Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Just went out to the Silkie pen, that one chick was out of the nest again, peeping it's head off. Must be a roo.

Still can't see how many are in there, those girls, all four of them, are sitting tight! And they bite! The one good thing I can see with the whole community sitting, is that no one will want to bully the chicks, they all know them, and they seem to know who belongs with whom. Come inside and check the bator, and the Silkie egg I put in there is zipping! So as soon as that one dries a bit, out it goes to the mom team in pen 2. OY! It's raining Silkies!!!!!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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I had MUCH better luck with my lavender Silkies although that breeder was using a split which I think may improve the odds with lavenders. I only ended up with one Silkie expressing lavender and it has crossbeak!!

The breeder I got these eggs from was honest with me. Said she had been having fertility issues (only about 50%) so she added another roo to the pen and thought that had improved things. Given the results with my eggs, I would say not. There also appeared to be lots of staggered deaths; some early, some mid-way and just two fully formed that didn't make it out. One died immediately after pipping. There was blood so maybe it hit a vein or something? The other one was perfectly formed. Had a great air-cell. Wasn't sticky. No idea why it didn't hatch.

Congratulations on your broody Silkies!! Nothing gives more pleasure (or frustration!) than broody mamas. I know you have dialup but I hope you'll be able to share at least 1 picture ....

 

[Peach2u]

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[bwalden]

Ok thanks. I'll just have to keep an eye on the combs and waddles then. I ask because I also have Welsummers and with them you can tell pullets from roos by color markings around the eyes. The pullets have eye make up and the roos do not.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
He's still pretty young to condemn but at this early stage he is showing quite a bit of copper in his chest. May or may not be a problem depending on what your flock needs. Also, can't see his legs. Are they feathered? Comb isn't fabulous but doesn't appear to be "wrong". We need more pictures. We need to see the sides of him, full profile. How does he carry his wings? How is his tail set? Back - angle, length? That tail is also looking split in these pictures but it could be that he is feathering?

 

[Wynette]

Lol! My cameras are ALWAYS broken. I know that this camera in particular sucks. Plus it was a bright day. i'll take better pics. Do you think it'll stay light? Or darken when he gets older?

In my personal experience, no, I have not seen hackle color darken as a bird ages. Sorry...wish I could say differently for you!

 

[slick4591]

Thanks, Debbi! This hatch is going much better than the last. I had 38 eggs after the 10 day candle and I have 17 out, and four working on things. I'm noticing like last time the Marans are always behind the Ameraucanas being the last to hatch. I went ahead and pulled some of the chicks this morning because the outside humidity was at 98% and felt I could so safely. The inside humidity only fell from 84% to 79% during the process. I also ended up taking the glued one out and bathing it with Dawn. Put it back in the incubator and it has really perked up. I'm a little disappointed with my Blue Copper on Blue Copper, tho. Only had 5 eggs and 2 candled clear at 10 days, then one had not progressed when checking at lock down. Those two eggs have pipped and now zipping. I could use another blue or even a splash would be nice.

 

[Peach2u]

Okay let me try again. 4 month old blue copper maran
A side body wing shot.

A foot shot. Light feathers out side toe only. A splash maran pullet with heavy feathered shank and toe.

A running side shot for tail set.

head shot.

Chest

 

[desertmarcy]

I finally got around to taking more pics of this "Blue Copper" Marans cockerel, he is 6 months old. If he is pure blue, then his wing triangle should be blue, is that right? So what do you all think? I am trying to breed pure blue coppers, so if he doesn't fit the bill---he is up for grabs if anybody wants him or freezer camp. I don't have the pen space for any test matings with him, although I do think he is pretty and so far he has not been too much of a PINA, although he did beat up his Delaware pen mate, even though they were raised together, and bloodied the Delaware's comb and head--so I had to separate them.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Okay let me try again. 4 month old blue copper maran
A side body wing shot.

A foot shot. Light feathers out side toe only. A splash maran pullet with heavy feathered shank and toe.

A running side shot for tail set.

head shot.

Chest

Are you able to give him some more time to grow? It seems that it takes these guys a bit longer. I have to recheck my 1 copper Marans cockeral as he seems to be filling out more and he was aNov 2011 hatch.