Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans Discussion Thread

[snowbird]

I see several people wanting to know different things about Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans. So I think it might be a good time to talk about Wheaten Marans.

The most talked about topic seems to be the cottonball at base of tail at the end of back. If this is to be acceptable in the APA SOP the sponsering Marans club will have to say it is acceptable in the Standard or it will be a Fault. Any of these items not cleared up in the new standard will be covered by the APA SOP under cutting for defects. At present I suggest that any one wanting info go to the French Marans website and read what they have to say there.

Some say that the white wing and tail feathers are not hereditary, mate up a male with the white to some females of the same hatch and see what you get, you will get a very high amout of white in wing and tail.

The wheaten male should have light slate undercolor and the female should have a whitish cream color.

So lets hear the comments and any info. anyone has to offer.

This is just about the wheaten Marans nothing to do with any Marans clubs or what they think or do not think. Don

 

[Illia]

Actually, the dark male does not have a good tail set. He's crowing in the photo, but otherwise his tail is just close to 90 degrees, but not quite.

I doubt the red has Columbian in him though. . . He's everything wheaten but for the excess red in the chest, which the other boys even have little bits of red. . . I'm sometimes wondering if maybe he's a "Wheaten" from my black copper eggs. I had some BC eggs hatching with the Wheaties, but I'm pretty darn sure that this guy hatched from a Wheaten egg. They're rounder and I did have them separated.

All my pullets have good tails, good color - But one of them has a tall, upright, thin tail like my Wheatens here. She also has a more narrow body and a taller, leaning comb. I'm not breeding her.

The only good male I have, in my opinion, is my Blue Wheaten. He still has faults though, and yes I do know there should be no red in the chest (that's why I brought it up)

By spring I'm only going to be breeding my Blue Wheaten and two of my Wheaten pullets. . . The other Wheaten boys will be culled from the program and the extra Wheaten pullet will just be a layer, but eventually sold when I've got someone to replace her. I'd like more than just a couple Wheaten pullets, and I'd like a Blue Wheaten pullet or two again.

One thing I'd really like to see are my choices for new blood in the flock. I see so few Wheaten breeders out there, but I'd like to see more. Especially with egg color.

 

[cherylcohen]

ok now I'm happy...a wheaten thread!! woohoo

I'm a novice, beginner, student and wanna be amazing wheaten breeder. It was recommended to me to start my flock with The Fitzgerald line, Beth and Dave only ship 8s and 9s and from the last hatch it looks like 2 males 2 females but only 2 weeks old now.

I have 6 + viable eggs that went into lockdown yesterday...

I really need to learn so I hope that the people on this thread are willing to help. Many threads that are breed specific turn into nasty exchanges. I have alot to learn, I'm doing alot of research on how to breed, what to look for and I welcome all mentoring!

Let's go wheaties!! I'm in Northern CA and I don't know anyone here that is breeding them.

Picture from last week

 

[knjinnm]

This site has died:'(

Hey Randy,
Get back involved, you have great wisdom for the rest of us.
JAC

 

[Bangarang64]

almost two weeks old and out of the pen for the first time (with mom supervising)

 

[Budda's Birds]

Here are some better photos.

 

[Budda's Birds]

Some group photos of 2019 hatch.

 

[Budda's Birds]

Here are a few eggs from my girls.

 

[Dolly Mountain Farm]

I have a question for the blue wheaten marans experts out there. I am growing out a good looking batch of blue wheatens, just one of the hens has some dark tipping around her neck. See pictures below. I have two questions:
1- What are your thoughts about the tips being black
2- what is the correct terminology used to describe the spots on the tip of the feather in this situation?
Thanks

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

Yesterday, for the first time ever, all 5 of my Marans hens laid an egg! I took a couple of pictures: The darkest two next to a buff orpington egg and then all 5 of them with the same orpington egg and an Ameraucana egg for comparison. They started laying between Thanksgiving and New Year's, so I think the color still looks pretty good. 2 of my hens I will probably not use because their plumage is totally wrong (they look like a cross between golden salmon and wheaten). I still like their eggs, though!