rhode island reds and I have other mixed hens
The money is mine don't worry
I never raised chickens before only after I got married my husband came home with 11 chicks I was So surprised we still have them they are the mixed ones then we decided to buy pure bred rhode island
Red my husbands favorite breed and then I went crazy for the marans eggs so we decided to buy a hen and a roo and now we're hatching RIR eggs
Your welcome. Sorry to assume you were younger, just your extra enthusiasm I guess Oddly enough I really want a production red (hatchery RIR), while the heritage RIR are gorgeous and definitely worth conserving I just want a medium red hen in my flock for color, lol. Same thing with the Buckeyes, all the breeders want them dark, but I like them orangish-red Good luck with the hatching!
i don't like colored flocks
Although it's a lot easier to recognize each hen
my RIR hens all look the same !!
In my area most of the chickens are mixed so each one looks different
Found two one from Sophia and one from Jezebel
Now I am only assuming since there were two today
All other of my flock don't lay white except my Frizzles who are way too young
Chickens are a hobby and can be pricey (they can also be raised quite frugally too). Just don't spend more than you have or more than you really need to. And if its your parents money, make sure you respect their limits. But yes, I love snuggling with my girls, taking pictures of them and their eggs, planning out what breeds I'm going to get in the future (I even make collages on my computer). I highly recommend getting a little egg blower so you can save their first eggs but still eat them too! This is the one I have: 
e
Oddly enough I really want a production red (hatchery RIR), while the heritage RIR are gorgeous and definitely worth conserving I just want a medium red hen in my flock for color, lol. Same thing with the Buckeyes, all the breeders want them dark, but I like them orangish-red 
