Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[kfelton0002]

When is it safe to cull chicks for vulture hock? One line of chicks I am brooding have a heavy LP influence and Brenda Little discloses this as a recessive gene that has cropped up in her line. The breeder says he assumes this is why the vulture hock has showed up in my chicks. So far there are 3 that look like they may be developing the trait.. one more so than the others. The breeder recommends I grow them out a little longer to make sure but to me the vulture hock is obvious and I dont want to waste any more feed on undesirable birds.

At what age do u all cull chicks with vulture hock if it is encountered?

 

[kfelton0002]

Here are pics of one of the roos showing what looks like vulture hock. They are like 3 weeks old.

 

[kfelton0002]

I am fairly new to chickens. I picked up 4 Marans this afternoon and wondered if anyone could tell me exactly what I brought home (as far as color) or if it was too soon to tell. I have 2 that are 5.5 weeks old. They look pretty much identical. Here is a picture of 1. Please excuse the wet feathers. They spilled their water. I also have 2 that are 1.5 weeks old. They look pretty much identical too. Here is a picture of 1. Thanks for your help! I want to call them the right breed/color.

The lighter ones are splash marans and the blacks could be black coppers or just black marans.

 

[MedSchlFarmers]

Thank you. I am starting to see copper on one of the black ones, so maybe one of each. I was hoping the babies were blue, but that is what i was thinking. What do chicks look like when blue Marans?

 

[kfelton0002]

Thank you. I am starting to see copper on one of the black ones, so maybe one of each. I was hoping the babies were blue, but that is what i was thinking. What do chicks look like when blue Marans?

As chicks they look like they have a greyish down feathers and feather in a blueish grey color. Splash mated to black will yield black, blue, and splash chicks. If one is getting copper I would say they are both black copper. Some black copper hens can have very little copper in their hackles and look mostly black. Roosters get more copper.

 

[kekstrom]

Here are pics of one of the roos showing what looks like vulture hock. They are like 3 weeks old.

I am not an expert, but I have read that some chicks have what appears as vulture hock, but they grow out of it later on... I believe that was true about Cochin chicks, so not sure about that fact in relation to Marans....

 

[forgetful]

I would cull. I haven't found that they grow out of it, and if it is appearing as a chick then they carry the genes. One of my LP had vulture hocks from a young age, and still has them as a hen in my egg flock.

 

[kfelton0002]

I would cull. I haven't found that they grow out of it, and if it is appearing as a chick then they carry the genes. One of my LP had vulture hocks from a young age, and still has them as a hen in my egg flock.

I will most definitely cull any roos with vulture hock. If any pullets develop it I may keep them only as layers. So far there are 3 that look like may be devloping it.. all look to be roosters. Only one is obviously developing it.. the others arent feathered as well so I will keep an eye on them.

 

[kekstrom]

Izzie, 4 weeks old:







She is super sweet, still gets into trouble with the big chickies. Like a toddler, she is testing her limits. Haha.

 

[kfelton0002]

Izzie, 4 weeks old: She is super sweet, still gets into trouble with the big chickies. Like a toddler, she is testing her limits. Haha.

She is a cutie! My cuckoos are very curious as well.