Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

I'd say just by going from what I have here, that if their breasts aren't full by 6-7 months, by the time they mature into them, they will be too tough to eat, except in soup or shredded boiled bits. Can you say....enchiladas??

we also grind up the meat here and use them for enchiladas and several other dishes. Very tasty!

 

[3riverschick]

I will not feed the trolls...

As far as the spurs go folks, unless you have a roo over a year old, you may not have spurs! I have 2, two year olds with 3" spurs, an 19 month old with 2" spurs, and an 8.5 month old with 1/2" spurs. Marans roos do not typically FULLY mature until at least 18 months to 2 years of age. So if you are not seeing spurs on your roos, I'd love to know how old they are.

Excuse me, I hope I am reading this wrong and you didn't mean to call me a troll. That would be highly offensive and I am sure you didn't mean it that way.
My GS boy was over a year old. My Red Shouldered Silver Duckwing boy was old enough to have had spurs if he was going to get them
Regards,
Karen

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I still find it hard to judge meat qualities, I keep expecting perduel evel meatiness. Clearly need to adjust my expectations. I've added speckled sussex and buckeyes this year, oh and BR -- suppodedf to be heritage lines, so I can compare for meat. I just heat the amount of work to clean a bird for piddling amount of meat. I'd have to starving to dress a quail!

 

[gilavina]

on a lot of the dual purpose breeds 16 to 24 weeks is recommended for grow time, but a lot of it depends on their diet and even how quickly the line of birds develop.

 

[Debbi]

My boys are about 12 months old. My SSH is 16 months, and his look vicious on such a tiny body!

Some of my other roosters have almost nothing--but they sure hut like h----. HE can easily break the skin if direct contact, or make a bruise thru pant legs. BOys aren't willing to part with him

but would rather carry a stick. THat rooster sure it teaching those boys teamwork and how to watch each other's back. THe thing is if they would realize the key is don't offend that rooster!!

I know how they feel! I have a roo here that has no business being here, except that I just love his oddball behavior! He is pretty to look at, and the first one people that come here oooh and ahhh over, yet he is not the correct coloring, and his attitude sucks! He has challenged me on more than several occasions, but I have learned quite a bit from his behavior. I have definately learned NOT to wear red, orange, or bright yellow coloring in his presence! Those are all strange roo colors to him, and he will ATTACK!! I mean hackles flared, feet 3' off the ground, comin' at your face attack!!

Still, something deep down intrigues me about this roo, Pip. He was a sole hatch, and carries an orphaned psychology with him. We pick and choose our battles, and have come to an unspoken agreement about what each of us will tolerate. Weird? Maybe. A waste of time with this guy? Maybe, but I have learned so much from him, and he is so comical to watch trying to be a chicken, and finally fit in. While I have only seen him breed twice, he is a very protective flock leader, and loves the young chicks that are introduced to the flock. As I picked him up to worm him the other night, and set him down on the top of the nest boxes to do it, he was quite calm. We had a long chat, and his eyes have a very intelligent look to them, almost scary smart. He puts on his bravdo for the flock I think, but when it's one on one, he is a sweet boy still, like he was as a lone baby. Keep face with the flock Pip, I won't tell...

 

[Arielle]

on a lot of the dual purpose breeds 16 to 24 weeks is recommended for grow time, but a lot of it depends on their diet and even how quickly the line of birds develop.

I wondered if the muscle growth had been kept up in the marans.as the primary focus has been the eggs.

 

[Debbi]

I wondered if the muscle growth had been kept up in the marans.as the primary focus has been the eggs.

I have had several roos here that would've been ideal for eating as far as mass goes, at about 5.5-6 months old. Too bad I felt I had to keep them longer to watch them grow out, only to be what I didn't want to hold onto! Now that I have a better grasp of what to look for earlier on, there will be some eatin' roos in my future!!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BarnGoddess01


x 2

Will explain this a little to the new poultry people. Barb, has had the Cuckoo and knows the darker chicks at this age are female and the lighter are mostly males. I have had Barred and Cuckoo in several breeds and this is easiest way to tell the sex

I agree I think she is a pullet and will add.......sometimes some males can end up colored like females and darker colored because they do not have 2 copies of the Barring gene.

Females get 1 copy of the barring/cuckoo gene which gives them the darker coloration. Males should get 2 copies of the barring/cuckoo gene which gives them the lighter coloration....when they don't get the second gene, they are hard to tell apart from the females until the are bit older in age and you see there comb and wattle development.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Raptor is very different from your boy. He was the number one rooster starting at 3 weeks old. He had everyone pecked into submission. THen the late bloomer, the SSH grew b---- and he took on Raptor a bird nearly twice his size. I can count on the SSH to come to my rescue. He comes from no where to drive off Raptor. THen I'm free to get on with my chores!! Raptor keeps me thinking, how to read him, how to move in a non offensive way. How can I walk by him with in 1 foot or so and all is well, and other times he's no where to be seen and WHAM an attack from behind!!

@ Donna: And DOnna, if I thought for one moment my boys were in serious danger, that Rooster would be GONE, G O N E ! I still feel panicky when my boys cruise thru the horse paddocks and wind their way around 1200 pound horses. I'm gulping now just thinking about it. I trust my horses more than that rooster!!

 

[Debbi]

Raptor is very different from your boy. He was the number one rooster starting at 3 weeks old. He had everyone pecked into submission. THen the late bloomer, the SSH grew b---- and he took on Raptor a bird nearly twice his size. I can count on the SSH to come to my rescue. He comes from no where to drive off Raptor. THen I'm free to get on with my chores!! Raptor keeps me thinking, how to read him, how to move in a non offensive way. How can I walk by him with in 1 foot or so and all is well, and other times he's no where to be seen and WHAM an attack from behind!!

@ Donna: And DOnna, if I thought for one moment my boys were in serious danger, that Rooster would be GONE, G O N E ! I still feel panicky when my boys cruise thru the horse paddocks and wind their way around 1200 pound horses. I'm gulping now just thinking about it. I trust my horses more than that rooster!!

Yes, I know your roo too! I had a Blue copper roo that was a real...thinking of a word I can put on here, arse to put it very mildly. He would attack without provocation, colors didn't affect it, he was just MEAN! He came real close to meeting a .20 ga. shotgun on several occasions, and the only thing that stopped me was a poor family that needed the meat, so off he went! He was a huge roo, about 12lbs at 9 months of age!! He would bite and lunge with spurs, yes spurs at 9 months, and meant total business!! Evidently, he made lovely enchiladas! He made my Pip look like an angel, this was a mean, rouge, roo. Soooo glad he is GONE!!! My dog has now learned how to read Pip, and if he (Pip) starts his growling, the dog will chase him off! They've had quite a few long sprints, and Pip has only lost a few stray sickle feathers in the lessons!

Oh yes, and to say, it's only me here; so any harassment taken by any roo is directed only towards me. And maybe an occasional cat!