Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Quote:
gilavina, if I had hens that looked like that, I would cross them with a big 'ol Blue Jersey Giant Rooster! I think your birds are very pretty.

Haha Thanks Mel..I know they are not to proposed standard, but I admit they found a big ol' soft spot in my heart. My whole flock of them follow me around the place while I do chores, or pretty much when I do anything. They are just sweet as anything, so they'll be sticking around..the only question is how I will end up using them.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
I do not know enough about genetics yet to help you there but I am sure someone else has probably jumped in to help you. I was just wondering about the egg color?????/

The egg color need work still...mostly they are around the 4 range and every once and a while I'll get a darker one. I haven't figured out who it is yet that lays it, but I will one of these days. Getting my trap nests ready to go now that they are laying more again.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
When you get that 'bator, let me know and I will see what I can do to help you out with some eggs to put in it.....and when you come get those babies (3 splash...I think they are all girls...pure Davis babies), you can take that little cockerel home with you (he is a pure Davis boy too). You better by writing this stuff down to because now it has left my brain and is out there...it may not come back.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Nothing yet...

Who knows...I didn't have that much luck with this batch set as I mentioned before so if one of these do hatch I will be surprized. I think a had a couple too many girls in with Gnarles and have downsized to 12 girls....I know that's pushing it but until I can catch the 2 BCM pullets that are laying a lighter colored egg and removed them to a bigger pen with Bill, then 2 of them have to stay for now. Candled the 11 eggs set for lockdown on the 16th and removed 2 very new pullet eggs that I tossed in for fun, they developed, but didn't go very far. Another 2 BCM eggs were clear and 2 BCM pullet eggs from a second girl that just started laying, again tossed in for giggles to see what they would do, but they were clear also. 5 are still going strong with good development 3 Blue Copper eggss and 2 Black Copper eggs. This batch of eggs was also put in before I removed 2 more girls from Gnarles. I have 16 eggs set on tray 2 for lockdown on the 24th. I collected these eggs after reducing the flock size. Will candle those next week upon lockdown.

Congrats on your little hatchers!

Hopefully the adjustments to your breeding pen will help indeed with coming hatches. I like that you put eggs in just to see what will happen. I do that a lot..I just can't help myself I guess..so it makes me feel better that I'm not alone haha

 

[Mountain Mel]

Quote:
When you get that 'bator, let me know and I will see what I can do to help you out with some eggs to put in it.....and when you come get those babies (3 splash...I think they are all girls...pure Davis babies), you can take that little cockerel home with you (he is a pure Davis boy too). You better by writing this stuff down to because now it has left my brain and is out there...it may not come back.

WHAT????!!!!!! you have baby chickies for Mel & Tippy?!

Tip has a vet's appt. at 10:30 tomorrow...can we come up around "noonish"?
My-Oh-My...this IS good news!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
When you get that 'bator, let me know and I will see what I can do to help you out with some eggs to put in it.....and when you come get those babies (3 splash...I think they are all girls...pure Davis babies), you can take that little cockerel home with you (he is a pure Davis boy too). You better by writing this stuff down to because now it has left my brain and is out there...it may not come back.

WHAT????!!!!!! you have babie chickies for Mel & Tippy?!

Tip has a vet's appt. at 10:30 tomorrow...can we come up around "noonish"?
My-Oh-My...this IS good news!

I haffu give them up da babies so soon??????

(you can come take the little splash cockerel anytime you want too..

)

 

[Mountain Mel]

Okay, lets do this...you keep the babies and the lil'Splash Roo for another week and I'll come up next weekend. How does that sound? That will give me time to put that Polish roo & hen on Craigslist and hopefully give them away (if anyone will take them!). I was going to give them, a silkie hen, 2 banties, and 2 Columbian Wyandottes to a friend & his lady-friend, but they don't seem to be able to find time to build a coop. This also tells me that they probably wouldn't have time to take proper care of the birds, either.
Speaking of taking proper care of animals, I have a couple of hungry pigs that are probably wondering where I am right about now. I had better get on with the constructive part of my day.
Thanks for the info on the chicks, roo, and eggs, Pinkchick! You are the GREATEST!

 

[cherylcohen]

Here are the day old WHEATEN MARANS babies so far, and it looks like one last one just pipped. So hopefully I'll have a total of 12

I have a big question, this came up on my last hatch too.

3 of the chicks have light striping and marks on head, the other 8 are perfect blonds. Does anyone have experience with this? I know how to feather sex as they grow but I wonder if these early markings are indicative of something. These will be apart of my breeding stock...first time I've ever hatched hoping I get 3 roos!

I'm going to keep good records on these, I've banded them all.

I've been told by a few breeders that Wheatens will hatch in slightly different colors with markings... seems a bit odd if we are trying to work towards a predictable hatching breed.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[nivtup]

Seems like a lot of down color to me, it will be interesting to see how they feather out.

 

[sewandgrow]

Quote:
I do not know enough about genetics yet to help you there but I am sure someone else has probably jumped in to help you. I was just wondering about the egg color?????/

The egg color need work still...mostly they are around the 4 range and every once and a while I'll get a darker one. I haven't figured out who it is yet that lays it, but I will one of these days. Getting my trap nests ready to go now that they are laying more again.

I guess I need to look into the "how to" of trap nests. I never know who is laying what. I do keep everyone separated into breed & color but thats it. It the layer pen there is no definition except my learning eyes. When it comes to the same breed though I am lost. Which one of you sweet little buggers gave me this egg?????????? LOL