2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[speckled hen]

Hi everyone,

Henny one of my lovely marans started laying on christmas eve (it made my christmas!) at first her eggs where deep brown in colour, since then Daisy (light sussex) and I think Penny (maran) have started to lay. The maran eggs seem to vary in colour, some are very deep in colour, some speckled and others quite light. Daisy lays a light egg. Is it normal for variety in colour?

 

Oh and we had our first 3 egg day today What clever girls xxx

 

Thanks for your help x

[dancing cloud]

Can't help on colour, but well done on your first full house!

[Trish]

We find that our girls egg colour in mainly consistent but then they will throw the odd different one just to keep you guessing. I'm sure they have a rota for who's turn it is to lay and odd looking one.

[Hen Watch]

I've just read a letter in the Practical Poultry Magazine (Feb 2009 issue) about Maran egg colours.

 

The magazine says you can't predict the egg colour that French Marans lay unless you know the parent stock and if they are bred purely for egg colour. Some eggs can be just tinted, so they say. It also says most breeds of hen lay lighter coloured eggs the older they get.

[helenmb]

I find that the colour varies tremendously with what I term 'normal' colour egg layers. They certainly get paler the older the girls get. I also read the article in Practical Poultry about Marans which I thought was very interesting. If you haven't got it (or can't get hold of one) if you PM me with your email address I can scan it and send you a pdf of it if you'd like.

[maximum_999]

I found all three gradually got paler but after a dose of wormer ( flubenvet ) they went back to their original darker brown, maybe coincidence.