Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[geebs]

Uh ya... duh.... !!!!

The rest of you guys.. these are reposts... but here something..that is the same rooster.. Look at the "flames" in his chest as a young rooster and this year as a fully mature 2 year old... go figure.

Doesn't he resemble Santa with a big belly like that.. Fat little bugger.. He sure adds substance to the girls.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Yahooooo!! Pics! Man he sure is a chesty boy...nice and beefy! How much does he weigh?
Are the eggs BCMs? They are nice

I'm busy playing the waiting game to see when my BCMs decide to start laying again. I decided when I was at work today what it might be that makes me feel like its a long road for me with the Marans. The colors I'm in love with and am working with are all of the lightest colored egg layers. So, I'm doing what I hear lots of on here...I'm building the barn and then working on the details step by step after that...and trying to keep from getting overwhelmed

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

What a handsome fellow!! Is he wearing socks in the first pic

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I did a hatch in Nov. My own stock produced 4 / 4 roos.
I did a second hatch in Jan with my own stock - - - of the ones I was tracking 7 / 9 were roos.

I think it is my only black copper maran hen that is throwing the heavy concentration. I am testing this on the next hatch.
I will be hatching eggs from my blue copper hens only.

I can tell you that at this moment - - - - EARLY identification of roos is very important to me.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
I did a hatch in Nov. My own stock produced 4 / 4 roos.
I did a second hatch in Jan with my own stock - - - of the ones I was tracking 7 / 9 were roos.

I think it is my only black copper maran hen that is throwing the heavy concentration. I am testing this on the next hatch.
I will be hatching eggs from my blue copper hens only.

I can tell you that at this moment - - - - EARLY identification of roos is very important to me.

craziness....glad you are doing that test hatch to see if your theory on your BCM girl is accurate. Which leaves my curious mind going...hmmmm....what other color varieties you have over there?

What do you find to be the most successful method for you on roo identification for your chicks?

 

[gilavina]

All this talk of hatching makes me curious about others 2010 hatches. I had a pullet year...by a landslide. And it didn't matter what breed, variety, size (bantam or standard), eggs from my stock or shipped eggs....I had them coming out my ears. I started hatching in March and stopped by June. Then did a small hatch in the fall and on that one it was about 50/50 for pullets and cockerels. Did anyone else have a pullet year last year?

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I did a hatch in Nov. My own stock produced 4 / 4 roos.
I did a second hatch in Jan with my own stock - - - of the ones I was tracking 7 / 9 were roos.

I think it is my only black copper maran hen that is throwing the heavy concentration. I am testing this on the next hatch.
I will be hatching eggs from my blue copper hens only.

I can tell you that at this moment - - - - EARLY identification of roos is very important to me.

You should get bayhorsebonnie bcms. I got most all girls from that hatch. I hope my hens from her all throw mostly pullets too.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Most of us are at the work in progress stage. . . .

I can not even work on the barn . . . . I am doing a great job of providing the food for the fried chicken picnic after the barn building, but an absolutely lousy job of building a barn or even finding a barn. . .. . I am blinded my the red combs and wattles that keep popping up every time I open the brooder cage.

I NEVER thought this would be my main trouble - - - producing a female chick.

We all feel your frustration

ONE step at a time. . . Pick something you can accomplish, do that and then move on to the next improvement.

At least here, you have some wonderful resources to get help from. On other threads, there is little collaborating. Marans breeders seem to be really to share their knowledge and help others learn from their mistakes. EDUCATION is big on this thread. OTHER threads want you to join their CLUBS to get information. I am soooooo glad it is OPEN here.

 

[geebs]

Gotta love them BHB's.... my big combed hens are hers.. they are 3 now... ARen't they gorgeous.. I have 3 more hennies from her and 2 roosters... Will-he and Won't he...

I haven't named the new BHB girlies.. they are just now darkening down after an OOOOOBBBBER mossy faze... One is overmelanised and shows no copper in the hackle... Charlie boy can handle that..just like his other two BHB's...love that line.. (it is full of genetic material) but such nice egg color and shape.

This is my hennyroo... It had a red wattle and comb so early.. I knew it was a male and kept waiting for it to crow and then nearly it's 8 month. with it's pointy little saddle feathers...It laid an egg... WHAT THE HECK....!!!??? It is truely the ugliest marans I have ever seen but it's eggs are soooooooooooooooooo dark.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I did a hatch in Nov. My own stock produced 4 / 4 roos.
I did a second hatch in Jan with my own stock - - - of the ones I was tracking 7 / 9 were roos.

I think it is my only black copper maran hen that is throwing the heavy concentration. I am testing this on the next hatch.
I will be hatching eggs from my blue copper hens only.

I can tell you that at this moment - - - - EARLY identification of roos is very important to me.

You should get bayhorsebonnie bcms. I got most all girls from that hatch. I hope my hens from her all throw mostly pullets too.

Why get from bayhorsebonnie, when I can get from you neighbor ? ? ?

Honestly, I am closer to you than Mel is to PINK.. . . .