Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Hi Q!

I will cull for egg shape. I have one hen that is 3 years old and she lays a long pointy at both ends egg.....lovely color but just way the wrong shape. I use her in the laying flock for eating eggs. Both hen and rooster influence egg color but I am unsure if the rooster contributes to egg shape.

Mornin' Miss Pink

I've got one hen that lays what I call, "the torpedo egg". Like you said, long and pointy at both ends! I'm thinking it's Bad Charlotte that does that one. Now Olivia, on the other hand, lays a much rounder, and beautiful ruby egg!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote: DesertMarcy



DesertMarcy~ I didn't mean to confuse you, sorry about that.
The chicks from the Orloff crosses will be wait and see chicks as to whether or not they will lay a green egg. If they had been crossed with a single combed bird then telling who will lay the green egg would be lots easier than the mix of the walnut x peacombed birds. Chances are you will get some birds that will lay the green egg you are after, but you will more than likely also get birds that lay a light brown colored egg just like the Orloff's.
In order to lay the green egg they still have to get the peacomb gene and the blue egg gene from the Ameraucana genetics.
The lighter the brown egg of a brown egg layer used to make green eggs or Olive eggs, the lighter the color or shade of green/blue can/will/should be.
In my case, using the dark egg genetics of the Marans..I get the darker Olive colored eggs.

 

[thebutress]

Well, at least teach him how to crow! When mine start in the house, I give them voice lessons so that futher down the road, they will know what a crow should sound like!  Pip was in here the longest, and he has the most musical, "Hap py Birrrrrth day" type of crow, the one I like! I should've worked more with Clyde, his crow sounds like you are playing it backwards on a record! Really...I'm not crazy 
[rule]
[rule]

Hah! My husband will think I've gone nutters if I start crowing! My neighbor is coming to get copper this afternoon! Oh I hope I have some hens !

 

[pinkchick]

Speaking of pathetic crowers and pathetically late crowers.........this 6 mos. old young man just learned to crow not but a couple weeks ago and last night just as his new owner stepped out of his truck, the bird let out the worst attempt at a crow I think I have ever heard. The guy purchasing him looked at me like..... "What the heck was that?" I responded with......"IDK, but at first I thought he was dying....good thing his looks make up for it."

Looking back at his photos I took last night....I don't know what's the matter with me.....I raise them up to this age and then get rid of them and I probably shouldn't have let this one go............................................

. He's going to fill out nicely when he is fully matured.

 

[Debbi]

I can't believe you let that one go!!! Love his tail!

 

[pinkchick]

Mornin' Miss Pink

I've got one hen that lays what I call, "the torpedo egg". Like you said, long and pointy at both ends! I'm thinking it's Bad Charlotte that does that one. Now Olivia, on the other hand, lays a much rounder, and beautiful ruby egg!

Who did we think Charlotte's Daddy was again? Also, is she the one with clean shanks?

Sorry forgot to say that I am glad that Olivia is laying a nice egg for you.

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks! I have 2 more like him but 2 months younger that are living with their Grand-daddy Bill Sr. and learning to be nicely behaved young gentlemen. Bill won't let them get out of hand with his girls.
This guy that I sold last night was Lil' Bill's F-1 son from a cross to my only original Davis bird that I have left, my Splash Copper girl, Darryl.
The 2 I still have are from Lil' Bill crossed to I think...Bad Charlotte's mother and one of them again is from Lil' Bill and Darryl. Both have great feathered shanks and have a couple feathers on the outer toe.

This guy I sold last night had one feather near the very very very top of the toe just at the bottom of the shank.

 

[Debbi]

Who did we think Charlotte's Daddy was again? Also, is she the one with clean shanks?

Sorry forgot to say that I am glad that Olivia is laying a nice egg for you.

I believe Charlotte's dad was Gnarles x GFF? She hatched with shank feathers, and kept them for quite some time, but now she is clean. She still has yet to molt, so maybe they will come back in when she does?? This past winter's goofy weather has really seemed to screw up everyone's molt cycle.

 

[gilavina]

Well darn you anyway!

Guess what I woke up to on my front porch this morning???? TWO kittens!

At least their goofy mamas are sort of taking care of them. These are the worst mama cats I've ever seen, the kittens don't usually make it to adulthood. Mine look to be about 3 weeks old....maybe??

ahhhhahahaha!!!!! That makes my day!

Sounds like they are far enough along that they won't take too much minding. I would say I get annoyed with this little one, but he's just so dang funny and sooo thinks I'm momma that its pretty entertaining. I turn into a softy with animals

 

[desertmarcy]

DesertMarcy~ I didn't mean to confuse you, sorry about that.
The chicks from the Orloff crosses will be wait and see chicks as to whether or not they will lay a green egg. If they had been crossed with a single combed bird then telling who will lay the green egg would be lots easier than the mix of the walnut x peacombed birds. Chances are you will get some birds that will lay the green egg you are after, but you will more than likely also get birds that lay a light brown colored egg just like the Orloff's.
In order to lay the green egg they still have to get the peacomb gene and the blue egg gene from the Ameraucana genetics.
The lighter the brown egg of a brown egg layer used to make green eggs or Olive eggs, the lighter the color or shade of green/blue can/will/should be.
In my case, using the dark egg genetics of the Marans..I get the darker Olive colored eggs.

Well that just bums me out--here I thought they would all be green egg layers. How would one tell a walnut comb from a peacomb on a baby chick??