Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Bens-Hens]

Nice Welsummers. I was interested in finding some of those. How dark are the eggs you get? We have a Barnevelder coming up who I hope lays darker than 'normal', but I don't think is going to hold a candle to the chocolate of a Maran.

Speaking of Maran's, is there one breed that lay's darker than other's or is a Maran a Maran, just different plumage? I have found a French Wheaton locally which I like the look of, but I keep hearing other talking about BCM's.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

My Photo up loader seems to be working again....so you guy's are going to be seeing a lot of photo's

!

Rexy here are the New Marans.

Left - Blue Wheaten Right - Clay Wheaten

Not the best photo's for showing colour.
Blue on left, Clay on right.

The blue.

Here are my French Wheaten's fuzzy butts. I think they just have the best tails.





There feathering has come in really nicely.

My big Rooster and his Maran girl.

I will try and get some better pics of my Blue and Clay Marans, they just where not co-operating this morning.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Nice Welsummers. I was interested in finding some of those. How dark are the eggs you get? We have a Barnevelder coming up who I hope lays darker than 'normal', but I don't think is going to hold a candle to the chocolate of a Maran.

Speaking of Maran's, is there one breed that lay's darker than other's or is a Maran a Maran, just different plumage? I have found a French Wheaton locally which I like the look of, but I keep hearing other talking about BCM's.

Rexy and Chook will be able to help you greatly on this but It really just depends on the line. Some one could have light layer BCM's but another person who has been perfecting the egg in their line have really dark ones. Also don't compare Aussie Marans to US and UK, they just won't lay really dark eggs like in those countries. But I would have to say Chook your eggs are pretty darn dark!!

 

[TheChookPatch]

Nice Welsummers. I was interested in finding some of those. How dark are the eggs you get? We have a Barnevelder coming up who I hope lays darker than 'normal', but I don't think is going to hold a candle to the chocolate of a Maran.

Speaking of Maran's, is there one breed that lay's darker than other's or is a Maran a Maran, just different plumage? I have found a French Wheaton locally which I like the look of, but I keep hearing other talking about BCM's.

Thanks Bens-Hens... The eggs were white when I got them from my breeder 4 years ago but I used a Wheaten Marans roo to make the eggs darker. I've got one really dark laying barney too, Betty. She has a darker egg than some of the Marans eggs I have bought from other breeders so you never know you might be really impressed with your little barney girl! I love them,
French Wheaten Marans are the only true colour we have in Australia (according to research done by the French Marans Club of Australia) up until the importation syndicate brought Black Copper Marans and English Cuckoo Marans over from the UK (Yet to be released to their new owners but soon and I'm not 100% if there were other colours bought over too), All the other colours we have here now were created from French Wheaten Marans using another breed to create the colours. For instance I have Black Copper Marans that were made using Black Croad Langshan and I have been continuing the breeders work to get the egg darker because using the Croad to get the correct feathering diluted the egg colour of the the French Wheaten Marans. That is also why Black Copper Marans eggs can have a slightly plum tinge to them. I'm waiting on this years girls I have left to lay and fingers crossed they will be a good colour. The imported Marans eggs are REALLY dark like cluckcluckluke said, there is no comparison to what we have here. I can't wait till they get out into the general public!

 

[Bens-Hens]

Thanks for the reply's and info.

Our Barney's didn't come from overly dark eggs, not much darker than a store bought really so I didn't hold high hopes for our hen to lay darker. A bit to go yet as she is only just ticked over 13 weeks. I was hoping to put her under one of my Araucana roo's and go for olive eggs, but I think it won't be dark enough to be olive. I am new to that side of things so just trying to soak up what ever info I can.

I think the best we could hope for would be some mint green layers from what we have. I can get my hands on some French Wheaten Maran's, so might add those to the BC's Blue Australorps and some of our home grown mutts next hatch.

 

[satay]

Love your pics Luke. That is one handsome looking rooster too. Thanks Chook for the info on the marans. It is good to have someone with such knowledge of them on this thread

 

[K Spot]

Wow, chook, your wellies are very pretty! I love the contrast of the silver on the brown.

Combating upper respiratory in my Lorp at the moment -sigh- Had to separate and quarantine in the dark last night. At least it made the bugger easier to catch.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Love your pics Luke. That is one handsome looking rooster too. Thanks Chook for the info on the marans. It is good to have someone with such knowledge of them on this thread

Thanks. Yeah he is really big now and his wattles and comb are massive. They might even start becoming a problem for him if they keep growing.

 

[Pinky Macgyver]

Wow, you guys have been active! Was gone for a day and so much to catch up on!

I agree that it's disgusting how people treat animals as disposable. My aunt (not sure if I have the full story) killed her chickens because she Didn't want them in the back yard for her birthday party. They were speckled Sussex too, I'm sure someone would've gladly taken them. Like me!

But on the upside, there are some wonderful people that try to balance it out like that person saving the battery hens and Satay saving the two orphans
And isn't it wonderful what our partners do for us? Especially wonderful when they're not animal people themselves, just do it to make us happy :-D
Yesterday, my partner drove me about five hundred kilometers sound trip to pick up some birds. It was a very big day

I finally got the "rare-ish" birds I mentioned last week :-D I got a trio of two week old Yokohama, a quad of very very young Sumatra and a quad of Houdan!!! So excited about the houdan :-D only wanted one but they were so cheap I had to buy four... you guys get it right? I can't keep them all on my little house block so I think the plan is to keep the Sumatra at my partner's parents', probably sell the Yoko (hopefully for a small profit) and I must find somewhere to keep my houdans! I'm not letting them go lol.
Anyway, pictures

 

[satay]

LOl I love your theory Pinky. That's is what I do too. I might just get one... Well don't the others look cute too... Darn it take them all lol. Love the pictures of your new additions. Hubby is not to bad when it comes to animals... He owns the snakes and budgies technically.... but if it was that far to go I would get .. Here is the car and trailer don't get lost lol Think you might be needing to find yourself some acreage soon PInky lol. I have always been known for taking in chickens people don't want .. I just can't bare to see them mistreated.