Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[3riverschick]

Are you kidding me?? Have you not read the thread on here?? This is a major problem within the breed! I brought it up here, and on the MCCU yahoo group, only to be met with some condesending tones, some denials, and quite a few that said they had the same problem (ie Carnations)! This problem has been around for a long time, but because of the tiny gene pool here, MANY lines now posses this problem, if not all lines! The ones that started it won't admit to ever have seeing it! Close your flocks NOW if you honestly don't have this problem!!!!!

No, not kidding. I have read the thread here and the problem is unfortunate and was preventable. In fact, the reason I mentioned it was because of the thread you mention and I thought perhaps the poster was not aware of the problem. This list moves very fast. It is quite difficult for me to keep track of who said what on which topic. The best I usually do is keep a couple of authors in mind when I read a general topic.
Best,
Karen

 

[ruth]

I'm not sure what to say about carnation combs. I've honestly never seen it in my flock. I get five points, six points, seven points on roo combs but never a carnation comb. I've been really out of the loop so this is the first I've heard about it being a problem. Is it just now popping up in people's flock? Did it skip generations? If anyone has ever gotten a BCM from me that had this I would really like to know about it because I ship many more than I hatch and keep myself. I have always had a closed flock which consisted initially of Wade & Kelvin Jeane's first 21 hens (from the eggs they got from France) when they had to get rid of their birds.

 

[geebs]

...

 

[ruth]

Ruth, the side sprigs are on the other side of his comb, (pics showing the left side of his head), and from the first pics, there looks like 2 of them up toward the front area. Yes, the Carnation comb is a HUGE problem within the breed now, and is spreading like wildfire!! Check all of you hens with flopped combs, and the blades of the roos.

I still don't see any side sprigs - just his "crazy eyebrows".







But like I said he's the start on my Blue Copper Marans - definitely not the finished product.

Geebs' they are laying very nice dark eggs.

 

[Debbi]

I'm not sure what to say about carnation combs. I've honestly never seen it in my flock. I get five points, six points, seven points on roo combs but never a carnation comb. I've been really out of the loop so this is the first I've heard about it being a problem. Is it just now popping up in people's flock? Did it skip generations? If anyone has ever gotten a BCM from me that had this I would really like to know about it because I ship many more than I hatch and keep myself. I have always had a closed flock which consisted initially of Wade & Kelvin Jeane's first 21 hens (from the eggs they got from France) when they had to get rid of their birds.

Ruth,

I have many folks that have contacted me on this matter. They are very hesitant to divulge to the breeders of the chicks or the eggs they received, that there was a problem; either from not initially knowing this to be a problem, or to doubt the breeder's knowledge, or just didn't give a rat's arse. However, I think if the breeders would go forth and follow up with questions and pics of Carnation combs, they may get a rash of responses. Those who sell mega amounts of eggs a year may not be up to the challenge of asking all purchasers, but those that sell a moderate amount, I would think would like to know how their birds' turned out. This is a major problem now, and it will affect all lines in the future, if not already. With other egg selling auction places, besides private sales, it is a real problem already, and is expanding 10 fold by the day!! Close your flocks of clean birds!!!!

 

[ruth]

Ruth,

I have many folks that have contacted me on this matter. They are very hesitant to divulge to the breeders of the chicks or the eggs they received, that there was a problem; either from not initially knowing this to be a problem, or to doubt the breeder's knowledge, or just didn't give a rat's arse. However, I think if the breeders would go forth and follow up with questions and pics of Carnation combs, they may get a rash of responses. Those who sell mega amounts of eggs a year may not be up to the challenge of asking all purchasers, but those that sell a moderate amount, I would think would like to know how their birds' turned out. This is a major problem now, and it will affect all lines in the future, if not already. With other egg selling auction places, besides private sales, it is a real problem already, and is expanding 10 fold by the day!! Close your flocks of clean birds!!!!

Thanks Debbi - as I posted, I've always kept a closed flock and always will. Whenever I hatch an order to sell there are always extras and I keep those. So I have extras from every hatch I've ever sold and none have shown a problem in any genetic area so I hope I'm safe to say that my random sample of every hatch represents the whole. I do feel quite out of the loop though because I did tune in from time to time on the various Marans threads but I guessed I missed these discussions. The only thing I've done with my flock is to learn the SOP and to remove from the breeder pens any birds that did not conform. Initially I bred all of them but over the past four years I've weeded out any that had too little or too much red on their breasts or any with a white feather anywhere or any with mossiness. Now I've got a line that pretty much spits out carbon copies of the mamas and daddies.

 

[Debbi]

I still don't see any side sprigs - just his "crazy eyebrows".







But like I said he's the start on my Blue Copper Marans - definitely not the finished product.

Geebs' they are laying very nice dark eggs.

Yes Ruth, I can see 2 side sprigs in this pic, towards the front of his comb! They look like red pimples = sprigs. Anyone else seeing these, or are my eyes going wonkers??

Look at her other pics too. Let me tell you, I can smell a sprig or Carnation from a mile away these days!

 

[ruth]

Geebs - here's some pictures I just ran out and took of eggs from two of the blue copper pullets who were running around free but are now in an "isolation pen" to "clean out" if you know what I mean. I wasn't sure if they had started laying but thought I'd separate them for at least three weeks before putting them in the "Project Blue" breeder pen. Well both girls laid eggs yesterday and today - some of their first I'm guessing. One lays a nice dark egg and the other lays what I call my "pink" eggs. If you wet it you'll see the brown underneath the bloom.

 

[Debbi]

Ruth, I doubt you have that problem... really... I know where quite a bit of it came from... (not at liberty) but you can find in any breed a side sprig... It is a defect in all single combed birds... It is NOT the same as a carnation comb... No worries girl!!!

You are considered a point of import...

Hate to burst the bubble here, but I've had different info here...not at liberty to say here either. Side sprigs and Carnations are different things, but I've had reports of both. Don't ask, don't tell, seems to be the fare of the day here lately. Glad to see some of us with the problem will come forward...others will when their flocks are over taken by the problem. Best to know in the begining and rectify it, than to keep selling eggs/chicks, and perpetuating the problem!

 

[geebs]