Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[flgardengirl]

I have a bcm pullet who has no tail. what little she has curves down instead of up, looks just like a rumpless Aracauna's tail. Any ideas what could have caused this and what it means? Her vent looks normal and isn't dirty, so she must hold it up when she poos, but I can't help but wonder if it's going to affet her egg laying. Thanks for any thoughts.

Hi mama24. Meet guinea girl. She is one of my first bcms I got from someone on byc. She hatched out of the egg with no tail whatsoever. She looked like a little penguin when she was little. She never did grow a tail so she is in the laying pen and not in the breeding stock. She is the sweetest thing and one of dh's favorites. She is a very prolific layer of nice brown speckled eggs.
This is her when she was a pullet.

 

[berkeleysprings]

Im growing out 2 Wheaten marans boys that are a bit over 4 months old. Both came from excellent lines and really really dark eggs. I have to choose between them, because they are all that I have. One is much bigger than the other, broader, just a big big boy. Looks to be really nice....but he's got that squirrel tail thing going on. The other roo is smaller, narrower, with a better tail. Im thinking that at this junction, size and width is more important than the tail. I suppose as long as I can get the next generation to be good size, I can always work on the tail. Does that make sense? I hate looking at that tail, but I hate worse looking at a smaller rooster.

pictures would be great but like outhers said to young persinaly id stay clear of bad tail and deal with the light weight roo also roos cam put on size and bulk slower than outher rosters. davis line has some hugh roos and presly/ budy henery was always smaller bur thats my thoughts

 

[Debbi]

Yikes! It sounds like you had some crazy weather the other night! Hopefully things will indeed warm up for you down your way. yesterday was mid 20s, but think today mid 40s and then back to 20s again. Suppose its better than piles of snow, eh?

Did you ever get more pics of those little ones you've got running around?

Hi Vicki, No, I sure haven't, maybe today. 11* here this morning, and I'm freezing! At least we don't have snow, and they are calling for 40s for most of the week. I can handle 40s in January with noooooo problem!

Those little guys outside are getting big. Shouldn't be too hard to get pics of them, they are all over me when I go out to the coop. Pekker and Jagger are in some strange competition for my attention. Do I look like a big hen to them?? Gees, tomorrow the 18 Silkie eggs go into lockdown! Seems like each hatch gets faster and faster. The other two are doing well, but I bet they will enjoy some more company!

 

[stoopid]

Halo, personally, I would stay away from the tail, and take the smaller roo. JMO
Roberta

 

[pinkchick]

Morning Everyone!

Got another 10" of snow last night and an all night power outage to go along with it......of course the 'bator got down to 72.9 for several hours...went head and candled the eggs that went into lockdown today....air cells still look good, but at day 18 nothing else can be seen... so here's hoping.

 

[Debbi]

Morning Everyone!

Got another 10" of snow last night and an all night power outage to go along with it......of course the 'bator got down to 72.9 for several hours...went head and candled the eggs that went into lockdown today....air cells still look good, but at day 18 nothing else can be seen... so here's hoping.

Oh brother! Hope they are all ok. Does the power company have something against chicks??? Seems that's the only time my power goes out, when incubating or brooding!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Morning Everyone!

Got another 10" of snow last night and an all night power outage to go along with it......of course the 'bator got down to 72.9 for several hours...went head and candled the eggs that went into lockdown today....air cells still look good, but at day 18 nothing else can be seen... so here's hoping.

Dang!!

Good luck with the hatch!

 

[pinkchick]

Oh brother! Hope they are all ok. Does the power company have something against chicks??? Seems that's the only time my power goes out, when incubating or brooding!

LOL! Seems like it doesn't it! But I can't complain about our power companies employees...they are AWESOME and always get the power back up ASAP! We generally don't go too long without if the lines are down. However I am all to happy to complain about 18% rate increase so that the PUD commissioner could have a $4000 dollar raise in pay. Now if that 18% had gone to the crews and line men and women I would never say a word, they are the ones that deserve it.

I was more worried about the 2.5 week old chicks out in the brooder that went without heat. Good thing there is 11 of them for huddling. They all seem to be fine this morning.

 

[ruth]

Hi Everyone - I've been living under a rock for the past few months and haven't been on BYC. Looks like there's a ton of new people and posts in these threads which is so good to see. Actually I haven't been living under a rock it's just that I did a really "stupid" thing in May. I bought 16 wild Appaloosa horses including a bunch of mares with newborn babies and which had bred again in the herd they lived in. So.....I've been super busy learning all about horses and training horses. So far I have one that I can ride and most that I can halter and lead. The 6 babies are already nearly as big as their mamas. Anyway, it's good to be back. I've still been breeding my Black Copper Marans and even have a Blue Copper Marans "Project Pen" going. I've recently built a pen just for excess roosters and I call it "Death Row". Just got tired of so many roosters running around the farm. With some it was easy to make the decision with others I've had to look long and hard. Here's a couple of Black Copper Maran cockerls I'm just not sure of. Since I've been out of the loop for so long I thought I'd post these two young guys who are not in breeder pens and ask "Breed or Eat?" One has a little copper on his throat with only specks of it on his chest. The other is solid black chest.

Roo 1 - with some red on throat but with a nice comb (wind was really blowing his backside in second photo):

Roo 2 with solid black throat and chest:

 

[pinkchick]

pictures would be great but like outhers said to young
persinaly id stay clear of bad tail and deal with the light weight roo
also roos cam put on size and bulk slower than outher rosters. davis line has some hugh roos and presly/ budy henery was always smaller
bur thats my thoughts

Hi Halo! Long time no see and great to have you pop back in!

Tough call on which bird to keep....do you have photos to share? Photo's may help get more opinions as to which boy to work with.