Birchen Marans Thread

[TheCosmos]

The lack of Mohogany would still be a Black Copper Marans, but with incorrect color. There are some black copper marans that come out with the straw color plumage. Everyone I know culls these birds. I guess you can breed for the straw color Marans if you want to, but by breeding to the standard you are working to the same goals as ever one else and will have others that you can work with to improove your flock.

So the 'straw' color people cull is when gold doesn't have the mahogany attached to it. So this is bad. I would think after so many years of breeding copper marans the lack of mahogany wouldn't be an issue.. but I'm sure this is a whole different discussion regarding recessive genes.. etc.. LOL

I'll stick to silver!

 

[GaryDean26]

Saying that they have or don't have mohogany is a bit of an over simplification. In the same way that you got three different shades of "Blue" Chicks there can be different intensities of copper color in the Marans. The intensity has to be balanced which is one of the reasons that the Black Copper Marans is so hard to breed.

 

[pinkchick]

Speaking of gold, look what I found starting to show yesterday on my 6 mos. old cockerel.

 

[pinkchick]

Here is a photo of one of my pullets, she just turned 6 mos. old on the 2nd.

I love her eye color!!!!!

 

[TheCosmos]

Here is a photo of one of my pullets, she just turned 6 mos. old on the 2nd.
I love her eye color!!!!!

She's gorgeous!! And looks very surprised!! LOL Ever see 'drama chipmunk'?

 

[TheCosmos]

Speaking of gold, look what I found starting to show yesterday on my 6 mos. old cockerel.

Oh no, this is considered 'not good'? correct?

 

[pinkchick]

Well...it's not the end of the world, but it is something I will have to work with. Will have to see how much gold he actually ends up with when he is finished maturing.


Thanks for the compliments on the little pullet, she was relatively shocked as I scared them all when I came around the corner to snap some photos of them.

I am very happy with the silver coloring on the pullets. When I get some new photos of the other 2 pullets I will post them.

 

[TheCosmos]

Do you ever ship eggs pinkchick?

I got my first batch of eggs via mail today. They all arrived safely and I am very pleased with the dark color. This is kind of an experiment for me and shipped eggs so I didn't get many.

ALSO, Week 1 photoshoot for the "blue birchens" complete with colored leg bands. I have my own opinion of which ones are pullets and cockerels at this point so I would love to hear your opinion too!!!! I will keep my opinion to myself until I hear others.

Red



Yellow


Brown


Green


Blue


Orange (my fav)


Purple

 

[Brandi Leigh]

Another beautiful breed!

 

[GaryDean26]

I have my own opinion of which ones are pullets and cockerels at this point so I would love to hear your opinion too!!!! I will keep my opinion to myself until I hear others.

My wife always sys that the ones with white dots on the outside of the eyes are cockerels. Off course that is how I end up with my best cockerels having names like Lacy and Ginger.

Have you listened for trills? I also heard that some people can tell the Pullets from the cockersl that way. The vocal trillers being the boys. Hmmm...I hate the period when you have to sit around and guess what they are.