Need your maran expert advice NEW PICTURES

[chevgrl]

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Thanks Don! Very encouraging marans seem like a whole new world compared to cochins and Brahmans.
Don do you have any advice on these roosters or hens? Physically?
And just to make sure I understand when breeding for color you only hatch out the darkest eggs from your flock?

 

[Kaceyx73]

Don't forget to be a real scientist about breeding. Its not just about recording everything. Experiment, experiment, experiment. Try breeding YOUR favorite birds with the best characteristics you like. They don't have to be pure breds, either. I had a hen that layed a beautiful brown speckled egg. Early on, I noticed these eggs were the most uniform, consistent, and were a good full large. The first few hatches I tried were only those eggs. Only hens from that hatch that produced an egg like it would have been bred. I really don't know how long it might have taken to stabilize a speckled egg, but it was an experiment nonetheless. After the attack, I still have quite a few of those eggs in the bator, so maybe I'm not done with it yet.

 

[chevgrl]

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Sweet deal! So will the eggs your hens produced ever get darker? How do you breed for darker eggs?

 

[Kaceyx73]

Well, the eggs in question are from a hatchery RIR hen. Fertilization is from my late flock manager Vic, a Marans. All I have of either is memories and and an incubator full of eggs. I really wish I had individual pics of the many variations I had in the first two hatches. Most were destined for freezer camp, but now it will be about rebuilding my flock.

If you keep hatching only the darkest eggs you will eventually have a flock that lays a fairly consistent dark egg. Some of the eggsperts can comment on whether you can make them darker beyond a certain point, or whether or not you would have to add in some genetic material from ladies that lay darker than what you have. My new Copper Black hen has laid 2 eggs now, both darker than any RIR egg I've gotten, but not quite up to snuff for a Marans. Both are still a bit small, but then again the 2 new RIR hens are the same, laying smaller than what was normal. Still waiting to get beyond this first week before judging eggs due to moving stress.

Again, from a non-experts point of view, I suspect that over breeding for certain traits will degrade other traits over time. For a dual purpose bird, 3-4 eggs a week should be normal, but selecting for number of eggs over color will lighten the eggs over time. I would think that, since Marans eggs are "painted," fewer eggs might be darker than from a hen laying 6 eggs a week. Just like breeding towards a hen that lays early will result in smaller hens, and carried out to its natural conclusion will eventually mean smaller eggs. Whereas a hen allowed to fully mature before the biological clock starts ticking will generally be bigger, healthier, and more meaty. Why else do you think men are hardwired to look for the shape of a woman's hips? A woman with wider hips can handle the stresses of child bearing better than one with very narrow hips. Nature will always have us outclassed.

I am new to Marans and poultry genetics in general, but I understand a little about nature. Breeding poultry for the backyard produces a different bird than nature would create. We can create amazing things through our meager knowledge of animal husbandry, but nature will always select for survivability.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Thanks Don! Very encouraging marans seem like a whole new world compared to cochins and Brahmans.
Don do you have any advice on these roosters or hens? Physically?
And just to make sure I understand when breeding for color you only hatch out the darkest eggs from your flock?

Most Marans breeders try and set eggs that are at least a six or more on the Egg color chart.

Would it be possible for you to post pictures with one to a post and when taking the picture draw the bird up closer with the camera.

I can say one thing about the Splash and I believe he has a comb spril or carnation comb. His back appears to be short. Are any of these Marans related to each other ?

 

[chevgrl]

Explain more I'm confused... take a picture of a roo? Or a hen? And you want me to be holding it?

 

[snowbird]

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Just take some pictures showing the birds at a closer pictures. My camera you can zoom in the birds for picture. Any of them will do. I would rather see one in each posts.

 

[chevgrl]

Oh okay get it

 

[chevgrl]

Getting a picture of one chicken alone in the frame is hard. The charger to my real camera eatin by mice while in storage. I hate not having tame birds and we were right in the middle of moving then had a death in the family while these were in the brooder. I got a few good photos ill post in alittle while after chores r done. If I'm uploading pics I have to use the computer

 

[chevgrl]

okay here are your pics in different posts. I tried hard to get only one chicken in each photo but it was hard. so forgive me for the ones that have multiples

Black copper Hen