Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Thank you Don. This is what I was thinking as well. Yes his blade comes up out of the skull where it should and lines up with the eye.....it's just the blade rests on the head. This is on the young blue copper male that I posted about a month ago and you asked me to repost photos of him. I noticed the blade the other day and have been pondering it since.


Would you use a bird that had a better comb but has feather stubs in between his outer and middle toe?

 

[DMRippy]

Donna~ Talk about a SCORE! That is the coolest! Congrats to you.....and directly from Mr. Foley...even sweeter!!!!!!!

I wish I could do that with all my chickens. He knows Mike Gil? I would have to look it up and he can get me some Ameraucanas from him.... I might take him up on that. It just make a HUGE difference to start with great birds. So now all I have to do is not ruin them

I think he is just an email away for help.

 

[pinkchick]

Aces~ Sprigs are not worth dealing with AT ALL.....regardless of how nice the bird is!!!! Just my humble opinion.

 

[snowbird]

Thank you Don. This is what I was thinking as well. Yes his blade comes up out of the skull where it should and lines up with the eye.....it's just the blade rests on the head. This is on the young blue copper male that I posted about a month ago and you asked me to repost photos of him. I noticed the blade the other day and have been pondering it since.


Would you use a bird that had a better comb but has feather stubs in between his outer and middle toe?

Kim, yes I would use the male with the good comb and the fuzz between the middle and outer toe. I am a believer in that to get the good feather shank and toe we have to go to the over feathered foot . My Marans all had good foot feathering and I did use some males that were over feathered. I never used females without foot feathering though.

 

[aceschix]

Aces~ Sprigs are not worth dealing with AT ALL.....regardless of how nice the bird is!!!! Just my humble opinion.

I respect your humble opinion I have no experience with sprigs...do they always breed forward and or get worse? I guess I am asking what is the risk?

Thanks for taking the time.

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks again Don. I have a 4.5 month old Blue Copper male that has a nice comb, I can't remember for sure but he may have an extra point, but still a nice comb. He is pretty dark and still has yet to show any copper but that could change as we know. The only other concern I have for him is that it is starting to look like he may be developing the "cushion" look. Is this something I should cull for as well?

 

[snowbird]

I respect your humble opinion I have no experience with sprigs...do they always breed forward and or get worse? I guess I am asking what is the risk?

Thanks for taking the time.

The sprig will breed forward and like Kim says is not worth the trouble. I do a lot of single mating and will eliminate both male and female if I get a bird with the sprig.

 

[pinkchick]

Aces~ Your welcome. I think I can safely speak for many of us here that have dealt with sprigs and say that they just get worse. They are like wildfire.

 

[snowbird]

Thanks again Don. I have a 4.5 month old Blue Copper male that has a nice comb, I can't remember for sure but he may have an extra point, but still a nice comb. He is pretty dark and still has yet to show any copper but that could change as we know. The only other concern I have for him is that it is starting to look like he may be developing the "cushion" look. Is this something I should cull for as well?

Kim, I would not even worry about the amount of points at present. When possible with the single comb breeds I like to use 4-6 point fowl as breeders.

At this point in the breeding plans I would not worry too much about the Cushion. Post a picture when you have time and lets see what you have.

 

[pinkchick]

Trying to resize some photos of my Splash pullets for some opinions. Hoping with the new computer this does not take forever like it did before, but since I have not figured out the new photo editor completely.....it could take just as long.

Plus dial up...............