Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Cadeau]

The AC was working enough to say it was cooler inside than out, but not by much. One of the coolers is still acting up, so had to empty it and move everything to one of the big coolers in back and then pull everything for the floor cleaning company that comes in everyonce and a while. I'm pooped! I also open tomorrow, so get the joy of putting it all back. Then off to the poultry meeting. I'm really praying that all goes really well!

Have fun at your meeting!!
I wish there was something like that here!!

I was at a little mom and pop shop today and they had all the cooler cases emptied, too.
Must be SO frustrating.

 

[Cadeau]

Could not figure out how to post more than one picture in one post .... so here's another of our red splash roo
don't know why the picture turned sideways?

Wow! That's a lot of red!! Can't imagine what he'll look like when he gets grown-up hackles!
He's almost spangled looking on the breast

 

[Debbi]

Her parents were both splash. We purchased two splash hens and a rooster at a show. One hen and the rooster had a couple red feathers. We hatched a bunch of eggs from these three. We then sold the hen and rooster with red as we thought we wanted and could breed splash without the red/copper. We have since learned how prevelant red is in the splash roosters. We have therefore decided to try and get two flocks of splash. It seems the effort to get roosters without red is about the same effort necessary to get hens with the red. We have no plans to introduce any other colors into our splash flock. We will work to get what we are looking for from within these splash.

Well, let me give it a try, won't promise to be right in my thinking, but someone will then jump in and correct me!

These Splash are genetypically Copper Birchens, ie came from Black Copper or Blue Copper. Blue being the dilution of black, and Splash being the dilution of Blue. All have the copper gene in them, whether they are showing it or not if they came from coppers. Typically, the roos will show more copper because they have a larger area where the copper should be showing. Hens, not so much. Trying to get red into either Black or Blue hens is a task, so I'm thinking they either started with overly gold hackled hens and roos or just kept breeding the Splashes that showed the copper. At some point, you are going to have to include some blues in your breeding to maintain the nicely marked Splash (without the copper, just the base Splash). I would think also, if you kept on breeding the hens and roos with the copper, you will also lose the Splash color by way of too much red. I am not a genetics type of gal, just trying to think off the top of my head. Pinkchick may be the one to ask, she had both. If she doesn't see this post, maybe you could PM her? ETA: Whoa! I must've been typing while you were. There is something else going on with that roo other than Splash!

 

[qball53]

We have several roosters colored very similar to this one. We are using one over our easter eggers to make olive eggers. He will be our back up red/splash and could be primary depending what the abundantly red roo throws. I have heard some say that splash to splash will wash out to white. Have you experienced that yourself or repeating what you have heard? We'll see how it goes .... we do have one splash roo that is nearly all white but he'll be good with dumplins.

You know they will turn solid white after a few generations? well pretty close anyway.

I had a pretty splash roo had copper in all the right places.... sold him. Figured out later he must have been sterile. Never got a chick from him.

 

[gilavina]

Have fun at your meeting!!
I wish there was something like that here!!

I was at a little mom and pop shop today and they had all the cooler cases emptied, too.
Must be SO frustrating.

It is.....when the humidity and heat combine its like kryptonite to the compressors working so hard to keep everything cool or frozen

 

[Debbi]

Awww - great photo!

(or maybe a splash wheaten boy?)

Nope, don't think so. This one is from Randy, and he doesn't do the Blue Wheatens. Seeing as how there is no black where there should be at this age for a roo, I'm holding out for a pullet!

 

[qball53]

Thank you Debbi. I was thinking the same thing about the orgin of the red. I thought perhaps if blues were started with silver birchen instead of black coppers it might be easier to keep the red out. Rather than make my own splash with our birchens we decided to see what we can do with the splash we purchased. I think our overly red splash roosters prooves your point about loosing the blue/splash pattern. This is just something we are playing around with, don't have to be concerned with SOP.

Well, let me give it a try, won't promise to be right in my thinking, but someone will then jump in and correct me!

These Splash are genetypically Copper Birchens, ie came from Black Copper or Blue Copper. Blue being the dilution of black, and Splash being the dilution of Blue. All have the copper gene in them, whether they are showing it or not if they came from coppers. Typically, the roos will show more copper because they have a larger area where the copper should be showing. Hens, not so much. Trying to get red into either Black or Blue hens is a task, so I'm thinking they either started with overly gold hackled hens and roos or just kept breeding the Splashes that showed the copper. At some point, you are going to have to include some blues in your breeding to maintain the nicely marked Splash (without the copper, just the base Splash). I would think also, if you kept on breeding the hens and roos with the copper, you will also lose the Splash color by way of too much red. I am not a genetics type of gal, just trying to think off the top of my head. Pinkchick may be the one to ask, she had both. If she doesn't see this post, maybe you could PM her?

 

[DMRippy]

We have several roosters colored very similar to this one. We are using one over our easter eggers to make olive eggers. He will be our back up red/splash and could be primary depending what the abundantly red roo throws. I have heard some say that splash to splash will wash out to white. Have you experienced that yourself or repeating what you have heard? We'll see how it goes .... we do have one splash roo that is nearly all white but he'll be good with dumplins.
Quote: I KNOW it will happen. I have splash rocks and one is almost white... very odd looking.

I am going to step out on a limb and tell you not to use that roo. Splash coppers are only supposed to have copper where Blue and Black Coppers have copper.... anything else is not right. He has WAY too much red and if he were blue or black would be culled in my breeding program. Splash should not look different than BCM.... other than the base color of splash. And I think Debbi is right... even it they don't show the copper it is there and will pop up when you least want it too. He should only have copper in his hackles, saddle and wing bow feathers. Same goes for pullets only in their hackles not on their breast.

Now if you are just playing with them.... none of that matters. His over coloring MIGHT give you some of what you want... colored chicks, but pairing him with a pullet with less copper would be best to TONE him down some.

 

[qball53]

I KNOW it will happen. I have splash rocks and one is almost white... very odd looking.

I am going to step out on a limb and tell you not to use that roo. Splash coppers are only supposed to have copper where Blue and Black Coppers have copper.... anything else is not right. He has WAY too much red and if he were blue or black would be culled in my breeding program. Splash should not look different than BCM.... other than the base color of splash. And I think Debbi is right... even it they don't show the copper it is there and will pop up when you least want it too. He should only have copper in his hackles, saddle and wing bow feathers. Same goes for pullets only in their hackles not on their breast.

Thanks for the warning. We will be able to bear witness at some point. We will use the rooster in an effort to get more red in the hens.... just to see. They all lay nice eggs and make good chicken and dumplins. They break up all the black and blue running around the yard.

 

[DMRippy]

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