Black Copper Marans discussion thread

OK, I just hatched my first webbed toe Marans.

CLEARLY it will not be a breeder, and if a male it will be eaten as soon as it is a good size..

However, if it is female, I would like to keep it in my regular, non-breeding laying flock.

So.... can I just cut through the webbing between the two toes?

I would guess that the sooner I do it the less bleeding?

So.... sterile cutting implement and then can I just use flour to stop the bleeding? Or, is the bleeding so bad that I need something special???
I have never had that but I do cut the webbing for marking my chicks. they don't bleed much. just depends on how much you cut. I use corn starch to stop bleeding if it gets too bad but I hatch over 100 every hatch almost and MAY use the corn starch about once a month.... if that. I just use some tiny scissors I have for sewing. Make sure they are sharp. You could use an exacto type knife if you can see well enough. They bleed more the closer you get to the toes and the deeper in the v you cut.
 
OK.. in case anyone else out there has a Marans hatch with the toes webbed together.

It wasn't too difficult.

I took my sharpest pair of tiny scissors, washed them very well, and had a teaspoon of cornstarch on hand.

I cut through the web, not all of the way to where the toes join, but close.

It was interesting... there was no blood at first, but then all of the edges developed a bead of blood.

I think that it would have better if I had completely removed all of the webbing, instead of simply cutting the webbing down the middle. However, I didn't want to continue to hurt the little chick. So, cosmetically, there will be little skin flaps on the sides of those toes... but that is also maybe the best choice, since then it will be harder to forget that this chick should NOT be used for breeding.

Since I didn't want to separate out the chick from my current mass of chicks, I stuck the foot on some painters tape, patted some corn starch on the cut areas, and folded over the top of the tape. So, no red will show, so no picking/cannibalism problems. Other benefit of using the tape, is I got to position the toes in the shape they should grow.

The foot that I did NOT doctor, but it isn't perfect either.


messed up foot:




Foot with painter's tape band-aid:

 
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Here are some better pictures of her and her soon to be mate. I picked her up and I did actually see a few (4) copper heckle feathers down her neck.
700

700



quote name="desertmarcy" url="/t/444381/black-copper-marans-discussion-thread/10520#post_15142479"]She looks like she has some size to her, how old is she? Her eyes are not bay, but if she hasn't come into lay yet, they could still change. To evaluate, you need to get a photo with her standing in a relaxed position so we can see her top line. The first photo, she is scrunched down, the second, head down eating. And back end photo, so we can see if she has a pinched tail or not.
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I've been trying to get my hands on some BCM for two years now and have had very bad luck. I did manage to hatch a rooster once but that's the best I've done. But I'd really like a hen or two for him. All of the ones I've gotten since are sickly. Here's a girl I have now, about 7 weeks old. Have you guys seen this before? She's also got neurological issues and I'll probably cull her. I have four that look like this, two died several weeks ago as young chicks. Bad blood?

 
I've been trying to get my hands on some BCM for two years now and have had very bad luck. I did manage to hatch a rooster once but that's the best I've done. But I'd really like a hen or two for him. All of the ones I've gotten since are sickly. Here's a girl I have now, about 7 weeks old. Have you guys seen this before? She's also got neurological issues and I'll probably cull her. I have four that look like this, two died several weeks ago as young chicks. Bad blood?

I'd recommend sending the sick birds to the lab. They are kind of young, but it could be something like Marek's.
 
I can send one to the lab - and probably will - but the weird thing is that it's never spread to any other breed. Last year the girl was in with a dozen others and not a single one "caught it". This time around, once again, they are the only ones, of about 48 chicks they were brooded with, that are like this. It's strange.
 

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