Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

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Yikes...that does sound cold...I don't think you could catch me out biking in weather like this...nooo way. You are much braver than I

 

[snowbird]

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Jan, these four males had very good colored eyes from the beginning. I have six BC cull females from last year that I went and picked up from my son, will check them tomorrow and see about the eyes. Will say something else about the BC young this year the pullets were much better colored than the males. At least 90% of the pullets had good copper neck, the males were all over some way too much color. No white in wing and tail. none of the breeders had white in wing, tail or undercolor. As I have preached for ever the BC to get a high percentage of good colored young should be single mated, less work and also less culls.

I have never taken many chicken picture since I have to take all the glass pictures for my internet sales.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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14 years old??? Really???

I have a 3 year old hen that seems SENIOR ....

Dang!

 

[gilavina]

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14 years old??? Really???

I have a 3 year old hen that seems SENIOR ....

Dang!

hey BarnGoddess, where did you see that? I so didn't write that. I don't even own barred rocks! Something is not right....

ahhh...never mind..I see farther up the page..it was from Geebs!

I know I can be absent minded sometimes, but I was sitting there thinkin...where in the heck was my brain at if I'm writing about birds I don't even own hahahaha

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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14 years old??? Really???

I have a 3 year old hen that seems SENIOR ....

Dang!

hey BarnGoddess, where did you see that? I so didn't write that. I don't even own barred rocks! Something is not right....

ahhh...never mind..I see farther up the page..it was from Geebs!

I know I can be absent minded sometimes, but I was sitting there thinkin...where in the heck was my brain at if I'm writing about birds I don't even own hahahaha

I see my mistake and I've edited my post ...

Still - 14 years old. That's OLD!

 

[gilavina]

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hey BarnGoddess, where did you see that? I so didn't write that. I don't even own barred rocks! Something is not right....

ahhh...never mind..I see farther up the page..it was from Geebs!

I know I can be absent minded sometimes, but I was sitting there thinkin...where in the heck was my brain at if I'm writing about birds I don't even own hahahaha

I see my mistake and I've edited my post ...

Still - 14 years old. That's OLD!

NO JOKE!! I think the oldest one Ive ever seen was a black ameraucana hen that was my mom's...she got her when I was a senior in high school as a chick and she passed away the first winter I moved back to Nebraska...near as we could figure she was about 11....and talk about sweet...she would follow us everywhere and get under our feet and talk to us...still miss her.

by the way..emailed Edgar the photos of my cuckoo cock and his offspring pullet. He said he liked the color on them. I also put in a pic of a hen I was thinkin of culling and he confirmed it was time for her to go as her coloring wasn't that great. He also pointed out that he would have liked to see the cock have a wider back...which I agree. I've been only keeping the offspring that are the widest. I'm hoping to make good progress this next spring with what I'm going to be holding over for breeding in the spring

 

[geebs]

Thanks Don: I appreciate it... I did find also that the overmelanised hens got hackle color with age as well... But with that they lost color in the feather tips also... white tipped with age...


If I can ever get my camera to work I may get a photo...

I have two 4 year old marans.... (they should get a senior discount at the feed store doncha think?) I will get some pix of them... you will see the difference between them and your younger birds...

Here is a 4 year old

Here is a picture of Barredra... (like barbara)... I know this is a marans thread... we can just pretend she is an old cuckoo.. LOL She hobbles around and every year I think it will be her last... I lost a 12 year old rhodie two years ago that was her hatchmate. She is an old lady for sure.... but she still doesn't put up with any guff from the group. I keep her separate because she is an easy mark for rooster practice... (not very nice thing for her) Her laying days are waaaaaaay behind her but I keep her just to see how old she will get.

 

[gilavina]

Hey Debbi! I'm still faithfully setting the traps, but so far...the last two nights we haven't caught a single possum...did catch a giaaaannnt orange tomcat. I have no idea who's it is, but he didn't seem too worse for wear when I let him out in the morning. He got a free meal out of it hahaha

 

[littlels]

Could someone with more experience give me a little feedback on these two roosters? In one picture the Black Copper Marans has a dark eye...he injured it and it has since clouded over. They also aren't the best pictures because they are molting.

Here is Rooster #1 (each side)

Rooster #2 (he's a blue copper with our blue copper hen)

Are their combs just waaaay to large?
The blue has some white on his earlobes which I know is not good and the black has a tiny speckle of white on his lobes. Anything else good or bad that you could educate me on?

I have seen the description that someone put on the forum of the desired traits from 7/26/10. It says that the white earlobes are a disqualification. What exactly does that mean? Is it that I just can't show them at a poultry show or do I have to get rid of the white earlobes before I can sell chicks?

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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Dang, geebs. I am TRULY impressed. I honestly didn't know chickens could get that old!!