Marans Hen or Roo

[dhilling]

I have a couple 4 month old Blue/Black marans. 2 I can def. tell they are roo, but others are the same size with longer tails and bigger comb. Looking @ the photos are they hen or roo? the last photo has an adult Hen with 2 4 month blues.

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

Is there anyway you can get a good picture of them from the side?

 

[Hyroler]

Sorry thought this post was about kangaroos. My bad

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

They look like pullets.

The terms hen and rooster are technically saved until after reaching a year old. Prior to that it's pullet and cockerel. Even though we often just say hen or roo during casual conversation.

 

[JedJackson]

Agree with EggSighted, they look like pullets. The two blue ones in the last picture are the only ones I see any chance of being cockerels but that's probably just the photos. More than likely they are pullets getting ready to lay.

 

[dhilling]

thank you. I will just keep them

 

[EggSighted4Life]

They don't have any pointy saddle feathers at all...

The long flowing points are a dead give away... and they should have developed on most birds by this age.

You should be safe to keep them.

I breed Marans... and although I wouldn't breed them forward... they are lovely ladies! I love that blue pattern that's going on!

 

[dhilling]

ok, thanks. I'm new to marans and this is my first with blues. what do you mean about breed them forward? should i not breed blues? even with a BCM?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

ok, thanks. I'm new to marans and this is my first with blues. what do you mean about breed them forward? should i not breed blues? even with a BCM?

Well of course it's a personal choice what we select for and depends on what your goals are.

To ME, the color pattern is too splotchy or not solid enough... meaning there is a lot of leakage... or something. No consistency.

But I also see a side sprig on your dark hens' comb in the last picture. Which I also will NOT breed from. I spread out wings to check for that missing center feather known as split wing or weak wing and don't breed them. I look for orange red eyes, not dark brown or lighter yellowish. I also select for copper color in the hackles... if breeding copper and not straight black or blue. No copper... sorry can't stay. Too much straw color... *might* try to work with the one that has no copper and gain some balance.

When I first got started I was sucked into believing BBS was OK to interbreed no matter which way you went. That is NOT my current understanding, though I am here to LEARN as well...

So I realized my cock has too much white in his tail... I figured breeding to splash would NOT help eliminate this eye sore, so got rid of splash from my stock... as I am working to improve and not regress the breed itself.

In addition, if you continually breed blue to black, your blue will constantly get darker each generation... ultimately leading to a blue so dark it isn't much different than black. In my Silkie stock... I literally can't tell my blacks from blues most the time, and is the reason I don't like blue in Silkies... But I will not be breeding them to black any further, now that I have this understanding. My Marans, I can tell black from blue at hatch! And so for my blues, I will *likely* be breeding them to blues only... but this a new part of this adventure for me so I don't know what all will change regarding my selection and such.

That being said... we all have to start somewhere... if you make good selection in future progeny you can end up with quality stock... I'm breeding to meet the standard at least... and want to have good stock to do the breed some justice. But if you're just breeding for yourself... maybe they only thing that TRULY matters is vigor. And even doing your best, not all offspring are created equally... even from the same parents. I don't care about showing. And someone else will have to grow their birds out and decide for themselves what the quality is whether show, breeder, or pet.

Here is the standard I use..
http://www.maransofamericaclub.com/black-copper-marans.html

But please don't let me insinuate your birds aren't good enough! That wasn't my intent.

I'm still working out the stupid short pinky toe from my stock.

And I would spend time working on other traits that don't meet up before dealing with jerk birds... attitude TOTALLY breeds forward.

You should do what you are comfortable with! What works for one persons set up, goals, and thought life might not work for someone else's. There is no single right answer.

I hope you have a wonderful adventure!

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

How old are hy?