Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[flgardengirl]

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Nice!! That sounds like an awesome batch of eggs to have hatching and free replacements no less! I would love to see pics of the blue birchens of course, but also would love to see some of the white orps and the blue wyandottes when they hatch and grow.

I've got the predator problems covered me thinks...set a few traps and battened down the hatches on the pens at night...and no problems since!

Got any other blue Marans color varieties cooking over there?

I will try and get a pic of my one blue birchen girl later today. She had less white than the regular blue coppers and blues when she was born and clean shanks. She (I think its a she lol) is so sweet, not shy at all. I can't wait to see how her coloring comes out when she's older.

Those are the only eggs I have set right now. I have an OE girl sitting on some of her own OE eggs and a few guinea eggs. She did have 5 guinea eggs but she kicked 3 out of her nest. I put them back but she isn't sitting on them so maybe they are not viable. I think hers should hatch on the 20th and probably about the same date for the duck who is nesting on the patio next to her. I didn't keep good track of the muscovy's date but they sit for 35 days.

 

[snowbird]

I have a little story that I think most can relate to with the Marans. A few days ago I was outside and heard a rooster crow that sounded like it was maybe 1000' from the poultry compound. Well all this land back there is kinda swampy this time of the year with all the rain. Guess what I had left the chicken lot open for the Marans to come out on the yard, The Marans all of about fourty came up out of the woods where it is swampy wet up to their body with water. I quess the moral of the story is that remember they are supposed to like swampy land. Don

 

[onthespot]

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My flocks have never thrown a single clean legged chick in three years. Ron Presley, Wade Gene, and Bev Davis origin. Nor wheaten. Sometimes I get excessive red on the breast, and some mossiness and a shorter than normal outer toe though.

 

[loprettaerin]

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Male possibly

guess I should have been more speicific like what breed or mix do you think it is. Owell was just trying for a new subject. Im getting very impaitent for my marans eggs to hatch out. lock down is the 14th and so far all look good. Just hoping the chicks are as pretty as most of the eggs.

So now my guess would be maybe some BCM cross Cochin or perhaps Jersey Giant or some breed of substance and large structure. Does it have feathered shanks?

You are very close and correct. I had gotten a couple laying hens awhile back one was a jersey giant and one was a sex link just needed more eggs at time and they had been only cooped up with 2 BCM roosters so I hatched a few just to see and surprisingly all so far have came out with feathered shanks. Only did a couple since I new they would be crosses but was just curios how strong the gene were and what the chicks would look like.

 

[flgardengirl]

We have some low spots back in the woods. When it rains it gets swampy. The marans don't seem to mind wading around in it. The key west chickens don't either. Most of the other breeds just kinda skirt around the edges. I think they like to eat the little bugs and probably mosquito larvae in the water.

 

[poularde]

Hi Pink.

Just wanted to tell you that my babies from you are doing great. They are outside now in a covered tractor. Looks like out of seven chicks there is two possibly three cockerels. My one with the twisted neck seems to of straightened out. You can not really tell anymore. My one Bill chick appears to be a cockerel. Has little pink wattles already. Unfortunately he has clean shanks. I will have to make my mind up about that one.I so need to post some photos. I will try this weekend. I jave hatched some of my own eggs. They are just mutts, but they are adorable. I have a few Marans crosses dad is most likely a BLR Wyandotte. One baby looks like a Wyandotte with feathered legs and another is blue with feathered legs. Big babies. I will have pictures before to long. Thanks again for the wonderful eggs!

 

[snowbird]

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My flocks have never thrown a single clean legged chick in three years. Ron Presley, Wade Gene, and Bev Davis origin. Nor wheaten. Sometimes I get excessive red on the breast, and some mossiness and a shorter than normal outer toe though.

Hi, will be up front and say that out of over 600 BC last year I had about 20-25 without feather legs. I believe one thing that helps is use a male that is as heavy foot feathered as you can find that has other good type. Don

 

[jennifersmith326]

These are the eggs in one of my incubators. The dark ones are BCM and Welsummers. I also have Barred Rocks, OEGB BBR, and Lavender Ameraucanas in there.

 

[jennifersmith326]

This is my very ugly Cuckoo Marans Rooster. He is far from breed standard and I don't use him to breed. He is just really good around the kids and they like to play rough. He must be moulting or something cause he is missing a lot of neck feathers.

 

[sewandgrow]

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sounds exciting...you'll have to keep us posted how this hatch goes with your settings! I love hearing about the things people do with their hatches and how they turn out. I've learned a ton and have tried a few and my hatch rates have definitely improved..particularly on the shipped hatching eggs.

Just opened a package of shipped eggs a few minutes ago, the post lady has my name and number next to her phone down at the local post office. If that's not an indicator I can't get a hold of Marans stock locally then I don't know what is.

I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for this batch....they are blue birchens...giving them another go round. I have some lavender silver sussex eggs coming in the next couple of days to go with these in the incubator...I am really looking forward to seeing what hatches this time around.

I am going to try the Blue Birchen eggs this time too. Just won an auction.