Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[mikeypalone]

A lot of Marans people have told me " to see Marans ,go south". My plans this upcoming year are to do just that. I did get to Alabama for one show this year but to no avail,there were no more there than any other show. I would like to find a couple hens or eggs just to step up the time frame on my program,not getting younger. I have seen some black birchens but as dark as my rooster is I'm not sure if that pairing would produce blue in a light enough shade for me. My chicks are only 3 months old so a lot of changing yet to come. I just give em a big hug every nite and mumble" please stay blue". Time will tell. I do have 2 blue birchen splash pullets that are interesting,to say the least.

 

[flgardengirl]

There is another show in Newnan GA this spring. They usually have a lot of Marans in it.

 

[mikeypalone]

My plans are to make that show,that's a tough time of year for me,if it snows I have to be here. And in Kentucky,in January or February,it will snow. Are you planning on showing any Marans in that show?

 

[flgardengirl]

I am not sure yet. I kind of want to take some black marans. The male I have, has a double serration on his comb although not a dq, I don't think he would beat out another nicer male without it lol. Plus some of the girls in his pen started picking his tail feathers after he molted and the pin feathers started growing back in grrr. He is such a weenie..he just lets them do it to him. I would have to separate him and then of course he wouldn't be fertilizing the eggs I am wanting to hatch now LOL!
My younger black girls are pretty nice but still have some growing/filling out to do. My 2 older hens get rough looking and one has a comb that flops over when she gets to laying heavily and going broody- which she is now. She is nice and big and has great shank feathering.
If I can hatch out some more males before then- they will still be kinda young for that show...so not sure if I will show anything or not this year....I started hatching in winter this year because with our climate and the wet rainy spring and summer we had ....let's say last spring was a disaster for chicks.
Dh likes to go to the shows too and it is hard with our work schedules because we both work 12 hour shifts (not always the same times/schedules) and he has to be 'on-call' a lot ,plus, I also go to school lol. I am going to really try to at least make it up there for at least a few hours though

 

[flgardengirl]

Hi FLGARDEN! Good to see you round these parts again!

Hi Pink!

 

[mikeypalone]

Yea,the time thing has become easier for us because we are at that age now,I still have to be here for snow but anything else I could slide away for a weekend. I have seen a lot of birds get DQ for sprigs this year. It's my understanding that one day is fine and the next they have sprigs. Mine are fine so far. Have you seen many splash at shows? I have only seen one. My blue pullets are just now starting back to lay so I should be able to set eggs in a couple more weeks. My blue birchen program is closed to everything but what I have now,but that will have to change in the next year. I hatched 12 blue birchen chicks,lost 2 to hawks,2 of these are cockerels and very dark blue,the rest are pullets, they are like a little gold mine,so I give them a lot of room and a lot of places to get out of the weather. We have had some very wet springs and hot dry summers for the last couple years and its very hard to get everything to an age that can take care of itself. I have some very good prospects for showing this year,with any luck I will be able to keep everyone healthy and charge on in 2013.

 

[vebyrd36]

I am not sure yet. I kind of want to take some black marans. The male I have, has a double serration on his comb although not a dq, I don't think he would beat out another nicer male without it lol. Plus some of the girls in his pen started picking his tail feathers after he molted and the pin feathers started growing back in grrr. He is such a weenie..he just lets them do it to him. I would have to separate him and then of course he wouldn't be fertilizing the eggs I am wanting to hatch now LOL!
My younger black girls are pretty nice but still have some growing/filling out to do. My 2 older hens get rough looking and one has a comb that flops over when she gets to laying heavily and going broody- which she is now. She is nice and big and has great shank feathering.
If I can hatch out some more males before then- they will still be kinda young for that show...so not sure if I will show anything or not this year....I started hatching in winter this year because with our climate and the wet rainy spring and summer we had ....let's say last spring was a disaster for chicks.
Dh likes to go to the shows too and it is hard with our work schedules because we both work 12 hour shifts (not always the same times/schedules) and he has to be 'on-call' a lot ,plus, I also go to school lol. I am going to really try to at least make it up there for at least a few hours though

Nice to meet you. the black Marans are on of my favorites.

 

[flgardengirl]

I think the black marans are nice because they are useful for creating so many other silver based colors without getting the gold leakage. Mine aren't perfect but they don't have gold leakage so I am happy with that and their egg coloring overall.

I am working backwards on my BCMs and blue coppers with egg coloring having worked out first and now working on type (especially in the males) now that we have a decent flock of very dark layers. Soo its nice to have decent tail sets, long backs and decent body size on our mature solid blacks and not go backwards from egg color LOL. Once I get them how I want them, I will start spreading the love...we need more black marans around.

I think whites will probably be next on my list of varieties. They aren't real common either but you can still find them around.
The other day I was looking at my white orpington hens. They are huge and fluffy and darkness was just starting to fall. They were out in the garden by the night blooming brugmansia flowers and those chickens were just 'glowing' in the fading light. Sooo pretty!
I love moongardens!!! So next is white Marans
Too bad chickens go to bed when its dark.

 

[vebyrd36]

I know what you mean. My orps are very pretty. I'm gonna start another orp project shortly as soon as a get a new roo. I have several English orps, and American orps. Don Chandler sent me a nice male to replace my retired Opie American male.

I had my black Marans and solid blues going great but I got wiped out by a coon/fox. I did have some to start over with tho. I got eggs from chickens4myfamily and got a white Marans or sport in the hatch. So far the young ones are looking good. I pick the best body type with the least amount of copper to go back into my stock.

Oh I also have two white orps with blue legs pondering on the possibilities for them.

VIVI

 

[mikeypalone]

I have seen a decent number of whites at several shows,several in the jr shows. The black have been the ones that are not around. Don't know why,I would have thought they would be more popular. I have one black pullet but I'm going to put her in with the blue ones. I am thinking,if I put pure blue and pure black with a good black copper rooster am I going to get blue copper and black copper? Or would some be only blue and some only black,no visible copper? Anyone know how that works?