Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

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Math~

That comb is identical to the comb on my little Blue Copper roo that has the world's stupidest comb.....Don said it was the Penne influence in the Marans. This is one of your speckled sussex right?




BTW- Thank you Raven!

Yep, that is on the youngest SS I have on the property right now.... Crazy boy just earned a trip off the property!

 

[Debbi]

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More lines of Marans have Penne blood than you would ever dream about. When you see the white ear lobe, female with the back part of the comb twisted side ways, and small game type fowl and real wild type you have some penne lurking.

None of mine have the white ear lobe, but all of the hens in question have the twisted/flopped comb. This did not of course pop up until they were sexually mature and laying. These initial birds of mine also, if you remember, had excessive white down as hatchlings. Another thing to look for for the Pene influence is feather shafting, especially on the breast, especially in the hens.

 

[snowbird]

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More lines of Marans have Penne blood than you would ever dream about. When you see the white ear lobe, female with the back part of the comb twisted side ways, and small game type fowl and real wild type you have some penne lurking.

None of mine have the white ear lobe, but all of the hens in question have the twisted/flopped comb. This did not of course pop up until they were sexually mature and laying. These initial birds of mine also, if you remember, had excessive white down as hatchlings. Another thing to look for for the Pene influence is feather shafting, especially on the breast, especially in the hens.

Debbi, I agree with you 100%

 

[Debbi]

Well Don, on the bright side, I should have a full freezer here shortly!

Thank you for sharing your culling experiences with all of us, cause I sure don't have the 40 years any more to learn as you did!

Now my fear is, where do I go from here??

 

[math ace]

What do you think about this girl?

She is almost 7 months old.

 

[ChicksterJo]

Thank you Debbi and Don for your info.

 

[Raven1]

LISA~~~

 

[gilavina]

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I hatched my one and only splash this Spring and had to move her in with a younger group because her hatch mates did not accept her and she was the lowest on the todem pole too. I am really beginning to believe that birds are happiest with those similiar to themselves. The weird ones will normally not be accepted as well..... Sad, but it is what I am seeing. I never noticed it before because my original flock was a hodge podge of this and that ..... Now that I am specializing in three breeds and just a few colors.... anything different is recognized immediately.

Yeah...I could see where that would be a possibility. I do have some other splashes in the pen she is now and while there are quite a few different colors all running together til I am ready to set up my breeding pens to winter over, they all seem to get along now. I'm grateful for it, as she is about the sweetest little thing....and since she is built like a tank I want to make sure I keep her for this next breeding season as she will be useful for putting a bit more width on my stock. I like'em wide and built!

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
I hatched my one and only splash this Spring and had to move her in with a younger group because her hatch mates did not accept her and she was the lowest on the todem pole too. I am really beginning to believe that birds are happiest with those similiar to themselves. The weird ones will normally not be accepted as well..... Sad, but it is what I am seeing. I never noticed it before because my original flock was a hodge podge of this and that ..... Now that I am specializing in three breeds and just a few colors.... anything different is recognized immediately.

Yes...sometimes they like to stick with their own..colors that is. At present I only have the one Splash hen and though she was low man at one point she is pretty high up on the pole now...she is not the head hen, but also not willing to be bullied. It just takes time and they will work it out....or you can always add more Splash.

haha...I'm not sure I need anymore splash around here...I think i'm sitting right around 10 or so splashes... One of those will go for sure as I'm not that impressed with him as he keeps growing out. Oh...wait...add 2 to that list. In my youngest pen from my last hatch of the year I have 2 splash boys growing out. I originally thought they were blues, but as they feathered out its become clear they are splash. If they exhibit no coppering, as they have come from my BBS pen, I will be using them to do further work on the solids blues. I have a few nice girls, but need a nice boy to go with them!

 

[gilavina]

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lookin good there lisa!