Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Morning Don and Vicki!
Humidity is holding great!!!!!!! Got 5 pips out of 8 eggs, not 7 as I had previously stated. I was laying in front of the 'bator and counting pips and it dawned on me that there are 8 eggs. Sheesh.....I've handled them every single day and still thought 7. Can we say....."DER!"

My head is not all here right now.
Thanks for the seeds, I will be looking forward to them! YAY!

Haha, no worries, I feel scatterbrained a lot these days with so much going on. I think today will be the day I finally get a bunch of stuff planted, will more than likely have to cover them later this week when the risk of snow is there, but just can't wait anymore and have to take advantage of the semi - free day. I can't wait to see how the hatch turns out!

 

[pinkchick]

I have been building more raised beds and working in the second, but biggest garden the last few days. Shouldn't have let it go so long and should have tore it up when I tore up the smaller garden. It's going to take a bit of extra TLC.
I have 7 flats of corn staring at me the moment I walk into the greenhouse that should seriously be in the ground, but we are still having lower to mid 30's temps at night and days have been rainy. However, we are getting a little sunshine the next few days, though it won't get out of the mid 50's. I am taking full advantage of the reprieve we are getting from the rain right now.


Hoping to get more of the cooler weather tolerant seedlings out in the finished garden this week as well........we will see!



Batteries are charged for getting some shots of the chicks that I marked for watching for you. They are going to be 4 weeks old on Friday.

Oh and those solid chicks......the cockerel is older than the 2 pullets that is why he is so much bigger. The pullets are good sized, but the splash pullet is larger than the blue.


Wynette~
The little blue does not have a blue comb....but she does have that Mulberry colored face that has been talked about several times on here. It's just that the lighting conditions under which I took the photo under yesterday morning were not ideal and shows her a bit differently color wise vs. what I actually see. Will see if I can get another photo of her today while she is out playing in the sunny yard.

 

[gilavina]

I have been building more raised beds and working in the second, but biggest garden the last few days. Shouldn't have let it go so long and should have tore it up when I tore up the smaller garden. It's going to take a bit of extra TLC.
I have 7 flats of corn staring at me the moment I walk into the greenhouse that should seriously be in the ground, but we are still having lower to mid 30's temps at night and days have been rainy. However, we are getting a little sunshine the next few days, though it won't get out of the mid 50's. I am taking full advantage of the reprieve we are getting from the rain right now.


Hoping to get more of the cooler weather tolerant seedlings out in the finished garden this week as well........we will see!



Batteries are charged for getting some shots of the chicks that I marked for watching for you. They are going to be 4 weeks old on Friday.

Oh and those solid chicks......the cockerel is older than the 2 pullets that is why he is so much bigger. The pullets are good sized, but the splash pullet is larger than the blue.


Wynette~
The little blue does not have a blue comb....but she does have that Mulberry colored face that has been talked about several times on here. It's just that the lighting conditions under which I took the photo under yesterday morning were not ideal and shows her a bit differently color wise vs. what I actually see. Will see if I can get another photo of her today while she is out playing in the sunny yard.

can't wait to see photos! I can't believe they are 4 weeks old already! Where does the time go?
Temps have been low here too, making for a rough go of getting things in the ground, so am just going to take the chance and use covering when necessary.
I still have many flats of seeds to start, so at least with it cool, some of the warmer season crops will have plenty of time to grow before they are good to go out.

I was doing chores not long ago and one of the stall doors blew open when I was feeding and Gigantor got out and immediately into a war with one of my Black Birchen boys. Blech, I hate breaking up roosters, but at least they didn't do much damage to each other. I also was greeted by the Ameraucanas at the back door this morning. I don't know how they got their pen open, but just called them and led them back into the pen. It always cracks me up, cause a neighbor always happens to be driving by when these things happen, they just smile and laugh anymore. I will be selling them more than likely, but am glad they are sweet at least.

 

[ellymayRans]

I have a couple of questions. If anyone has a few moments to respond.

I have 1 pullet that all of a sudden has a very small fleck of a white feather on the very top of her head. Then just this morning I noticed my cockeral also has actually a couple above 1 eye and one single on his head as she does, very small but they are there!

They are all approx 4-5 months of age and no white anywhere else. I think they all have really good color but never really get any feedback on that. So just asking if anyone has experienced that and if that too will molt out as the single white tipped wing feathers did?

Thanks

Sorry...should have mentioned these are BCMs

I didn't think I would ever show but I did go to my first over the weekend and loved it. If these turn out as nice as they are right now I'm considering entering. There were only a single pair of BCM there and they were .. umm.. well..not sure how to put it nicely... not very nice. lol

 

[Wynette]

Quote: I haven't any idea on what you're breeding for with her or if she's a "just for fun" or what have you, so please don't think I was passing judgment.....I've actually not seen one that solid looking in color, and it's kind of neat how it blends into her feather color. I like the look, personally!

It reminds me in a way of the Tomaru Longcrower I used to have. I was drawn to them because they are so....black! Combs, and even wattles (at least mine were), eye color black, they were so darn dark in the face, it made (IMO) for a very striking bird. The females, during lay, watles would turn bright red. SO pretty against the black!

 

[Zonoma]

I have a couple of questions. If anyone has a few moments to respond.

I have 1 pullet that all of a sudden has a very small fleck of a white feather on the very top of her head. Then just this morning I noticed my cockeral also has actually a couple above 1 eye and one single on his head as she does, very small but they are there!

They are all approx 4-5 months of age and no white anywhere else. I think they all have really good color but never really get any feedback on that. So just asking if anyone has experienced that and if that too will molt out as the single white tipped wing feathers did?

Thanks

Sorry...should have mentioned these are BCMs

I didn't think I would ever show but I did go to my first over the weekend and loved it. If these turn out as nice as they are right now I'm considering entering. There were only a single pair of BCM there and they were .. umm.. well..not sure how to put it nicely... not very nice. lol

The white is not SOP but it is pretty common among the Cottage Hill line. They might not be great for show but don't give up on them- those white specks might lead to some very dark eggs. It's a theory I've been toying with and I would love to know if it plays out in other flocks. (Not that I've been breeding for flecks, more of an observation).

 

[chickendeal]

ok the small one is all black no copper @ all thats why i thought the larger was the roo

 

[chickendeal]

both of them

 

[chickendeal]

oh i have a few others now that im looking through them lol

 

[chickendeal]

And now to figure out pullets from roo's lol