Chick Frustration! Whats My Next Step?

[americanchicks]

Hi All,
So got a dozen maran eggs from a sweet old gal of CL. I knew right away that things where not right. She had been keeping the eggs in the warm living room. They where pointy side down but she had not been tilting the carton. Well my fist time hatching marans stunk. 1 egg was cracked, 3 that where not fertile and the rest died during incubation. I only ended up hatching 3 on valentines day.

Well now one of the chicks has angel wing pretty bad. I dont know what to do. I want to breed these Marans and if one is a roo use it for olive eggers. I dont want to breed angel wing into chicks. So should I just get rid of the one with angel wing or all of them? I have 2 options: I know a man that raises marans and takes very good care of them. He charges $10 a chick straight run. Was thinking kinda spendy but Wilcox is selling maran chicks for $20 a peice! I also can get eggs from another breeder that seems reputable for $30 a dozen. Any advice would be great!
Thanks.

 

[MGG]

Well, Angel wing is only in waterfowl, chicks don't get it. I don't know what it could be, it might just grow out of it. Pics?

 

[Wezdin]

She had been keeping the eggs in the warm living room. They where pointy side down but she had not been tilting the carton.

As far as i know that will do nothing unless her living room is reaaaaly warm. We need pics to tell what is wrong because as MGG posted chickens don't get angel wing.

 

[americanchicks]

If started sticking out a day after she hatched. Will go flat when held down but slowly sticks up again.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If started sticking out a day after she hatched. Will go flat when held down but slowly sticks up again.
View attachment 2028795

What variety of Marans is that alleged to be?

Don't worry about that wing feather... the bird will grow into it.

 

[americanchicks]

Her living room was pretty toasty I say mid 70's. She had a fire roaring. I wonder about the age of the eggs as well. She told me that some of the eggs where over a week. That is kinda pushing it. I would of just said no thanks but she was 83 and very sweet.

 

[americanchicks]

What variety of Marans is that alleged to be?

Black copper, she told me that every now and then she would hatch a lighter ones. I never saw the adults but she showed me older chicks. Looked like a mix of Black Copper and wheaten marans.

Here is all 3. This pic was hard to take. The one in the middle kept running at the camera. My 5 year old named it Mushroom. Kids are the best ant naming chickens...

 

[MGG]

My guinea keet had that and she grew into it. I'm sure she will too

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Cute chicks!

If your serious about breeding Marans pick a variety and don't breed that red headed one, bare minimum... that's not a normal geno/pheno type (I can't keep those words straight yet)... but I bred black and blue copper in Marans and wheaten in Ameraucana... crossing the colors is fine for things like you OE project... The red headed one already has way to much color leakage to be black copper and wrong coloring period for wheaten. Not sure about the other 2 yet with regards to SOP... it's been a while since I hatched them. Let them grow out and see what you end up with. The middle one is sporting too much red already as well... but I'm curios to see what the outcome is! I don't breed them anymore, but they were wonderful birds. Mushroom sounds like perfect name! We once had an EE named Salsa Pancake.

They do look like Marans... just maybe not selected for certain qualities as everyone has different thoughts and goals. Were the eggs you hatched correct in color, at least a 4 on the Marans color scale for your OE project? Definitely don't buy from that sweet old lady again, as it sounds like you weren't truly satisfied even though she didn't do any deception as far as we can tell.

Have you seen pics of the other guys' parent stock? I sold Marans as fast as I could hatch them for $10 each, also straight run and on CL. I consider my chicks a bargain as I worked really hard to gather my stock from several breeders and selected hard for generations to get my flock where it was when I sold it. Hatching eggs sold for $65/dozen... Not always, but often you DO get what you pay for. Even at those prices... repeat customers are common. But ask lots of questions... anyone charging that much should have stories to tell. Any vagueness RUN, and same you money, time, and frustration!

Best wishes on your adventures!

 

[americanchicks]

Were the eggs you hatched correct in color,

Funny that you would say that. Because the brown one did hatch from a speckeled lighter brown, larger egg then the other 2.

Definitely don't buy from that sweet old lady again, as it sounds like you weren't truly satisfied even though she didn't do any deception as far as we can tell.

I know she didn't. At the same time I got the Marans I got a dozen Maran/Cochin + Red Ranger mix. Im raising them as meat birds, we will see how they do. Had an 80% hatch rate with them incubated alongside the marans. She did tell me she got a lot of the mixes eggs. Maybe they where fresher than the marans

Have you seen pics of the other guys' parent stock? I sold Marans as fast as I could hatch them for $10 each, also straight

Yes I have. Went to his place to get a maran roo 6 months ago (sad to say disappeared while foraging) He sells his birds all over the country and is protective of his flock. You are not allowed to touch in fear of them getting something. I contacted him and he says he has a batch of marans due to hatch tomorrow.

My hubby just built me a new enclosure. My goal it the have a BCM Rooster, about 3 or 4 BCM hens, Along with 3 to 4 lavender ameraucana (I got some pure bred show chicks last week) for olive eggers. Also a couple barred rock so I can make sex-linked chicks.
I know I could use legbar for sex linked olive eggers but I found them flighty. Plus I love the Lavender. Since all the eggs are a distinct color I will know what is coming out if the egg. If I like raising BCM I can always make an enclosure just for them. Or breed the Lavender Ameraucanas, they are hard to find. Even just stick with the olive eggers. Its fun to dabble.

I will keep u updated on the Marans development. If she is a girl I can put her with my mix flock.