Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Keara]

Zaxby's2 :

Yesterday I brought home a frizzle, and I'm thinking it's a frizzled blue copper maran bantam pullet?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/86025_new_chicks_005.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/86025_new_chicks_004.jpg
Here she is next to an 11 week old dominique pullet for size comparison:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/86025_new_chicks_006.jpg
So what do you guys think? The rooster she was with looked like maybe a blue copper maran, but I don't know. How old do you think she is?

feet and comb look a bit like an Easter Egger, they can be blue to. So maybe some Olive Egger in her background?

she has great color what ever she is! Nice pullet.​

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
Yeah...I cleared the browser and history...then even restarted my computer...and resized the photos to a bit small megapixels and all I get is *crickets*.

My computer is pretty quick...and is running quickly with every other function...i even sent some photos over regular email and it took about two seconds to load... who knows.

I wish my birds would get the misting them down as a good thing. So far...all I get is this look of "OH NO...SHE HAS THE HOSE....I REPEAT SHE HAS THE HOSE...BACK AWAY SLOWLY, THEN TURN AND RUUUUNNNNNN!!!" kind of looks. It made me just about die the first time I sprayed them...so now I just hose down a spot for them to wallow in and they take advantage of that...

Yeah...it is getting about the same here with the dryness...I'm just waiting for a break in the weather. I seriously don't do well with the heat...and I worry about my animals a lot too... That passive solar idea sounds like it is working really well for you! I hope we all can make it through with no problems!

Be glad your chooks don't like the hose. If those turkey poults, which are now up to my waist high, even see me with the hose they all come a running. OMG they are so annoying. They want to drink right from the hose or any running water. They expect you to stand there and hold the hose for them while they do this lol. Every time I go out to water my potted plants here they come running, hollering cheep cheeeeep- cheep cheeeeep and if they can't get to the hose they will trample over the flower pots even standing right in them! They also stand there and peck at and my clothes, shoes, freckles on my arms etc the whole time when I go outside. I think its time to pen them up :O

 

[Zaxby's2]

Quote:
feet and comb look a bit like an Easter Egger, they can be blue to. So maybe some Olive Egger in her background?

she has great color what ever she is! Nice pullet.

Thanks! She's actually got a single comb, and because it's so small it hasn't turned red yet.

What color legs would a blue copper maran have? I guess I'll never know what she is, however it would help when she gets old enough to lay eggs.

Oh, and do you think she's a bantam? What age do you think she is? I'm thinking either she's an 8 week old standard or a bantam around laying age.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Yeah...I cleared the browser and history...then even restarted my computer...and resized the photos to a bit small megapixels and all I get is *crickets*.

My computer is pretty quick...and is running quickly with every other function...i even sent some photos over regular email and it took about two seconds to load... who knows.

I wish my birds would get the misting them down as a good thing. So far...all I get is this look of "OH NO...SHE HAS THE HOSE....I REPEAT SHE HAS THE HOSE...BACK AWAY SLOWLY, THEN TURN AND RUUUUNNNNNN!!!" kind of looks. It made me just about die the first time I sprayed them...so now I just hose down a spot for them to wallow in and they take advantage of that...

Yeah...it is getting about the same here with the dryness...I'm just waiting for a break in the weather. I seriously don't do well with the heat...and I worry about my animals a lot too... That passive solar idea sounds like it is working really well for you! I hope we all can make it through with no problems!

Be glad your chooks don't like the hose. If those turkey poults, which are now up to my waist high, even see me with the hose they all come a running. OMG they are so annoying. They want to drink right from the hose or any running water. They expect you to stand there and hold the hose for them while they do this lol. Every time I go out to water my potted plants here they come running, hollering cheep cheeeeep- cheep cheeeeep and if they can't get to the hose they will trample over the flower pots even standing right in them! They also stand there and peck at and my clothes, shoes, freckles on my arms etc the whole time when I go outside. I think its time to pen them up :O

haha...that' s pretty funny...but that's probably only because I don't have to deal with it. I've never had turkeys, but I would think they would be a handful from the sounds of it. I'm trying to load some more photos for ya to see in addition to the other ones I loaded a couple of days ago (did ya see those?), but its taking forever. Its driving me nuts.

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
Found them! Very pretty! That blue girl is to die for. I just love them at that age they are so sweet.

I need to take some more pics of my blue birchen boy. He is gonna have some gold leakage on his back I think but its mostly coming in cream.

Turkeys are very annoying kinda like puppy dogs that want to follow you everywhere but instead of licking you they nip...sometimes they leave bruises on my arms too. They aren't trying to be mean but just have to peck at every single little thing. This is my first time with turkeys. I thought they would be super evil like the ones my dh described he had growing up but they aren't mean just obnoxious in thier wierd way. I think mine are all hens. I am thinking maybe if we whack them all, I won't get anymore LOL. They really look just like raptors when they are all running at you for the hose.

ETA: Oh yeah, the blue birchen girl still thinks she is a turkey so she drinks from the hose as well.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Found them! Very pretty! That blue girl is to die for. I just love them at that age they are so sweet.

I need to take some more pics of my blue birchen boy. He is gonna have some gold leakage on his back I think but its mostly coming in cream.

Turkeys are very annoying kinda like puppy dogs that want to follow you everywhere but instead of licking you they nip...sometimes they leave bruises on my arms too. They aren't trying to be mean but just have to peck at every single little thing. This is my first time with turkeys. I thought they would be super evil like the ones my dh described he had growing up but they aren't mean just obnoxious in thier wierd way. I think mine are all hens. I am thinking maybe if we whack them all, I won't get anymore LOL.

haha that is funny. I wonder if they imprinted on you to some degree....?

Yes, I'd love to see some pics of your birchens. I still have to take some pics of them. They are in the younger pens so they are not quite as sweet yet....but they are on my list. Trying to go one pen at a time. That blue girl is one of three that are almost identical from my oldest pen...I've also got a black girl that has just about the perfect tail set I'm going for and the bit tighter feathers that I'm working towards. I check on them about 20 times a day....half the time to see how they are doing in the heat the other times just to make sure they are actually real. They are from my first paired crossing...it makes me happy that they turned out so well. I used to help select birds for breeding pens and pairs when i was growing up. I feel fortunate that it is something I'm comfortable doing. Now I'm hoping it turns out as well with these other pens I hatched from.

I did notice the other day that its looking like I might have about 3 or 4 more of those blue girls growing out that are from the same pairing, only they are about 2 to 2 1/2 months behind these girls. Anyways...I'm still working at loading photos. You will see more pics today if I am successful....

 

[flgardengirl]

I will go out today and get some pics. I'm not sure what to do about the birchen male with the leakage. If I breed him back to the birchen female I am wondering if she has hidden gold, I just bet she does since she is the sister of the male. I am wondering if I should breed him to some pure blue females as well when he is old enough?
I only have one pure black female marans (with no copper genes) and I have been using her for my project lavenders so she is with a lavender roo (of a different breed right now lol).

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
If it were me I would do a test hatch from pairing him with some solid blue and/or black birds. That's how I worked things when I didn't have enough birchens to go around. It takes a couple of generations to get the coloring the way I like it, but it is well worth it. I suppose you could try with that birchen pullet on him, but you would have to be really really selective what you keep as far as color tone of the birchen markings since there is gold leakage present in them. I'm pretty laid back about how long it takes me to get the direction I'm going....so I am not opposed to trying things a couple ways to see which produces better results.

I'm toying around with which pullets I might be able to select out from my hatches so I can start working on a lavender silver project pen....

Just what I need....another project. I do think they would be to die for tho.

 

[Keara]

Zaxby's2 :

Thanks! She's actually got a single comb, and because it's so small it hasn't turned red yet.

What color legs would a blue copper maran have? I guess I'll never know what she is, however it would help when she gets old enough to lay eggs.

Oh, and do you think she's a bantam? What age do you think she is? I'm thinking either she's an 8 week old standard or a bantam around laying age.

If her comb is single and that small, no way is she a banty close to point of lay. Even banties get the taller red comb when the are about to lay! I guess you will find out more hen she starts to lay. till then enjoy her pretty color! By the way Marans should have a dark slate colored foot.​

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
If it were me I would do a test hatch from pairing him with some solid blue and/or black birds. That's how I worked things when I didn't have enough birchens to go around. It takes a couple of generations to get the coloring the way I like it, but it is well worth it. I suppose you could try with that birchen pullet on him, but you would have to be really really selective what you keep as far as color tone of the birchen markings since there is gold leakage present in them. I'm pretty laid back about how long it takes me to get the direction I'm going....so I am not opposed to trying things a couple ways to see which produces better results.

I'm toying around with which pullets I might be able to select out from my hatches so I can start working on a lavender silver project pen....

Just what I need....another project. I do think they would be to die for tho.

Thanks that is kinda what I figured. I wish I could find some good birchens with no leakage around here but it seems most have it so I will have to work on my own. At least I will know what genes are and aren't there when I ever get done lol.

OMG I just went out to try to get some pics and that little blue birchen girl made me laugh so hard.
Apparently this cat still hasn't learned not to ever approach her.

Same cat running away after getting pecked on the head real hard by little miss Sassy. Is it just me or does that turkey look like he is laughing??
Miss Sassy is looking real pleased with herself too. Too bad my camera is so slow it missed the shot where she pecked him.