Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

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We agree Don, but we have to keep hope too.
There are days when I get off this forum that I think about throwing the towel in. . . .
I feel like I will never have a "good" bird no less a "great" bird.
Kinda like Ruth with the OMG one more thing to check for - - -RIGHT ruth?

We feel the frustration of people getting taken advantage of by others just trying to make a buck. . .
However, there are many on here that are wirking very hard to develope the best we can - - -
you included in that catergory (of course).

Hopefully, when the standard is finally approved things will get better. Right now, it is like the WILD WILD WEST out there.

Until then, I think this thread should concentrate on encouraging people to follow the long road and do the work it entails to produce GREAT marans. If we aren't careful, we will run people off and the breed will not have the support it needs . . . If we work on informing people, those get rich quick people won't have so many people to take advantage of . . . .

NOW don't shoot me or anything cause this is just my OPINION and I don't want anyone to get sore with me ! ! !

 

[Debbi]

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So do you think there is a relationship between the yellow / white leg feathering when you and light or no leg feathering when mature ? ?

Lisa,

That's just from my very limited experience with it, and then, it was only with three chicks. Not a lot to go by, but that's what happened here. May be very different for others, but I will definately watch any future chicks for it.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
We agree Don, but we have to keep hope too.
There are days when I get off this forum that I think about throwing the towel in. . . .
I feel like I will never have a "good" bird no less a "great" bird.
Kinda like Ruth with the OMG one more thing to check for - - -RIGHT ruth?

We feel the frustration of people getting taken advantage of by others just trying to make a buck. . .
However, there are many on here that are wirking very hard to develope the best we can - - -
you included in that catergory (of course).

Hopefully, when the standard is finally approved things will get better. Right now, it is like the WILD WILD WEST out there.

Until then, I think this thread should concentrate on encouraging people to follow the long road and do the work it entails to produce GREAT marans. If we aren't careful, we will run people off and the breed will not have the support it needs . . . If we work on informing people, those get rich quick people won't have so many people to take advantage of . . . .

NOW don't shoot me or anything cause this is just my OPINION and I don't want anyone to get sore with me ! ! !

Well said!

Sometimes we just have to put trust and fate to the wind and jump in. For some folks like me, if it weren't for hatching eggs, I would still not have any Marans. Knowing more on the breed now, seeing pics of others birds, and learning new contacts for better birds, helps us all. Wish I could drive down to the corner farm and pick out a perfect trio or two, but that just ain't gonna happen around here!

 

[geebs]

I think of the bird like a blooming flower.. The way the color blooms on the bird... and then I think about the black as ink... All of the particulars and wording of the standard are being used to describe how the color blooms on the bird and the quality of black that covers the quality of red/copper... The reason for the standard is to cull out certain genetic abnormalities and to preserve the breed... Read the standard and think about the presentation of the red and the markers that correlate with that... They are indicators... Ask pink about the parking lot... man that is a brain stretcher... Keep struggling to understand and you WILL get there. math Ace

No towel throwing or snapping here!!!

(Snowbird).... Really??... I was seriously hoping to buy overpriced eggs that were of questionable origin by someone who would lie to me and sell me Junk birds!!!! lol ... SIGN ME UP (all sarcasm intended here)

Seriously you need to start a new thread call breeder gripes...... We can all hop on that train!!!

 

[ruth]

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Well I had been breeding my Olive Eggers back to pure BCM roos and was getting almost all blue females with muffs and feathered legs that lay a very dark olive gree egg. However, my latest (3rd generation) has a little pullet that is laying the darkest brown egg on the farm - looks like chocolate - so I've put two olive egger roos in the pen with them and we'll see what color bird and what color egg the next generation produces. If I try this Wheaten roo with them I may be able to get a different color bird and/or egg shade. But for now, every bird on the farm has been turned loose till Spring.

If my birds start laying again this fall and winter (which they will) - I'll post some "mutt" specials.

Spring should be fun and lots of adventure to be had......

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
We agree Don, but we have to keep hope too.
There are days when I get off this forum that I think about throwing the towel in. . . .
I feel like I will never have a "good" bird no less a "great" bird.
Kinda like Ruth with the OMG one more thing to check for - - -RIGHT ruth?

We feel the frustration of people getting taken advantage of by others just trying to make a buck. . .
However, there are many on here that are wirking very hard to develope the best we can - - -
you included in that catergory (of course).

Hopefully, when the standard is finally approved things will get better. Right now, it is like the WILD WILD WEST out there.

Until then, I think this thread should concentrate on encouraging people to follow the long road and do the work it entails to produce GREAT marans. If we aren't careful, we will run people off and the breed will not have the support it needs . . . If we work on informing people, those get rich quick people won't have so many people to take advantage of . . . .

NOW don't shoot me or anything cause this is just my OPINION and I don't want anyone to get sore with me ! ! !

Well said!

Sometimes we just have to put trust and fate to the wind and jump in. For some folks like me, if it weren't for hatching eggs, I would still not have any Marans. Knowing more on the breed now, seeing pics of others birds, and learning new contacts for better birds, helps us all. Wish I could drive down to the corner farm and pick out a perfect trio or two, but that just ain't gonna happen around here!

DITTO, DITTO, DITTO!

 

[math ace]

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Check on here for when the next chicken swap is - - - you should have no problems getting rid of your extra marans roo's there.

 

[Organics North]

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Congrats!
You will love the "perfectness" of the Paul Smith birds... I wished I would have got Bev's Marans too... I am going to work with what I have for know at least..

ON

 

[bargain]

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It depends on what time of the year it is, whether in are in a moult or going broody and broody can run through a flock like a drop of the hat if you don't stop it! All that being said, if your layers are young, not broody and not moulting - I would say most BCM's will give you 3, 4 or even 5 eggs a week... If they gave 4 a week, I'd figure that I needed at least 6 hens because at any time, you could get a situation described as earlier... I'm going to start counting from our 3 different areas of BCM's that we've developed over time and get a better response back to you. Good to see you this week and hope those BCM's do good for hatching for you. Please do pm me and keep me posted. It's hard to read all the dialoguse on this wonderful thread!

 

[kathyinmo]

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I sure hope you have better luck than CityChicker (and others) had. She waited months for her chicks that were suppose to be there in 2 weeks. Here is one of her posts. (I will leave my own story about Coronation Sussex out.)

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