Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
He is 22 weeks old. I'm shaking my head a bit with this boy. I keep thinking he might be over weight as well. He's SO big. (He has HUGE legs so it isn't just a weight issue if he is over weight. He is a BIG boy.) He doesn't even try with some of the smaller/younger girls that are offering themselves to him. And with the girls I do see him mounting - he's missing the mark - literally.

Maybe something is getting home but definitely not all.

Do you have other roosters that he can learn from? I know we had one rooster that was a jerk to his girls and they didn't like him but he must have started paying attention to the boy in the next pen and took lessons from him- it seemed like all of a sudden he change his ways. If he is big does he have a balance problem and he's not at the right angle?

I do have other roos but they are lower (and smaller!) than him so he usually tries to take the lead. The smaller boys don't mount in front of him. My Blue Copper Marans roo would be his best example but I can't put the two of them out together because they are too competitive. He definitely has balance problems AND angle problems. (It's hard on my girls!!) Perhaps he'll improve with age? It isn't going to be an issue until next spring as I don't plan to hatch anything until then. I've just never seen a boy have SO much trouble but I've also never owned a roo anywhere near his size.

 

[flgardengirl]

Cute babies RedBug!! Welcome ")

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
Do you have other roosters that he can learn from? I know we had one rooster that was a jerk to his girls and they didn't like him but he must have started paying attention to the boy in the next pen and took lessons from him- it seemed like all of a sudden he change his ways. If he is big does he have a balance problem and he's not at the right angle?

I do have other roos but they are lower (and smaller!) than him so he usually tries to take the lead. The smaller boys don't mount in front of him. My Blue Copper Marans roo would be his best example but I can't put the two of them out together because they are too competitive. He definitely has balance problems AND angle problems. (It's hard on my girls!!) Perhaps he'll improve with age? It isn't going to be an issue until next spring as I don't plan to hatch anything until then. I've just never seen a boy have SO much trouble but I've also never owned a roo anywhere near his size.

You should see our huge lavender orp trying to mate the smaller pullets that are just getting ready to lay. His name is Tank cuz he is monstorous. Its really funny watching him trying to balance and not fall out and he still gets 'er done.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Do you have other roosters that he can learn from? I know we had one rooster that was a jerk to his girls and they didn't like him but he must have started paying attention to the boy in the next pen and took lessons from him- it seemed like all of a sudden he change his ways. If he is big does he have a balance problem and he's not at the right angle?

I do have other roos but they are lower (and smaller!) than him so he usually tries to take the lead. The smaller boys don't mount in front of him. My Blue Copper Marans roo would be his best example but I can't put the two of them out together because they are too competitive. He definitely has balance problems AND angle problems. (It's hard on my girls!!) Perhaps he'll improve with age? It isn't going to be an issue until next spring as I don't plan to hatch anything until then. I've just never seen a boy have SO much trouble but I've also never owned a roo anywhere near his size.

I don't know how you are set up but for us we have runs side by side so all the chickens can see each other, come Novemeber we will start moving the hens out of the hen pen and putting them with the correct rooster. Right now we have several boys hanging out together in 1 pen with no issues but there are no girls in with them. If you could give your Blue Copper Marans a separate run with a few girls but within seeing distance of this boy maybe it work help

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I do have other roos but they are lower (and smaller!) than him so he usually tries to take the lead. The smaller boys don't mount in front of him. My Blue Copper Marans roo would be his best example but I can't put the two of them out together because they are too competitive. He definitely has balance problems AND angle problems. (It's hard on my girls!!) Perhaps he'll improve with age? It isn't going to be an issue until next spring as I don't plan to hatch anything until then. I've just never seen a boy have SO much trouble but I've also never owned a roo anywhere near his size.

You should see our huge lavender orp trying to mate the smaller pullets that are just getting ready to lay. His name is Tank cuz he is monstorous. Its really funny watching him trying to balance and not fall out and he still gets 'er done.

Dang!

Not a pretty sight!!!

 

[flgardengirl]

I agree with hens and roos. When cuckoo baby, my barred black tailed buff roo was little he took lessons from Whistle our really awesome personalitied blue copper marans rooster in the next pen. Every morning cuckoo baby and whistle would meet at the fence line and whistle would cluck and call his girls so then cuckoo baby would do the same thing. Then whistle would wing dance and try to mate his girls so cuckoo baby would do the same and try to mate the pullets in his side of the run. He even protects me just like whistle does when another rooster gets nasty with me for example our grumpy dark blue copper roo, storm will sometimes take attitude and whistle will chase his butt into the coop and kick his a** from one side to the other. Cuckoo baby started to do the same thing if any roos in his pen got naughty. If you ever have a good rooster like that put him next to a younger one that you like and they will hopefully learn from each other.

 

[NoisyCricket]

Thank you very much Debbi.

The woman I got them from said her birds were from Davis/Presley and Wade lines.

I see what you mean about the roached back. I hadn't noticed that before. I will be keeping him regardless of if I ever breed with him or not. He has endeared himself to my husband, (not an easy thing to do), so worst case he will live with the layer flock.

I have two 12 week old cockerals right now, who have better color, and I am hoping better type. Their tails have started sticking straight up at the moment though, which I am hoping is a phase as they grow. They are I will post their pics when they get a little bit older.

thanks again.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I do have other roos but they are lower (and smaller!) than him so he usually tries to take the lead. The smaller boys don't mount in front of him. My Blue Copper Marans roo would be his best example but I can't put the two of them out together because they are too competitive. He definitely has balance problems AND angle problems. (It's hard on my girls!!) Perhaps he'll improve with age? It isn't going to be an issue until next spring as I don't plan to hatch anything until then. I've just never seen a boy have SO much trouble but I've also never owned a roo anywhere near his size.

I don't know how you are set up but for us we have runs side by side so all the chickens can see each other, come Novemeber we will start moving the hens out of the hen pen and putting them with the correct rooster. Right now we have several boys hanging out together in 1 pen with no issues but there are no girls in with them. If you could give your Blue Copper Marans a separate run with a few girls but within seeing distance of this boy maybe it work help

My guys free-range. I don't have any runs. They are penned up at night. Boys in their dorm, girls in the coop. I'm still not even sure I'm going to use my Black Copper boy because of his issues.

I do plan to organize everybody into groups in the spring for organized hatching so his education may have to wait until then. Much to think about. Thank you.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
I don't know how you are set up but for us we have runs side by side so all the chickens can see each other, come Novemeber we will start moving the hens out of the hen pen and putting them with the correct rooster. Right now we have several boys hanging out together in 1 pen with no issues but there are no girls in with them. If you could give your Blue Copper Marans a separate run with a few girls but within seeing distance of this boy maybe it work help

My guys free-range. I don't have any runs. They are penned up at night. Boys in their dorm, girls in the coop. I'm still not even sure I'm going to use my Black Copper boy because of his issues.

I do plan to organize everybody into groups in the spring for organized hatching so his education may have to wait until then. Much to think about. Thank you.

If he is one that you would consider using if he didn't have this problem going on, you could try AI with him. Good Luck!

 

[Debbi]

BarnGoddess ~ Here's a thought. Do you have a larger breed hen you could possibly pen him with for practice? Maybe he's just not real sure to begin with, and the small hens are really throwing him off? Maybe with a plus-sized gal, he'd have better luck?

Then, when he finds his "groove" with the larger hen, he can fine-tune his moves on the smaller girls. Make sense??