Birchen Marans Thread

[jan12]

So how are everyone's efforts with their birds? I separated my females and stuck them in with one of my BCM males. My 5 Birchen males are starting to get testy. I need to ax 2 of them but haven't got around to it. I have to say, the Birchens I have have been really flighty, and they don't go in the coop at night. I have to push them in at the end of every day. Bunch of dummies. All my others are easy going. I didn't raise them any different either. Weird.

Well, I have a pretty nice blue birchen cockerel and two birchen hens from my hatch this year.. But one of the females is showing a lot of gold leakage and the other looks mostly black. Not great for breeding, unfortunately. So I decided I'd try GFF chicks in the spring in hopes of getting better looking pullets, though they are ridiculously pricey, IMO. I really like the hens they have though!

Mine forage far from the coop and I usually round them up at the end of the day, but yesterday they went back to the coop on their own at dusk, finally! I hope they keep that up.

 

[DMRippy]

here Vicki I can get more if needed.

 

[DMRippy]

she is looking more like a penciled than birchen. is that right? the silver in her chest is more like barring right now but I know with my pencileds they look barred too at this age.

almost forgot her hackles are black with what looks like white shafts. might that change?

sorry I had to switch back to mobile.

 

[gilavina]

she is looking more like a penciled than birchen. is that right? the silver in her chest is more like barring right now but I know with my pencileds they look barred too at this age.

almost forgot her hackles are black with what looks like white shafts. might that change?

sorry I had to switch back to mobile.

this is more barring I believe. From what I've seen, the birds that have this when they are young will have it when they are older. I prefer not to use them if at all possible, but if you are desperate you'll just have to be really careful about what you select from the offspring, otherwise it will show up quite a bit.

 

[DMRippy]

she is looking more like a penciled than birchen. is that right? the silver in her chest is more like barring right now but I know with my pencileds they look barred too at this age.


almost forgot her hackles are black with what looks like white shafts. might that change?


sorry I had to switch back to mobile.

this is more barring I believe. From what I've seen, the birds that have this when they are young will have it when they are older. I prefer not to use them if at all possible, but if you are desperate you'll just have to be really careful about what you select from the offspring, otherwise it will show up quite a bit.

well I may not be that desperate yet. if my birchen pen will ever start laying aging I can hatch some pullets.

 

[gilavina]

well I may not be that desperate yet. if my birchen pen will ever start laying aging I can hatch some pullets.

Haha, that's why I have a pen full of pretty but very incorrect birchen layers that I started 4 years ago.

 

[Broad St Farm]

Well, I finally got off my butt and took a few updated photos of the young ones that I have growing. I do believe they are right around 4.5-5 Months. I would still lead to the younger.

 

[Broad St Farm]

I took a couple phone pictures of my Mopey males. Not happy to be in cages. Tired of trying to decide which ones to keep so Im just taking them to a show next weekend. I will let the judges pick them out for me. Plus they started fighting. I need to conserve the feathers!

 

[Broad St Farm]

Anyone else having any progress with their birds?

 

[jan12]

I took a couple phone pictures of my Mopey males. Not happy to be in cages. Tired of trying to decide which ones to keep so Im just taking them to a show next weekend. I will let the judges pick them out for me. Plus they started fighting. I need to conserve the feathers!

I like your second roo. He's beautiful! Well, from what I can tell in the pic.