I picked up my first Marans today!!!!!!

[SGM]

Yes that's true. I knew by looking at them that they weren't barred but cuckoo so I thought I was doing something then. LOL Oh well. I wasn't prepared for the real deal. I have EEs too. I would love to someday have blue birds who lay me blue or green eggs. My chicks all hatched from green and blue eggs since I incubated them. I just sold all my adult stock yesterday though. I wanted more faithful layers than those. I only got 1 blue egg in the time I had the one hen and the other laid every other day so long as there wasn't any type of change from weather to who knows what. So needless to say there were lots of missed days. I think they were a good bit older by the time I got them.

 

[speckledhen]

Oops, SGM, I see another breed in there, I think. Look closely and see if one of those pullets or more has a rose comb. You may have BRs, Doms AND Cuckoo Marans in your bunch.

 

[SGM]

Quote:
I'll have to look more closely in the morning but I'm pretty sure they were all singles. The 3 hens combs are all very small right now but they did look like singles. I'll check again in the morning.

 

[speckledhen]

If the comb looks like a puffy sort of single, it may be a cross. I have a BR over Blue Ameraucana and her comb is a pea comb, but modified a bit. It looks like a thick single really.

 

[SGM]

Yeah, I'll try to look tomorrow. They are not friendly birds (for now) but I'm sure they'll end up much nicer once they realize I'm full of treats.

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

oohh, they have a lot of nerve. The wrong breed AND unfriendly!...

 

[SGM]

I looked this morning during feeding and all 3 hens combs look the same. Just smaller versions of the roosters. Less red and pronounced. They're young still too. Only 3 months. He said they were early summer hatchlings and definitely 3 months. Going to be a LONG wait to see some eggs!!!

 

[ginasmarans]

They do look more cuckood than barred,and you already know the leg color is off. Sometimes that can happen in purebred marans. It's a breed fault. I had a hen throwing some chicks with yellowish legs and I had to remove her from my breeding pen. It's really hard to tell once they get older because the color can fade with age or when they are in peak egg production. I would band the ones with yellow legs now,so you can identify them later on. They may very well still produce a dark egg(mine did),so you won't be able to tell that way. That is if you think you want to breed to standard. If you just want some great chickens,looks like you have them and I wouldn't worry about it. they are nice looking birds.
Oh, I forgot,I was going to mention that their head looks like a marans head,somewhat flat on top and raptor like.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, I forgot,I was going to mention that their head looks like a marans head,somewhat flat on top and raptor like.

That's what was bothering me! I couldn't put my finger on it, but Gina is right, the head seems different than a BR or at least a pure one.​

 

[Solsken Farm]

Well I am thinking they could be a BR/Marans cross. Given that some folks do not discern the difference and that both are sold by hatcheries, you could have a mixed breed here. So maybe their eggs will be dark.

I am assuming you aren't showing them, so does it really matter? Enjoy them! Some of my birds that were chicks in May are STILL not laying, the darn freeloaders.