Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pwdhorn]

Hoping for the blacks? I am going to pickup some chicks should I get French Black or Blue Copper ?

 

[gilavina]

Hoping for the blacks? I am going to pickup some chicks should I get French Black or Blue Copper ?

I'm not hoping too much either way on the coppers, but with the birchens, I'm hoping for lots of blacks since I have 36 in the incubator that came back with me from Kansas.

 

[snowbird]

Well, the first chick is out and a bunch more have pipped, so hoping for some 'popcorn' action tonight! Looks to be a black so far, kind of hard to tell at the moment since they are still damp.

Hi Vicki, How do you tell a Black Marans chick from a BC Marans chick.

 

[gilavina]

Hi Vicki, How do you tell a Black Marans chick from a BC Marans chick.

I should have clarified more in my original post, all I have in this batch is birchens, or copper in b/b/s of each, just depending on the mating and a few wyandotte large fowl eggs. In the next batch I should have some solids test mating eggs go in, I toe punch and band those when they come out of their own divider in the hatching trays. The birchens and coppers I can usually tell apart pretty easily tho as they do not present the same at hatch as the coppers, but still am very careful about using dividers and etc in the hatcher and running them in separate brooders when there are enough so I don't have to worry about them getting mixed up.

 

[snowbird]

I should have clarified more in my original post, all I have in this batch is birchens, or copper in b/b/s of each, just depending on the mating and a few wyandotte large fowl eggs. In the next batch I should have some solids test mating eggs go in, I toe punch and band those when they come out of their own divider in the hatching trays. The birchens and coppers I can usually tell apart pretty easily tho as they do not present the same at hatch as the coppers, but still am very careful about using dividers and etc in the hatcher and running them in separate brooders when there are enough so I don't have to worry about them getting mixed up.

Just thought you might have come up with a way to tell the difference.

 

[gilavina]

Just thought you might have come up with a way to tell the difference.

I'm still in project phase on the solids with the 2 blue an 1 splash hens crossed with a birchen cockerel. Once I get going and am able to select more, I think it will put me in a position to select for both birchen and solids. Will need to be tons of test mating, but if all goes well, according to the genetics stuff I've been researching, about 3 generations out I should be able to start making good headway

 

[snowbird]

I'm still in project phase on the solids with the 2 blue an 1 splash hens crossed with a birchen cockerel. Once I get going and am able to select more, I think it will put me in a position to select for both birchen and solids. Will need to be tons of test mating, but if all goes well, according to the genetics stuff I've been researching, about 3 generations out I should be able to start making good headway

Vicki, Lisa Olson sent me 8eggs so have them in the incubator. Kevin bought 6 dozen eggs from people that have been winning at the shows and myself I am very disappointed. I have baby pictures and will start working with the pictures after next week. I have hatched three dozen of the BC eggs.

 

[gilavina]

Vicki, Lisa Olson sent me 8eggs so have them in the incubator. Kevin bought 6 dozen eggs from people that have been winning at the shows and myself I am very disappointed. I have baby pictures and will start working with the pictures after next week. I have hatched three dozen of the BC eggs.

disappointed with the chicks that came from the eggs Kevin bought? I've been wondering how you are since I haven't seen you around much. How many chicks do you have all total so far?

 

[snowbird]

disappointed with the chicks that came from the eggs Kevin bought? I've been wondering how you are since I haven't seen you around much. How many chicks do you have all total so far?

Lisa, we have around 100 chicks total. The light Sussex eggs I bought to start the project with hatched 3 really nice chicks. I hope to have a male and female so I can breed both ways with them.
I have seven more treatments and hope that will be the end.

 

[gilavina]

Lisa, we have around 100 chicks total. The light Sussex eggs I bought to start the project with hatched 3 really nice chicks. I hope to have a male and female so I can breed both ways with them.
I have seven more treatments and hope that will be the end.

Sounds like you are doing well both with treatments and hatching! Too bad some of the chicks are duds, but that's how it goes more often than not with the Marans it seems. Just took a peek and the one I wasn't sure if was black or not is a black for sure and is massive!