Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Hens and Roos]

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Same to you!

Had a question for you inregards to your wine-bator- where did you put vent holes and how big? We currently have 2 chicks out with 4 more working on getting out. No Marans eggs this round- none of the girls are old enough yet!

 

[luvs2ride1979]

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Thanks Karen, that's all good information. Since I'm close to Brenda, I think I'll talk to her to see what she will have available soon and what she recommends. I'm also looking at Wellsummers. I have two from a hatchery and really like them. I may get my flock down to just the two breeds next year and have separate pens for them, to keep them from cross breeding.

 

[Debbi]

Lynette ~ I wouldn't cull for one fault either, and said that in a response to her. Lordy knows, all of my faults are still here!

Now if the bird has feather shafting and other faults that I see here that correspond towards my carnation heads, like odd points or waves or oddly shaped blades, then I would have to rethink using that bird. Even with that said, if I really liked the bird in all other aspects, I would test mate him to a few girls to see what I got. As for the feather shafting deal, that is what I see here. All of the birds with Carnations also have feather shafting, none of my birds with normal combs do. Even Blue Butt with his big sprig, doesn't show any feather shafting.

Happy New Year to you!!

 

[gilavina]

mornin' everyone...

Got the best New Year's present...my alarm didn't go off and I slept til 10....haven't done that in years!

Lenette, I really like that boy and can't wait to see more pics of him later on!

 

[desertmarcy]

I posted earlier about all black copper Marans pullets that are over melanized. How do you go about correcting this? I have a blue copper line that has too much red. In fact, the little chick I posted a pic of a while back that had a chipmunk pattern and tannish color has turned into a blue copper with overall red. I will have to get a pic of him (I think it is a him

) and post it. I'm wondering if I bred one of those over-red blue cockerels to the solid black hens and kept back the blacks from that breeding, if that would work? All 4 of the solid black pullets came from one line. The only pullet that has coppery hackles came from the line of blue coppers that I got that have too much red. The blue copper pullets from that line have copper color down their breasts. Or should I just breed only that black copper with the copper hackles to the cockerel? Thanks for any insight.

 

[Debbi]

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Wow! Your body must've needed it, glad you got to sleep in. I can seriously see a nap in my near future!

 

[pinkchick]

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Just wanted to take a moment here and say that I have never heard anything negative at all about Brenda Little and her birds. I think she has done a great job and her birds are lovely!
Bethel Farms also has some very very nice birds and stock and also doing a great job with the birds.....I would love to have some Blue Coppers from her someday!

 

[Debbi]

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I would try to find a nicely coppered Black Copper instead of using the overly red Blue boy. If you use him, you may also get too much red showing in the BCM girl as in "mossy" coloring. Mossy being reddish brown colored feathers that appear elsewhere in the body where they should not be. Supposedly, the Black Copper roos with some of the red speckling on the breast area are supposed to help the over melanized hens. The only roo I have here with really nice coloring, also has a Carnation comb, so he's not getting any of my ladies!

I'm sure others with more experience will chime in here, eventually.

 

[gilavina]

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Wow! Your body must've needed it, glad you got to sleep in. I can seriously see a nap in my near future!

haha a nap sounds like a wonderful idea! I think you stayed up later than me. I finally crashed, I'll get an email back to you today.
Got any pics of the little blue boy you mentioned? I just looked at the weather and its gonna be windy again...40 to 50 mph...I'm still gonna see what I can try to get for photos, but not sure how well it will go

 

[pinkchick]

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!!!!



Got 9 little fuzzies in the 'bator!!!!!! 1 more just pipped and I can't see the other egg completely to tell if it has pipped or not.

Got some interesting little buggers in there for sure. Will get photos of them later.