Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Boy, I know it was a hard molting year here too. Lots of chunked out, mottley looking birds were running around here. Sometimes it depends on the lines they come from. Bev Davis had said at one point, some of hers didn't start laying until they were 9-10 months old! That's a LOT of feed with no payback!

Randy says his Wheatens don't lay until 7 months old, so, maybe yours are just slower to get there? Not what you wanted to hear, I know, but that's about all I can come up with. Sure hope you get something before winter sets in, although mine started laying in Nov. and layed right on through till August this year. Seems mine layed better in the winter.

 

[flgardengirl]

My bcms are not laying much right now. The olive eggers are on fire laying everywhere. The blue coppers are laying pretty good and my regular mixed laying pen girls are laying pretty good. Only once during the summer did I have to buy supermarket eggs and they were yuck.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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I don't mind waiting them out. I'm just eager to see those dark eggs!! They hatched out of fabulously dark eggs so I have high hopes.

 

[slick4591]

I asked this question in the Black Copper thread, but I don't guess many are reading there. I have an eight week old BCM pullet which has sparse shank feathering and none on her toe. I'm wanting to breed for SOP and don't know if she'll work or not. I will have roosters with heavy shank and toe feathering.

 

[Hens and Roos]

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Do you have a picture of her? It might work to use her with the roosters as it might even out the shank and toe feathering. I hatched eggs from a hen with no feathering to a rooster with heavier feathering and 2 of the chicks(girls) had very little shank and toe eathering and 2 chicks(boys) had heavier shank feathering.

 

[berkeleysprings]

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yes just pick a rooster with heavy leg feathets just make sure roo has heavy leg featjers but only outside and not outher toes.. u dont want that mess . i was always told thetes outhet genes involved dealing with outher toes that are feathered. a good bird with heavy shank feathers dousnt mean feathers on middle toes. thwy domt just pop out on the odd toes without a genetic reason

 

[slick4591]

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Sorry, I didn't bother trying to take a picture. If you can picture a little more than fuzz, but not a full feather down half the shank you'd be about right. Was just wondering if she should be heading for the layer pen later on or worth breeding. Thanks for responding!

 

[slick4591]

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I do have one cockerel that has middle toe feathering and will be culled. Too bad because he has the best conformation at the moment.

 

[Hens and Roos]

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Sorry, I didn't bother trying to take a picture. If you can picture a little more than fuzz, but not a full feather down half the shank you'd be about right. Was just wondering if she should be heading for the layer pen later on or worth breeding. Thanks for responding!

The ones I have sound like that, I plan to use them and see what the chicks might look like.

 

[Patches The Hen]

Hi,

Does anyone know what type of Marans tends to lay really dark eggs? Like chocolate colored eggs?

Thanks!