Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[jeremy]

Thanks Illia, I'm quite fond of her. I like he depth and fullness of her breast. She's only 5ish months old and already as big as some of my mature 2+ year old hens. Plus, she's a sweetheart.

 

[Ivywoods]

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[berkeleysprings]

16 weeks is the same for me thats about the time thay start ...i dont minde the crowing but the constant fighting and jumping the mature 4 year old wheaten hens is
a cull-able offence , wish they would all get along but thats not the case , thats why roosters on the farm are not worth a dime and hard to get rid of and a pain to feed
wish there was a easy way to proscess them but 6 at a time is hardly worth it and the wheaten i have are the slowest growers i like the soung of crowing except mine do it day or night . if i shine the flood spot light on the coop they crow , sometimes all it takes in me comeing home late , pull up in driveway and they crow and its pitch black out

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[Ivywoods]

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Just like this, it doesn't take much for mine to crow, day or night. FORTUNATLY my nearest neighbor is over 1/2 mile away. I work crazy hours, so often I am going to bed at 4-5 in the morning. I turn on the fan and I don't even notice the crowing. I'm kind of hard of hearing anyway. Last summer I had a little bantam rooster that crowed constantly for hours. He would be getting started about the time I went to bed. I timed him and by the clock he was crowing every 20 seconds... 3 times a minute for several hours! What a little warrior he was! None of the roosters I have now crow as much as that little guy did.

 

[blackbirds13]

Hi all,
I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a free BCM rooster. This is the picture I was emailed - took a few days to get so probably won't ask for another. Does this look like wry tail to anyone? and does his head look to small? What about his color - too much? I am leaning towards declining him as I feel my present roosters look way better but looking for input. Thanks

 

[Kaceyx73]

Thanks Ivywoods.

Got them Sat evening, and she just laid this morning. To be expected with the move and all. Even the RIR i got from a friend just laid, and both were kinda smallish. I won't make too many judgements for a week or so, let them settle in.

Selene's first egg this morning was probable a 3 on the scale. Its darker than my RIR eggs from the previous flock, but not quite what it should be. We'll see after a week or so. I do plan to breed them, albeit for my own purposes. I wont be looking toward show quality unless I get some really good genetics. I will probably get some hatching eggs come spring, maybe now if I find someone with some good ones.

I would be curious to see a discussion about the growth rates. Henderson's Breed chart as well as many older sources suggest Marans have a better than average growth rate, while most breeders now say they grow slower than average. Growth rates do factor into the utility of any animal or livestock, especially dual purpose chickens. My black tailed buff was fully grown with a nice broad breast when I got him at 8 months, while many I see now are still growing at a year or more. No, I don't think any of us want our birds at market weight earlier than 16 weeks. There is a difference though between a meaty bird at 4-5 months and one that takes 9 months or longer.

also, I keep hearing that Marans from many breeders are losing their broodiness as well. This isn't a critique, just a curiosity for breeders. Is there a point where perfect color and shape has outweighed the true characteristics we really want in Marans?

Ken

 

[Davlyn]

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Just like this, it doesn't take much for mine to crow, day or night. FORTUNATLY my nearest neighbor is over 1/2 mile away. I work crazy hours, so often I am going to bed at 4-5 in the morning. I turn on the fan and I don't even notice the crowing. I'm kind of hard of hearing anyway. Last summer I had a little bantam rooster that crowed constantly for hours. He would be getting started about the time I went to bed. I timed him and by the clock he was crowing every 20 seconds... 3 times a minute for several hours! What a little warrior he was! None of the roosters I have now crow as much as that little guy did.

I have 2 say I am lucky then. My 2 Bantam Roos crow thru out the day, but not that often. I young Maran Roos , do the same. I don't let them out of their coop until about 7am. Never hear them at nite. whew ~

 

[berkeleysprings]

yes you are lucky , but what the hay , i like the sound of roosters , im at that age were you dont slep as well as i used to ,,,, i know fifty is not old but i go country dancing every tuesday thursday friday and saturday , stay out till midnight and still up at 530 , and they crow when i come in and leave but i am glad there not long crowers lol


Quote:
Just like this, it doesn't take much for mine to crow, day or night. FORTUNATLY my nearest neighbor is over 1/2 mile away. I work crazy hours, so often I am going to bed at 4-5 in the morning. I turn on the fan and I don't even notice the crowing. I'm kind of hard of hearing anyway. Last summer I had a little bantam rooster that crowed constantly for hours. He would be getting started about the time I went to bed. I timed him and by the clock he was crowing every 20 seconds... 3 times a minute for several hours! What a little warrior he was! None of the roosters I have now crow as much as that little guy did.

I have 2 say I am lucky then. My 2 Bantam Roos crow thru out the day, but not that often. I young Maran Roos , do the same. I don't let them out of their coop until about 7am. Never hear them at nite. whew ~

 

[Davlyn]

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I have 2 say I am lucky then. My 2 Bantam Roos crow thru out the day, but not that often. I young Maran Roos , do the same. I don't let them out of their coop until about 7am. Never hear them at nite. whew ~


LOL I love the sound myself. rather my Roo's than the dogs bark'n. I don't sleep well either. My 2 young Maran Roo's R gettn' clearer, not so raspy.

 

[berkeleysprings]

lol
i barrowed a blue laced whynedott
has the nicest crow not to loud , good with the hens i hate to return him sunday

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LOL I love the sound myself. rather my Roo's than the dogs bark'n. I don't sleep well either. My 2 young Maran Roo's R gettn' clearer, not so raspy.