Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Quote:
Are you sure it is a HE ??

If you are not sure, could I get a close up of the tail / saddle region? Also, how old is it?

To answer your question - - - YES there are pure black marans. I don't think they are as common as other colors, but they are out there. There is also a pure white marans.

This photo does not show it well but he has the "forked" tail like the other 3... I'll try and get a good photo of him tonight after he goes to bed and I can catch him.
I'm pretty sure its a boy. It is a lot bigger then the others and same comb/wattles as the other 3.
they just turned 3 months old. hatched 1/7/11
heres a bad photo that shows the body more..
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd413/rainwolfbirds/Chickens/Maran/100_1074.jpg
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd413/rainwolfbirds/Chickens/Maran/100_1117.jpg
and behind the blue roo -shows his tail better..
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd413/rainwolfbirds/Chickens/Maran/blue.jpg

I like the blues you've got there!

 

[blackbirds13]

These are my marans from Greenfire.

This is from last week sunday April 3rd they arrived on the Thursday (31st March) prior. I will take more pictures tomorrow and update when I can. Never seem to have enough time around here. I had a number 7 but it died this past Wednesday.

I am going to try to take pics every Sunday and see how they look as they grow. This week I am going to try and focus on their combs. I have a few early culls - 1 has unfeathered shanks (no 4), no 14 has what appears to be fairly heavily feathered middle toes, one has a short outer toe and no 3(the last image) i am definitely not sure off as it is very dark all over even where others are yellow on thier little fuzzy butts and his feet are also dark all over. A lot of pics so hope no one minds that I've filled up their screen. These were originally 8 Black Coppers, 3 Blue Coppers and 3 Birchens. I'm not planning on showing so my birds don't have to be perfect and I'll put up with a few flaws if they aren't screaming at me, just looking forward to the journey.
no 14

no 13

no 12

no 11

no 10

no 9

no 8

bo6 [

no 5

no 4

no 2

no 1

no 3

I think I might have a few roos

They are starting to feather out and some of their combs are definitley on the rise so the next pics should be interesting.

 

[seabreeze]

Thanks Vicki, I was hoping for a blue overload as well but I'm afraid I'm dismal at hatching. I just can't figure it out. I think I will sneak an incubator into my bedroom and do it secretly at my house so boyfriend doesn't get offended

I'm so picky about exactitude and he's an old Idahoan cowboy-farmboy whose parents' hens had chicks running around all the time so incubating in a machine is foreign to him! I just didn't want to take the risk with high cost eggs such as the blue birchens.

The previous hatches did pretty well, not great but at least 50%. This time around, its been less than 5%!! My Orps were supposed to be my grand plan to go natural with broody types but heck, they didn't even hatch.

 

[seabreeze]

Congrats Blackbird, beautiful chicks! My one and only blue Marans that hatched died. so now I have 3 chicks, BCMs and nothing else going on but I'm still hoping for something in the next day or two.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
no, you aren't at all...if I remember right you are using a styrofoam type incubator? I've never had much luck with them...maybe its my lack of patience with dinking around on settings, but I feel your pain on low hatches...last year was dismal results on some of my shipped eggs...talk about depressing eh?

I'm glad you found someone that can hatch for you. How many blue birchen eggs do you have?

 

[Rainwolf]

Quote:
After a few days ago conversation and editing by the moderators, I almost HATE to ask this question - - - BUT HERE GOES - - -

Are you sure it is a HE ??

If you are not sure, could I get a close up of the tail / saddle region? Also, how old is it?

OK - - you convinced me. Nice set of cockerels you have there!

So, do you want to know anything else?

In a few months, you can use that one girl with one of your cockerels and have plenty of babies. . ..

Do you have copper on any of your marans?

Yup got a blue splash, black, blue copper and blue cockerel....

But I'm not breeding maran's I just wanted a couple hens for dark eggs..

How rare is a pure black? I'm just wanting to sell him correctly...i buy quality eggs then sell what I don't keep for my flock.. helps off set the eggs.. but all boys...

 

[Rainwolf]

Quote:
This photo does not show it well but he has the "forked" tail like the other 3... I'll try and get a good photo of him tonight after he goes to bed and I can catch him.
I'm pretty sure its a boy. It is a lot bigger then the others and same comb/wattles as the other 3.
they just turned 3 months old. hatched 1/7/11
heres a bad photo that shows the body more..
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd413/rainwolfbirds/Chickens/Maran/100_1074.jpg
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd413/rainwolfbirds/Chickens/Maran/100_1117.jpg
and behind the blue roo -shows his tail better..
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd413/rainwolfbirds/Chickens/Maran/blue.jpg

I like the blues you've got there!

Thanks!

 

[seabreeze]

Rainwolf, you can send those boys down thisaway! Blue Copper or Splash, even the black copper.....

 

[Rainwolf]

Quote:
if you live by a Alaska Air airport thats possible with an additional fee

I'm serious by the way

pay for bird and a little extra for time/overnight and We deliver!

... I will check tomorrow if Alaska Air allows chickens as a pet. (I work for a airline

)

the eggs I hatched were from chickielady and her stock of BBS Marans is awesome!

heres the splash and the blue copper...

and yes the bucket is a step stool for the youngins to raised coop

 

[Rainwolf]

ohh and all are feather shanked except the splash... he's clean shanked
and the blue copper is covered in feed dust... he hides under the quail feed area (they are in high rise coop) and snacks on the feed dropped...