Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

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:

Hi Monique! Good to see you!

#1 is the bird that I would keep.

 

[kefiren]

Remember me? I was asking about pronunciation? Well, I got my first egg! (25.5 weeks)

It has strange white gunk stuck on it, all the way around, doesn't seem like your usual "dropped in poop" sort of thing. I hope she is ok. She seems ok in the yard.

It is big for a pullet egg and it is roundish. The backround color is darker than a Buff Orp egg, but not on the Marans scale, and it is stipled irregularly with very dark spots.

 

[stoopid]

Egg dance! Congrats! It may take a few tries to get the color right.

 

[chickenlisa]

Ok, so I have a question for all of you marans enthusiasts. When did you realize you were a marans person? Was it the egg color? The appearance of the marans? Or their dispositions? I would love to hear your stories!

I've been lurking on this thread all day...Lately, I've been getting the hatching bug again. I haven't hatched any chicks in 2 years.(I was working with my Australian Spotted ducks and Mandarin ducks though) But today, about ALL I've done is read this thread. I'm on about pg 96 or so now, and there are over 2900 pages! I want to read more, and then buy eggs from some great French Black Copper Marans, (and Blue and Birchen, too!) My interest lies in egg color, size and looks of the birds, and temperaments. Maybe future breeding of them for improving or replenishing my flock too.
Lisa

 

[MuffsnFluff]

Well, over the past week I've taken each of the three hens that I didn't know which egg color they were laying and seperated them out into their own individual cages. All have laid EXCEPT the one who laid the "chocolate" egg in my avatar (banded blue), which means, she has not laid at all in 2.5 weeks?!?!?!? Only that one pretty egg so far

The other two of the three I was unsure of laid maybe #4.5-5ish colored eggs, so not bad over all (they're now banded yellow and red). Lol, the nice thing with the other girl who lays a barely #4 egg is that she lays every day almost. Hah hah... those dark ones may take a while to cook I guess! What did I tell you, I figured she'd be holdin' out on me, probably pouting that she isn't free ranging with everyone else, lol! Of course now I"ve said it when I go down there to feed her she'll prolly have one waiting

When it warms up a bit I'll post pictures of 'em now I can tell them apart!

 

[pinkchick]

Well, over the past week I've taken each of the three hens that I didn't know which egg color they were laying and seperated them out into their own individual cages. All have laid EXCEPT the one who laid the "chocolate" egg in my avatar (banded blue), which means, she has not laid at all in 2.5 weeks?!?!?!? Only that one pretty egg so far

The other two of the three I was unsure of laid maybe #4.5-5ish colored eggs, so not bad over all (they're now banded yellow and red). Lol, the nice thing with the other girl who lays a barely #4 egg is that she lays every day almost. Hah hah... those dark ones may take a while to cook I guess! What did I tell you, I figured she'd be holdin' out on me, probably pouting that she isn't free ranging with everyone else, lol! Of course now I"ve said it when I go down there to feed her she'll prolly have one waiting

When it warms up a bit I'll post pictures of 'em now I can tell them apart!

She very well could be holding out because she was moved or something in her routine was changed. They can be tempermental... I get an egg sit in from all the girls anytime I move someone in or out or change anything.
Also...they can lay a very dark egg like the one she gave you and then not lay them again for a very long while or perhaps they may only lay a few darkies in their lifetime...each hen is different, some are consistent with their colors and others can fly the gamut.

 

[CantSkipThis]

Hi everyone!
I have a young blue copper Marans rooster I would like opinions on. I think he's beautiful but I'm new to this. Can anyone post pictures for me if I email them to you? I'm on a iPad and it won't let me upload photos.
Thanks!

 

[gilavina]

Well....I wasn't quick enough to get home and collect eggs and ended up with frozen popsicle eggies

I hate that! Especially when they are nice dark ones. The incubator is getting moved tonight and will get set for temp and etc overnight and while i'm gone at work again tomorrow. Then its egg setting time! I can't wait to see what possibilities are in these eggies! I don't expect all of them to be good as I've collected them over the last couple of weeks, but have been turning them everyday and am keeping them in nice cool even temps. So, I'm just hoping the ones that are good, will give me some really nice chicks!

 

[DMRippy]

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.

They do seem to do ok don't they? My brooder light was out again this morning! That is twice with this batch. I lost two the first time, but they seemed fine this time. At least it was not the hatcher or the incubator. I got 18 more babies! They should be really warm if it happens again with that many babies in the brooder.

 

[Cadeau]

I've been having the same problem, Vicki...

I'm starting to think I might take Karen's idea of using one of those heated birdbaths for the bottom of a nester to see if that could keep the eggs from freezing!! SO frustrating to get a gorgeous egg and then see it is frozen and cracked...