Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[BevDavis]

Quote:
What do you recommend I use to increase the protein ? ?
What's you favorite way to increase their protein ? ?
At one time, I was buying unshelled salflower seeds. The one feed store in our area that was carring it - - had an issue with bugs in the bags. As soon as you opened the bag, out came the bugs. After that, I quit supplementing their diet with the seeds.

My cleaniest feed store carrys only the BASIC bagged feeds. For example, they don't carry medicated game starter. I tried this for a while on my chicks BECAUSE it was extra high protein.

Hi

I did try the chick starter and then Game Bird Starter and that seemed to work well.

Bev

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:

Math Ace, remember the discussion on feed some pages back...????

Many folks are running a solid 20% protein mix. I run a 17 to 20 percent mix plus the birds free range. Also when I am anxious for pullets to start laying and in winter.. I boost the protein a couple more percent for short periods of time maybe up to 24%.

How did I get an egg from a 21 week old pullet? Luck, maybe?.... Genetics, maybe? Environment, Maybe?

I strongly believe the biggest factor is diet! My birds are very healthy on their natural living food, chemical free, higher protein diet.

Food is fuel.. Put higher octane fuel in and get higher performance...

ON

Hi

I think a lot depends on the time of year a bird comes into lay as to how quickly it starts laying.

Bev

 

[Ivywoods]

Speaking of protien, I have a lot of soybean powder that is mixed in our goat food. The goats often pick the pellets and kernels out of the food, sometimes leaving quite a bit of the soybean. I scoop this up and give it to the chickens. They eat it just like their other food, and it is somewhere over 20%. Exactly how much they get in combination with their regular layer food I really couldn't say.

 

[pinkchick]

Sorry I didn't make the party last night Math....but I have a good excuse, I spent a couple hours last night trying to figure out how to catch the 2 girls that are laying these in the act!!!!!!

This photo was taken outside just few moments ago in full unshaded natural daylight.

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
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

I think so, but if a blue bird wont produce a black bird than how do you get 25% Black from BlueXBlue? I must be missing something.....
And, is silver what produces the Birchen and gold what produces BCM? Or are there gold birchen and silver BCM's that I havent heard of? How does the silver express in a bcm? Am I even making sense?LOL!

Hi

You have to breed two blue birds together to get black, blue and splash chicks.

Yes, you need both parents carring silver to get a birchen and two parents carrying gold to get a black copper. A gold birchen is called a black copper.

Bev

 

[pinkchick]

Ivy~


I want an egg like that!!!!! Very nice egg!

 

[poularde]

Those sure are pretty pinkchick. Are they from your blues?

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

Beautiful egg!

Bev

 

[Debbi]

WOW!!

Nice eggs ladies!!

 

[Debbi]

Bev,

I'm glad you said that about the fish meal! I asked my feed store guy if he could get some, and he said he'll get me some.

Does anyone else feed their chooks meal worms for added protein?