Birchen Marans Chick Straight Run

My Birchen Marans are my most tedius project by far. We choose traits aiming for the French standard, but are really working on egg color. First year layers lay a dark brown egg and as they age the eggs become more of a teracotta/red and have a more speckled appearance. Chicks will hatch roughly 50% black and 25% blue/silver and 25% splash. These beautiful birds have a calm temperament and lay an average of 150-200 eggs annually.