Would you hatch these?

[Ziegenhof]

My mother wanted some "of those chickens from the chocolate egg layers". So we went in search of some Copper Marens hatching eggs. Purchase 1 dozen from one party and then another dozen from a different person.

Both sets of eggs arrived today. First dozen to show up were really light. I was thinking these hens are probably close to end of laying cycle but even with that in mind they are light.

Second dozen shows up nice and chocolate.

My camera is making the eggs look darker then they are for both sets. But I did stick on of my very pale wyandotte eggs for comparison.

So the question is would you hatch the first dozen due to color issues or ?

 

[CluckyCharms]

I would give them all a chance to live - and if your mother decides they're laying eggs that aren't to her liking, they can always be rehomed or sold. I would never give up a chance to hatch a fertile egg unless I knew for fact that it came from sickly stock or that the line had genetic defects, etc.

 

[Ziegenhof]

I would give them all a chance to live - and if your mother decides they're laying eggs that aren't to her liking, they can always be rehomed or sold. I would never give up a chance to hatch a fertile egg unless I knew for fact that it came from sickly stock or that the line had genetic defects, etc.

I think for the Marans a light egg is a genetic defect? Or at minimum I know its a very undesirable quality for the Marans.

I was looking at the Marans chart and that first dozen is barely making the minimum 4 (some I think are dipping down to 3's). I'm going to write the person and see what part of the laying cycle those hens were in.

 

[CluckyCharms]

I think for the Marans a light egg is a genetic defect? Or at minimum I know its a very undesirable quality for the Marans.

I was looking at the Marans chart and that first dozen is barely making the minimum 4 (some I think are dipping down to 3's). I'm going to write the person and see what part of the laying cycle those hens were in.

It is undesirable to have a hen in a breeding program with eggs that are not consistently dark in color. Are you planning on breeding them? If so - then yes I would do what you said you were planning on doing and ask the breeder about cycle and age as well as moult. Moulting hens can still lay solid shelled eggs (not all hens lay shell-less eggs or no eggs during moult)...but moulting can affect shell color as well (and it's that time of year).

Color can also be adversely affected by diet and free range versus caged/in a run etc. Pullets that hatch from maran eggs that are not desirable on the color chart may grow to be producers of very nice 7 & 8 eggshells depending on diet and flock management.

This is a very lengthy (but very interesting) read: http://marans.org/eggreview.pdf
as is this: http://maransofamericaclub.com/page1.php

Regardless of which eggs you choose to incubate or what I call "broodiate" - I hope you have an excellent hatch!

 

[LittleRedCoop53]

Marans caught my eye... I live here in S.Oregon too, and at some point i plan on getting a marans hen because of the dark egg color... i don't have a large flock, just 5 hens, but i have room for a few more ... so many choices out there... i'm new to this so i hope i can keep following your thread...good luck (and i agree with the other guy..hatch'em all)

 

[LittleRedCoop53]

Just wondering whatever happened? Did you hatch them all?