The Poultry Keeper

ejc-free · Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 139

Which hens apart from Marans lay really dark brown eggs, is it any colour of Maran that lays these deep brown eggs? Is there anyway to tell before they're POL which hens will lay darker coloured eggs?

Thanks

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I believe welsummers lay a dark brown egg ~ but their eggs are slightly glossy whereas the marans' eggs are matt. I had a wheaten marans girl and she laid dark mahogony coloured eggs with even darker spots on them.

AngieC · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 71 Location: Dorset

My one & only Marans lays glossy eggs; they vary from terracotta with dark speckles to deep brown, always darker at one end.

fenwoman · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:55 pm Post subject:

If you are about to buy birds based on the egg colour it is a good idea to ask the breeder to show you some eggs from the parent stock. That way you will get a good idea. Even within breeds egg colour may vary. My own bantam marans lay a very dark coloured egg but I searched a long time to find a breeder with a dark egg laying strain. The same with my welsummer bantams.
French copper marans generally lay a good dark egg.

Fenn · Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 2292 Location: Shrewsbury

My cuckoo Marans bantam lays matt brown eggs with darker speckles towards one end.

They're very pretty Very Happy

Lisa · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:31 pm Post subject:

My welsummer lays a matt egg - I'd call it dark terracotta. The other welsummer I used to have laid an ordinary-ish brown egg with loads of dark speckles all over it instead. So I would agree it is a good idea to actually see the kind of eggs the birds are likely to produce, if colour is really important.

NannyP · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:20 pm Post subject:

Ratchett the Wellie lays dark, spekeldy terracotta eggs, they seem darker this year. I think towards the end of her year, they get a little paler Very Happy

mojo · Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:30 am Post subject:

always try to see eggs from the parents before buying chooks for their egg colour as several lines of the same breed will have vastly differant coloured eggs

nigel · Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 8:03 am Post subject:

here's the colour of my welsummers egg