Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Hens and Roos]

Mornin Everyone!

Got the last three chicks out of the incubator and have it shut off, now onto workin on getting the garden planted with all the cold tolerant plants. Taking a lunch break quick and will head back out. Its just a beautiful day here! Cool enough to work hard, but warm enough to enjoy it, just perfect for working.

That's great to hear! Our garden area is way to wet to work up so it will be awhile before we plant anything. We are overcast, windy and on the cold side today.

 

[gilavina]

were you hatching this weekend Donna?

 

[DMRippy]

were you hatching this weekend Donna?

Yes.... not many Marans. I think I am going to wait and do some single matings in a few months. Mostly Wyandottes, WL, Olive Eggers, BR. Some odd crosses too just for fun.

 

[gilavina]

Yes.... not many Marans. I think I am going to wait and do some single matings in a few months. Mostly Wyandottes, WL, Olive Eggers, BR. Some odd crosses too just for fun.

sounds great. All the pens will be cleared as of the 19th, so can start collecting in earnest. I can't wait!

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
Was that a test run?

 

[gilavina]

Was that a test run?

the ones I just did? Those were my flukes for the year. I know who most all of them are out of as far as the girls(from collecting eggs out from underneath hens as they lay them and trap nesting them), and know all the males based on which pen they are out of, but use it as my bench mark to see how my consistency is coming along across the entire breed. I know that might sounds goofy, but started doing it with the Marans when I finally had my first stock and find it very, very helpful for me to see what I really have. My way of thinking is that if I'm really working on improving and getting the birds where they should be, I should be able to, for example, cross any of the BCMs and still get good body type and etc, and so on.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
That is a GREAT IDEA! I will have to file that away for later. You then do single matings?

 

[gilavina]

That is a GREAT IDEA! I will have to file that away for later. You then do single matings?

I do single matings on the girls I'm not 100% postive on as far as what egg they lay, and do trio matings or more when I do know 100% who lays what. It helps a ton for spacing, and since I know my birds really well, its easy to know who's laying what. I only have 2 splash copper girls, 5 black copper and 10 blue coppers, I only am unsure on 2 BCMs, they are sisters, so lay very similar eggs, so they get single mated, and 3 of the blues I'm not sure on, but otherwise its pretty simple. Same process for the birchens.

 

[DMRippy]

I do single matings on the girls I'm not 100% postive on as far as what egg they lay, and do trio matings or more when I do know 100% who lays what. It helps a ton for spacing, and since I know my birds really well, its easy to know who's laying what. I only have 2 splash copper girls, 5 black copper and 10 blue coppers, I only am unsure on 2 BCMs, they are sisters, so lay very similar eggs, so they get single mated, and 3 of the blues I'm not sure on, but otherwise its pretty simple. Same process for the birchens.

For me right now, I will use the single matings. I am still in the learning stage. I want to see what each breeding is producing in chicks. As I get a better eye for the chicks everything else will fall into place a little better.

 

[gilavina]

For me right now, I will use the single matings. I am still in the learning stage. I want to see what each breeding is producing in chicks. As I get a better eye for the chicks everything else will fall into place a little better.

Indeed, that's the nice part about poultry breeding, you can move at the pace you are comfortable and such, I have 4 pens setup for the coppers and am confident in the egg collecting process, but wouldnt recommend it if a person was not 100% confident. the single matings are nice tho to fill in those few blanks I do have on some of the girls. I'm hoping to get the incubator going again by the last week of April.