Dark Egg Breeds Thread

[math ace]

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I do use lights and am being extremely generous when I say that I get at MOST 2 eggs per marans per week!

I am beginning to wonder is the lights make any difference when it is 25 - 35 F outside. . . . .

 

[pinkchick]

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You're teasing!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[geebs]

You're killing me drom... mine are still laying light.... dab burn brickity brack

 

[pinkchick]

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ok.....so I'm going to throw this out there..............my thoughts on the white feather thing

...........and if I am way off base here, PLEASE someone put me back on course.

I have tossed this out to a few and have yet to hear anything back, but in my mind, and go out on a limb with me here if you will............ with the possibilities of getting birds that resemble BC looking birds from the crossings of Cuckoos to BC's ........my mind tells me that if using a cuckoo rooster over a BC hen that all babies would be Black barred if I am correct, some all black and some with copper. So, isn't there a possibility that back when the breed was even newer to us that some unknowingly passed some of these BC looking birds on to others with the perception that they would be pure BC? If I am thinking correctly the black barred females bred back to a pure BC would still produce BC looking birds with the cuckoo gene being passed onto the son's, without one seeing the barring right? Then if you think about it even further, the females only throw this trait to their son's, so a BC looking male produced can pass it on to his offspring again, both males and females, thus, I think my point here is that the cuckoo would still unknowingly to some be in the genetics, right? So why isn't it feesible that the white in the hackle and tail (talking white feathers, not fluff) couldn't be contributed to cuckoo being in the background?

Thoughts... please! If I made no sense at all, that's cool too, just someone please give me another possible theory to the white feathers not only being indicitive of Wheaten.

Thanks!

 

[geebs]

I thought of something similar... but I was mentally playing with white.... What line were the white developed off of??? I know the cuckoo definetly ended up in some of these lines.... I am not sure how one gets a white feather without color... but I do know that white is a canvas and that we are working with melanisers so either way cuckoo or white... this is Bev or Blackdotte question for sure.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
ok.....so I'm going to throw this out there..............my thoughts on the white feather thing

...........and if I am way off base here, PLEASE someone put me back on course.

I have tossed this out to a few and have yet to hear anything back, but in my mind, and go out on a limb with me here if you will............ with the possibilities of getting birds that resemble BC looking birds from the crossings of Cuckoos to BC's ........my mind tells me that if using a cuckoo rooster over a BC hen that all babies would be Black barred if I am correct, some all black and some with copper. So, isn't there a possibility that back when the breed was even newer to us that some unknowingly passed some of these BC looking birds on to others with the perception that they would be pure BC? If I am thinking correctly the black barred females bred back to a pure BC would still produce BC looking birds with the cuckoo gene being passed onto the son's, without one seeing the barring right? Then if you think about it even further, the females only throw this trait to their son's, so a BC looking male produced can pass it on to his offspring again, both males and females, thus, I think my point here is that the cuckoo would still unknowingly to some be in the genetics, right? So why isn't it feesible that the white in the hackle and tail (talking white feathers, not fluff) couldn't be contributed to cuckoo being in the background?

Thoughts... please! If I made no sense at all, that's cool too, just someone please give me another possible theory to the white feathers not only being indicitive of Wheaten.

Thanks!

Kim, I believe it is entirely possible that the cuckoo was bred over the BC, If you notice the Cuckoo feathered legs that are being showed have the same white feather fault.. I do believe that the cottontail and the white under coat on the hackles is something else. Same with the brown soft feathering under the vent. I also believe you will have to wait for the juve molt to cull for the white feather in the BC. I will cull all the chicks with the brown mossy as chicks. One thing for sure the white feathers should not be there, but have no proof where they came from though. Don

 

[geebs]

I am hopeful that as they relax the color will get better....I just moved them for collection and put them under lights about 2 weeks ago.... This is about as good as I am getting.. fortunately they are not less than a 4... I have moved up to 5 here.... It is the only joy as the wind blows limbs off the trees onto my new roof and the rain falls in buckets... I will have to outfit my birds with water wings again this year!!!

A little sidenote to you PNW ppl.... If you add turmeric to their feed... during the rainey season... It staves off the Cocci. This has been my experience personally... I was told about it and I tried it... I also do use DE feed through... Just thought I would throw that out there as we are all planning for the little marans.

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks for the responses Don, drom, and Jan! I have asked Blackdotte but I am sure he had quite the full inbox with inquiries so I am more than patient.

Oh and I'm not just talking juvies here either, I'm talking both and with more emphasis on adult birds that didn't show it and all of a sudden do.

On one of the cull boys from GFF, the white in his hackles is definately on the feathers and barred in appearance. Also, one of my older hens now 2 years of age, ear coverts are barred and started changing about 2 months ago. They are completely barred. And why now at 2 years of age. None of her siblings have it. I do not use her for breeding and I do not have any of her offspring because she has a slightly pinched tail and the angle is not good.

 

[geebs]

Picture PinK!!! I am a visual person.. cant even begin to understand without a picture... when you get time of course.

 

[snowbird]

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Kim, My early background was in the Gamefowl, When you have different colored fowl that are crossed , most likely you will see a color difference after every major molt. With the Marans we know for a fact that they have been crossed from the beginning. We also know from the different forums they are being crossed with everything but the kitchen sink now. I know for a fact a lot of crossing is being done and sold as straight bred Marans and it is not just the small backyard breeders either. Don