Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I am not culling. I am just not going to further their genes by incubating any of their eggs. My production has been horrid since probably May. Considering they did not start laying until about a month before that . . . .

I seriously think this may be the issue. I am supplementing lighting in my coop SINCE these girls decided to take a 4 month holiday. NOW, if I had two birds that really aren't laying that well to start off with, than that would explain a lot!

So, I will continue to watch the girls, but will only hatch from the two birds that I KNOW are doing a good job of laying.

I found ALL 4 girls in the laying boxes today but only 2 laid eggs. the other 2 left the boxes without laying something after about an hour. I have seen these same two girls do that previously during this week. . . .

I have been watching for signs of broodiness, but they never stay on the nest for longer than an hour. . .

I live in the same area of fl as you and most all my marans have picked back up (except a few with small chicks) with the egg laying. All my chickens are laying again as a matter of fact, except the ameraucanas for some reason. I think the light situation would be the same. I even have my runs covered with shade cloth. A few days ago, I got a total of 5 dozen eggs (from all breeds). That is a record for me lol. Do you offer a free choice of calcium?

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Mine are saying things like:

"Hey corn lady, GOT CORN? "

"Can we go to the park - - I've been good. Laid a nice dark egg for you".

"I REALLY like it here"

"Could I go over there where the grass is REALLY green and tall"

 

[math ace]

Quote:
ABSOLUTELY ! The only birds that I have had troubles with laying have been the marans. The EE's, leghorns, wyandottes, and welsummers do a great job of laying almost every day.

From 4 marans that are less than a year old, I have collected 13 eggs in 8 days. These are and have been the only slackers in my flock of varied birds. NOW, I am pinpointing it down to 2 hens not laying. The other 2 marans hens have laid 10 of those 13 eggs.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I hope so Bev. They totally shut down during the summer. When they shut down, I so understood why you were not able to ship chicks / produce chicks in the summer. The MARANS just say NOPE, NOT GONNA DO IT during the summer.

I have no plans on getting rid of the hens if they don't lay any more. We are kinda attached to these ladies. We have lenghtly discussions any time I come near the pen. They look up at me (like I understand them or something) and then go off on me for 5 - 10 minutes at a time. I promise you - THEY ARE STARING me straight in the eye while they are clucking non-stop and loudly.

I will just hatch from the two that I know are doing their job and we will wait and see what the other two do. INTERESTINGLY enough, the two that are back on the job already are the two with the nicest coppering in the hackles area. The two slackers have almost NO COPPERING.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
You are not the only newbie on here - - - ask away.
One of the greatest things on this thread is that there are all different levels of knowledge on here. There are many gurus. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM

There are those with marans and interested in showing. There are those with marans and concentrating on DARK EGGS. There are those without marans . . . just drooling

The reason this thread moves so fast is because so many questions are asked and answers given. If you don't want to POST your question, then look for someone who responds in a manner you appreciate and PM them. Most here are willing to help in any possible manner.

You can PM me - - - but I am giving you a warning ahead of time - - "I've learned a lot, but not nearly enough". HOWEVER, I got no problem posting your question for you !

What's the worse that will happen ? ? ?

Somebody like lotsapaint will tell you to "CALM DOWN"

- - RIGHT ?

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

Well, you could always ask us what you don't understand and we can try and explain it in a different way. Or, we could all end up just as confused.

Bev

Thank you! Everyone on here has always been so good(thank you) about answering newbie questions. It's just me, I just dont even know what to ask. Also, I don't want to interrupt, not that anybody has ever made me feel like I am. AND I dont want to ask a question you already answered four pages ago that I missed and take up everyones time. Again nobody had ever made me feel that way here.


Oh BOY do I have questions, but I try to keep them to myself, and sometimes I get tha answer, sometimes not.

This is one I have been wondering about for a while, and I feel a little numb asking it, but here goes....
How do you count the points on the comb, each little nub even on the fat parts or just the long, well seperated ones?

I would like to know more about breeding blues. I understand that it involves the silver gene. How do you know who has that gene? I just saw something about splash carrying the gene, do all splash carry a silver gene? Do normal colored birds still carry the silver gene and you just need that extra silver gene in order for it to express? Then there is the birchen, I think I read on that french (greek) site that they just pop up occasionally in an otherwise normal wheaten flock? Maybe they meant the blue pops up in an otherwise normal birchen flock? Which would make the silver gene to just have to be floating around out there randomly expressing itself? Is the silver gene the key to all blue? How do you know it is not just dilution?
Whoa! I better stop now....sorry. I open the gates and whooosh!

Hi

We are all learning and making mistakes so you are among friends.

This is how to breed the blue gene

Blue x Blue will give you 25% Black (without the blue gene) 50% Blue (with one blue gene) 25% splash (with two blue genes).

Black x Blue will give you 50% Black and 50% Blue.

Black x Splash will give you 100% Blue.

Blue x Splash will give you 50% Blue and 50% Splash.

Splash x Splash will give you 100% Splash

No, all splash don't carry a silver gene, some don't even carry a silver or a gold gene. You would really need to know what genes the parents are carrying to know what the splash off spring are carrying.


Copper blues are carrying a gold gene so, if you breed a copper blue to a copper blue you will get 25% black copper. 50% copper blue and 25% copper splash. However, more than often the gold won't be showing on the female but might with the male. If it's a blue birchen crossed with a blue birchen then you will get 25% black birchen, 50% blue birchen and 25% splash birchen. I have never done this yet but don't think the silver will show.

Sometimes it's very hard to tell if a bird is a very dark blue or a black. A blue bird won't produce a black bird.

I hope you can understand this but if you can't just ask.


Bev

 

[math ace]

Quote:
If they decide to go for their Phd while they are doing all that RESEARCHING

it will be ok. The other 2 hens have produced almost a dozen eggs for me to try hatching with.

 

[math ace]

BEV, it looks like it is you and me keeping this party alive tonight !

HELLO WESTCOAST - - where are ya ? ?

 

[chics in the sun]

I'll join! I realized today that my Marans has decided she is beautiful enough that she can simply earn her keep here as a moving lawn ornament. No need to go through all the hard work of laying eggs. 32 weeks old and she's got it made, really. I'm pretty sure my little 18 week old EE is going to beat her to it and lay first. The Marans has at least been doing research, too, going in and out of the nest box, getting a bit louder. Here she is, being her pretty pretty self, which is all she does for now (she does have a much bigger comb and waddle now than when I took this a few weeks ago):

In this picture she is saying, "Moi? Work for a living? Surley you jest, Madamoiselle. I know you will adore me and my beautiful feathered feet forever!"

 

[cpartist]

Quote:
OMG

. That is one pretty pullet