I think one of my marans laid their first egg today... but the color is very light, is that common?

[mesha0804]

Hello again,

So I have (4) five month old marans.. 2 cuckoo and 2 black copper... I also have 10 hens that are 2-5 years old. Today I got a very tiny egg that had a little blood on it. I'm assuming that it is one of my poulets first egg. But the egg is very light in color, almost pinkish. Do marans usually lay lighter eggs at first? The shell is very thick much like my 3yr old cuckoo marans' eggs but hers is a dark brown.

I've never gotten tiny eggs from my older hens and it seems to be very similar to every time we've raised young birds. They usually lay small eggs, often with blood on them.

I don't really care if the marans lay lighter eggs, I'm just curious to hear what ya'll have to say. Any thoughts??

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Typically the first eggs of a Marans with the genetics for dark laying, lay the darkest at first lay, then the eggs lighten through the laying season, never getting truly light, but a shade or two lighter.

Cuckoo Marans often lay lighter eggs than the dark Marans color. Black Copper are known for the darker colors. And, if you got your birds from a hatchery, often they won't ever lay truly "Marans" color as the hatcheries don't focus as much on egg color as egg production.

But even if you get one, and pay good money from a breeder (which, uhem, I did for a Splash Marans once who should have been a 6 on the scale), you can get a bird who "under performs." It is the luck of the genes.

So if that truly is a new pullet egg, which it sounds likely as it had some blood on it, somebody has come into lay and will be laying pretty pink.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

These are new pullet eggs from my Marans one year (Black Copper).

 

[mesha0804]

These are new pullet eggs from my Marans one year (Black Copper).




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Yeah come to think of it, I remember my first egg from my cuckoo hen.. it was really dark and then lightened over time. Its still the darkest egg of the batch but not super dark.

Thanks for your input... I got them from a local farmer but you never know... ah well, at least somebody's laying and all my ladies get along, I guess that's the important part Cant wait to see what the other 3 come up with