Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

hey Chickenfarmer1231,

Got a quick question for you on the birchen project you've got going. Have you done this cross before with the Marans? and if so, did you have any problems with losing egg color from the BCM line when crossed with the birchens?

 

[Moonlight Piano]

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Surprisingly NO!!!! Infact, the crosses seem to not only lay for a longer period of time than my BCM they stay darker for a longer period of time. Even my pure birchen hens lay for longer, and darker shades of brown later in the year. I personally have not done the cross but I know and have learned form many other accomplished breeders on the subject.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Surprisingly NO!!!! Infact, the crosses seem to not only lay for a longer period of time than my BCM they stay darker for a longer period of time. Even my pure birchen hens lay for longer, and darker shades of brown later in the year. I personally have not done the cross but I know and have learned form many other accomplished breeders on the subject.

hmm....this makes me curious then as to why it is so hard to find birchens that actually lay a decently dark egg.

I got the run around on birchen stock when I first got marans and ever since then have been really careful about what I buy. I'm growing out some birchens from my flock, but am working on getting the size up on them and also the egg color and have debated this cross, but hadn't read much about the details of it....so I might have to give it a try.

 

[gilavina]

Update on my surprise cuckoo hatch....I ended up with just those 5 chicks, but my culling efforts are proving to pay off already. I still have two hens to go, but I have much stronger feathering on the legs this hatch! I'm so excited! On the downside, but only slightly...I'm pretty dang sure I have mostly cockerels. I'm starting to bat your odds MathAce...

I need another roo, so this is good...I didn't like the ones that I grew out earlier in the season for various reasons...but they sure do make tasty dinner. Maybe I'll still have a chance of getting a decent one to have on hand for test mating come next spring. These certainly are nice looking chickers...fat and chunky!

 

[gilavina]

I also have a question for those of you that have raised Marans for a while now...do any of you run separate pullet lines and cockerel lines? I can't recall reading anyone that has on here...

 

[Lotsapaints]

Don (Snowbird) thought that we would need to do that I surely don't know I seldom hatch any worthy Roosters of the Black Coppers. I only have 1 good rooster and he's a splash the Cuckoos I have one Silver and one Golden they are lacking feathered shanks though I have some young ones growing up with feathering and I have a few Blue Coppers that are looking nice it seems they have so many faults it's hard for me to use any so far any BC has had white feathers and the one good looking one I had was ate.......

 

[pinkchick]

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Hi!


If you have a photo that is more close up that would help alot.

 

[pinkchick]

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Yes, the offspring would lay olive colored eggs. EEs and OEs in reality, are mutts too.

Not all of the offspring that are produced from crossing a Marans and an EE, Ameraucana or Aruacana will produce offspring that will lay an olive colored egg. Only the offspring that have the peacomb will lay an olive colored egg and the shade of the olive color can vary greatly. There is something like a 3% chance that offspring from this cross that have the single comb will lay an olive egg....all of the ones that I have produced with the single comb have never laid an olive egg, nice and dark brown like the Marans , but a tad lighter.

Peach~ Would love to see your Splash roo....got any photos to share?

 

[pinkchick]

Thank you Debbi and Vicki! I wish that she hadn't laid that egg on the bench....I almost cried when I found the hole. I wanted SO bad to put it under the broody..that still hasn't quite settled in yet since her move into the broody house. She has one egg for right now until she settles in, she rolls it around and moves it from place to place but I haven't caught her actually sitting on it yet, though she is very protective of it and her space. Keep your fingers crossed for me, I am hoping that I can slip the eggs under her tonight, I can't wait any longer or they have to go in the incubator. *Biting nails here and really don't want to turn the 'bator on yet*

 

[Debbi]

Good morning all

Pink ~ Thanks for the correction on the Olive Eggers. Can you tell I'm not breeding them? I'll keep my generalities to myself on them till I know more...

Was the hole in the egg too big for some Scotch Tape? I think I'd warm up the bator just in case she doesn't follow through, those are some pretties! I don't know if I could stand the fretting of a broody? I like to be able to blame no one but me if a project fails...

Can you say, Control Freak??