Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Connie Marie]

Thank you for the reply. I agree, I am sure it is too early to tell on a few of them. But, just out of curiosity (if this was my stock and all I had--which it is not), if I placed one of the dark hens with little coloring with the over colored roo, would that improved the offspring coloring--primarily the hens?

 

[gilavina]

Hey Debbi!

Its a hot one again today, but think I'm finally getting down to the last of my decision making process with the birdies. Gonna have some small flocks by the time winter rolls in, but sure will help to be better prepared. Also hoping to make it in to buy all the ingredients I this week for winter ration mix while some are on sale and get my ingredients for goat feed and mix it to store. I don't even want to think about how expensive it will be mid winter.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Thank you for the reply. I agree, I am sure it is too early to tell on a few of them. But, just out of curiosity (if this was my stock and all I had--which it is not), if I placed one of the dark hens with little coloring with the over colored roo, would that improved the offspring coloring--primarily the hens?

I am using a guy with good colour, not over coloured, to improve colour in my girls. (My girls are - or rather were all over-melanized.) I picked him because he has fabulous type and size, sisters had superb egg colour, and he has a very nice personality to boot. He also happens to be clean-legged so I have to factor that in when selecting hens for this guy. This boy seems to throw colour but the only way I know that is because I've tried him a few times. So my answer, if your colourful boy has LOTS of other things going for him, you could give him a try and see what he throws. But doing it this way means it will be years before I (and you) can be confident of a decent flock. There are probably easier ways to do things - especially if you are in the US.

 

[Debbi]

Hi Vicki! Yes, hot and still again here too. I was hoping to get in a bunch of feed before prices went up too much too, now to find the money, and a place to store it! Got some awful pics of the 3 Marans STILL in the house!

I was wrong last night, they are today 8 weeks and 2 days old. No one would cooperate much, they hate this noisy camera. I was just going to download them, or try right now, may take me a few hours for 4 pics though...

 

[Debbi]

Thank you for the reply. I agree, I am sure it is too early to tell on a few of them. But, just out of curiosity (if this was my stock and all I had--which it is not), if I placed one of the dark hens with little coloring with the over colored roo, would that improved the offspring coloring--primarily the hens?

It may, but I don't have the luxuary of saying for sure. All of my birds here are still pretty dark. Couldn't hurt to try though, you can always cull from there.

 

[gilavina]

Hi Vicki! Yes, hot and still again here too. I was hoping to get in a bunch of feed before prices went up too much too, now to find the money, and a place to store it! Got some awful pics of the 3 Marans STILL in the house!

I was wrong last night, they are today 8 weeks and 2 days old. No one would cooperate much, they hate this noisy camera. I was just going to download them, or try right now, may take me a few hours for 4 pics though...

hope the downloading goes faster than normal lady! It is hard indeed to get good shots of the younger birds. All the coppers I moved to a larger grow out pen are still getting used to each other and are good at finding hiding spots, so I haven't had much luck getting shots yet. I'm hoping they will settle down some more. I'm growing out most of the roosters for processing, but have some nice girls and a cockerel or two that I'm going to keep watching and see.

 

[snowbird]

Thank you for the reply. I agree, I am sure it is too early to tell on a few of them. But, just out of curiosity (if this was my stock and all I had--which it is not), if I placed one of the dark hens with little coloring with the over colored roo, would that improved the offspring coloring--primarily the hens?

If your Dark females are from good bloodlines just breed them to a good copper colored males and you will be in business. I would not breed the over colored male to any of your Marans.

 

[allmychickens]

When do BCMs start showing the copper? my 4 weeks old have so far come in all black but the olive eggers have copper necks

 

[Cadeau]

Evening all!

Snapped some pics today!

Can I get some honest opinions of these girls - trying to cut down to my very best for autumn single mating!

#1 The girl in the very back:






Eyes are bright, clear bay; shanks are feathered down the outer toe


Girl #2




eyes are bright, clear bay; shanks are feathered with a feather or two on the outside toe.

and, just for fun - my young blue laced red marans girl! (joking - she's BLRW x BCM!)


her eyes are also bright, clear bay and her shanks are feathered with BLUE LACED RED feathers -

She's a sweetie! (and lives with the free range layers flock)

 

[gilavina]

hey lady, I must have missed these somewhere. Got any more pics of the first girl?
Also, how's the rest of the culling going?