Will egg colors get darker??

[BBSnavely]

Our Easter egger started laying today! We are in love with the blue egg!!

We also have an Australorp who started laying first, the light brown eggs are hers.

However, we expected darker brown eggs from our Marans hens.

Do you think the egg colors will get darker at all?

Do egg colors change as a hen starts laying?

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

My Production black star hen lays a medium brown egg at the beginning of the week and by the end of the week they are lighter brown. Then she'll take a day off and come back medium brown again.
Are you sure yours are pure because those eggs are super light and my Isa brown just laid her first egg the other day and it was twice as dark as yours But I'm not to familiar with your breed.

 

[HappyClucker7]

Where did you get the marans from? If the chickens are hatchery quality, then they most likely won't lay dark brown eggs.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Hatchery Marans aren't bred for egg color so you're unlikely to get dark eggs. Egg color isn't likely to get too much darker (though you may see fluctuations) and will actually get lighter by the end of the season, as the pigment in the system gets spent.

 

[BBSnavely]

Where did you get the marans from? If the chickens are hatchery quality, then they most likely won't lay dark brown eggs.

Actually, from a local lady that breeds and sells them.

 

[BBSnavely]

Black Marans or "French" Black Marans. 

 

[Callender Girl]

Sounds like I'm the odd one out here, but I have a Midnight Majesty Marans -- from Hoover's Hatchery, via a local ag store -- and she lays Very Dark Brown eggs.

I've found some color fluctuation in all of my colored layers. Right now, my Welsummer is producing ombre eggs -- much darker at one end and gradually fading lighter at the other.

However, I would be surprised if your hen's eggs develop as deep a coloring as you wanted. Still, lovely birds and, congratulations on the eggs, whatever color!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Actually, from a local lady that breeds and sells them.

Does she breed for egg color? It's not something that everyone prioritizes (breeding for dark eggs often equals lowered egg production, so there's a tradeoff).

 

[Texas Transplant]

Black Marans or "French" Black Marans. 

Is this a recent photo of your Marans girls? Their comb and wattles do not look like pullets that are close to laying eggs. Is there an off chance they haven't started laying?

 

[chickenenthusiasts5698]

I got lucky it’s seems. My hatchery Marans lays dark eggs too. (Bought from TSC)