Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

DD says it's a boy!
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I would say that, but I just keep looking at the wing development, the tail and the small shanks. Big Boy's sister is an absolute beast, so it has me wondering if I might not have another big pullet on my hands. The birds out of Big Boy have been easy to feather sex so far, so am trying to figure out if it might just be so big that the growth might be farther along than some of the others.
 
Ok newbie here how do you feather sex chicks?
Its not a 100% as not all people's birds will lend well to it, but here it works pretty well for me. A good example, if you go back and look at the photos I just posted, the chick with the copper behind the eye is a pullet. See how she has the start of a tail and the wing feathers have come in all the way? Then look at the photo below it, there are two blue cockerels. See how the wings are really short, and they have no tail? That's usually how it goes when feather sexing is possible.
 
Its not a 100% as not all people's birds will lend well to it, but here it works pretty well for me. A good example, if you go back and look at the photos I just posted, the chick with the copper behind the eye is a pullet. See how she has the start of a tail and the wing feathers have come in all the way? Then look at the photo below it, there are two blue cockerels. See how the wings are really short, and they have no tail? That's usually how it goes when feather sexing is possible.
how strange; my buff orpingtons were the exact opposite. At one week the boys had extra long wings, nearly to their tails and their tails were sprouting, by second week wings were even longer, tails bigger, shoulder feathers coming in and combs beginning to grow. At two weeks also noticed that their legs were thicker and they standing taller, more like boys.

I'm watching a batch of EE & OE right now; if they feather the same as the BO then they are almost all boys, if they feather opposite, then almost all girls. but out of 6 different hens, and 3 breeds, then they could all be different!

And on a Marans note, I _might_ have a tiny BCM pullet egg but I"m not sure as these girls are from Dec hatch and I wasn't expecting to see any eggs until June. But it's a lot darker than the sex links that are in with them.... waiting to see if there's another
 
how strange; my buff orpingtons were the exact opposite. At one week the boys had extra long wings, nearly to their tails and their tails were sprouting, by second week wings were even longer, tails bigger, shoulder feathers coming in and combs beginning to grow. At two weeks also noticed that their legs were thicker and they standing taller, more like boys.

I'm watching a batch of EE & OE right now; if they feather the same as the BO then they are almost all boys, if they feather opposite, then almost all girls. but out of 6 different hens, and 3 breeds, then they could all be different!

And on a Marans note, I _might_ have a tiny BCM pullet egg but I"m not sure as these girls are from Dec hatch and I wasn't expecting to see any eggs until June. But it's a lot darker than the sex links that are in with them.... waiting to see if there's another
around here those that feather in faster are definitely pullets in the Marans, I was able to feather sex to about 90 to 95% accuracy last hatching season. I kept notes, the ones that were hard to figure were the littler ones that took a bit to catch up.
 
around here those that feather in faster are definitely pullets in the Marans, I was able to feather sex to about 90 to 95% accuracy last hatching season. I kept notes, the ones that were hard to figure were the littler ones that took a bit to catch up.


I've heard this a long time back and it is almost 100% correct (notice i said almost)(smile) .
And pretty easy to notice .

Shannon
 
Nope, not me, but I am having fun playing with these new babies.
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Not Marans but I did hatch them out with Marans.
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PinkChick ,

Beautiful !! what variety are they (i'm assuming their ducks) i was just reading how great the ducks are for the garden(insects,slugs, you name it and the duck will get it) but you have to be creative in keeping them directly out of your plants . I saw this in Grit , Mother Earth , Hobby Farm or one of the others yesterday ......... got me to thinking i might need some (i've never owned ducks) ..smile

Best Luck with them ......
How are you doing these days <
Shannon
 
around here those that feather in faster are definitely pullets in the Marans, I was able to feather sex to about 90 to 95% accuracy last hatching season. I kept notes, the ones that were hard to figure were the littler ones that took a bit to catch up.
I will have to remember this when I finally get to hatch some BCM! I'll take pics and keep notes and see which way mine go.
 
Oh, Donna, you know how we were talking about the copper spots on my chicks the other day? Well, the one with the copper spot to the side an back of the head, its a cockerel. So far I've only had pullets before this, so I'll be watching this one extra close. This chick is not from the same breeding of the copper chick with the copper behind the eye I posted earlier.
 
how strange; my buff orpingtons were the exact opposite. At one week the boys had extra long wings, nearly to their tails and their tails were sprouting, by second week wings were even longer, tails bigger, shoulder feathers coming in and combs beginning to grow. At two weeks also noticed that their legs were thicker and they standing taller, more like boys.

(snipped)
And on a Marans note, I _might_ have a tiny BCM pullet egg but I"m not sure as these girls are from Dec hatch and I wasn't expecting to see any eggs until June. But it's a lot darker than the sex links that are in with them.... waiting to see if there's another
I think it needs to be done early. Like from 1-3 days old. That's how I do it with my Light Sussex chicks,
has to do with length of wing feathers.
Best,
Karen
 
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