Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Good morning all

Just checked the 10 day forecast. For the next 9 days, the temps will be between 99 - 104, still no rain. On the 10th day we get a slight drop in temps, 91, with a chance of showers.

Glad I held off buying any hay eating critters this year, people here are already feeding hay to the cattle, and so far most folks have only gotten one cutting of hay. Hopefully, we won't have a frigid winter, I'm too nervous to look at that forecast yet. So far, all chickens but one of the Silkie chicks are doing ok in this heat. The one little guy is starting to show signs of wry neck, and I believe it is due to the heat, or he got pecked on the head. I tend to think it's the heat, as he looks better in the cool mornings, and the group he is with are very peaceful. Vitamins won't work for either situation, so I may have to bring him inside to ride out this heat...

 

[Hens and Roos]

Good morning all

Just checked the 10 day forecast. For the next 9 days, the temps will be between 99 - 104, still no rain. On the 10th day we get a slight drop in temps, 91, with a chance of showers.

Glad I held off buying any hay eating critters this year, people here are already feeding hay to the cattle, and so far most folks have only gotten one cutting of hay. Hopefully, we won't have a frigid winter, I'm too nervous to look at that forecast yet. So far, all chickens but one of the Silkie chicks are doing ok in this heat. The one little guy is starting to show signs of wry neck, and I believe it is due to the heat, or he got pecked on the head. I tend to think it's the heat, as he looks better in the cool mornings, and the group he is with are very peaceful. Vitamins won't work for either situation, so I may have to bring him inside to ride out this heat...

stay cool if you can, we are to get to 96 today with the heat index around 105 so we will be working inside as much as possible.

final chick count 6 Cuckoo Marans- the last splash to hatch didn't make it. will try and post some pictures

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I visited my mother in recent years and I went outside for a few minutes and looked at the stars. There was NO back ground noise. No distant cars. So different than where I live, and I don't live in a city! lol I have been enjoying the recent weather, it's been cool at night. I think the chickens like it too.

 

[Keara]

Hatch is going well; yesterday on day 19 I hatched 15 chicks. 10 BCM, 3 BlueCM, and 2 silver laced Wyandottes. Five more pips and one zip when I left this morning (day 20). Should be able to get pictures on Sunday.

 

[Keara]

Got a couple questions, first one. How do you know if your chickens are Bev Davis line or Wade Jeane line? And second, if you had a BCM from both lines, would it hurt to mix them? I think I have two different lines, cause both of my hens are built a little different

.

Only way to know is if you got them from Bev Davis or Wade Jeane. ONce a Marans line is no longer in the original owners possesion, within a generation or two poor breeding choices can lead to very different looking birds.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: x2

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Learn from the birds you have. Maybe you will replace them in the years to come but you will have learned a lot and able to determine if you have something decent or need to trade up.

 

[aceschix]

Hatch is going well; yesterday on day 19 I hatched 15 chicks. 10 BCM, 3 BlueCM, and 2 silver laced Wyandottes. Five more pips and one zip when I left this morning (day 20). Should be able to get pictures on Sunday.

Awesome!! Can not wait to see you in just a few days!! Are you bringing any extras to sell? I am not looking but have others who are.

 

[mendocinosunris]

Only way to know is if you got them from Bev Davis or Wade Jeane. ONce a Marans line is no longer in the original owners possesion, within a generation or two poor breeding choices can lead to very different looking birds.

That's an excellent way of putting it. Thanks for the insight!

 

[Wynette]

Keara, CONGRATS on the great hatch! And I 100% agree on "lines." You can definitely tell some characteristics, such as - Davis birds tend to be larger, Jeane line tends to be mossy....but then again, depending on what the breeder has chosen to work with in their breed pen moving forward, many of the things that we all associate with specific lines have been culled out. And, at the end of the day, it really doens't much matter (at least IMHO), so long as we're all breeding toward the SOP.