Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[motherhubbert68]

Thanks what should I look for in a good breeding rooster?

 

[ladycat]

How to order Shade Cards

$6.00 for 2 cards

[email protected]

or

mail:

April Howington
PO BOX 1432
Burnet, Texas 78611

Thanks!

 

[DMRippy]

Yep, and that way if I suddenly get the urgent need to stick more eggs in the incubator I can use the freshest I know you aren't supposed to refrigerate hatching eggs, but I figured out our fridge is actually the correct temp/humidity. I have 20 hatching this week that were all done that way.

Is your refrigerator not 40 degrees or below? Do you keep all of your food that you eat in there?

I would not make a habit of it but hatching refrigerated eggs is pretty common. might not have the best hatch rate as with fresh but still they do pretty well. people buy fertile eggs at the stride and hatch them too. I have done it. I know pinching does it all the time. can't hurt to try. you just need to bring them up to temp before putting them in the bator.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks what should I look for in a good breeding rooster?

Well, I would print up a copy of the SOP if you haven't already. That should be used as your "Bible" so to speak. Also, do you have an SOP from the APA? That's important so you have a reference for unacceptable issues in birds.

 

[ladycat]

I would not make a habit of it but hatching refrigerated eggs is pretty common. might not have the best hatch rate as with fresh but still they do pretty well. people buy fertile eggs at the stride and hatch them too. I have done it. I know pinching does it all the time. can't hurt to try. you just need to bring them up to temp before putting them in the bator.

When I was a kid, when we would have a hen go broody, my mother would take eggs out of the fridge to put under the hen. We usually had a good hatch.

 

[taterdee]

Okay can anyone help me out with identifying this 8 week old. We got him by hatching some Marans eggs that we received with the purchase of our older Black Copper Maran hens. The eggs it came from was a about #6 in color. Also can anyone tell me why some Maran eggs have freckles?

I would think blue copper but I'm certainly no pro.

 

[Rune]

Oh I have heard of that food, that is so amazing . We raised malmutes for exhibition long time ago now . I still shuffling around with a box of kleenex so will post a bit later Have great day

 

[3riverschick]

Thanks what should I look for in a good breeding rooster?

He is 1/2 your flock. He should be very healthy. Never sick a day in his life. A chick which popped lustily out of its shell. She should have a masculine silhouette. Great breed type. From a line-bred flock of years duration. From a flock which wins regularly in quality competition. He should have a clear eye, and properly feathered legs and color of shanks and feet. His tail elevation should be proper. Not too high and not too low. Proper tail elevation will help in proper angle of the back. The BCM is a color balancing breed. It will make things much easier if the cock has extremely proper color in his hackle. It is indicative of how easy it will be to balance color on the rest of the bird. Not side springs on his comb or in any of his ancestors back 3 generations. About a month before you start breeding him to your girls, put him on a daily dose of 1 cubic inch of sprouted forage oats. This will help him create more robust sperm to help him produce more robust chicks. Give the same to your hens too, to bring them into lay. See directions on several BYC threads. Feed them "green feed" sprouts, which are 4 thru 7 days old. The younger sprouts are called grain feed and won't have the same result.
best,
karen

 

[DMRippy]

Thanks what should I look for in a good breeding rooster?

you need a roo that will compliment your hens. breeding chickens is usually a happy medium. if your hens are lacking color you might want to look forbade roo that is over colored. if your girls are lacking feathered legs get a roo with heavy feathered legs maybe even middle toe feathers. do you see what I am saying? you don't need a perfect roo you need a roo that can fix problems in your flock. there are some great old SOP type books you can download for free that will illustrate what I am talking about. there is one for Plymouth rocks and wyandottes. if I was using a computer I would send you links. maybe someone will post the links. there are several sites with them listed they are out of copyright restrictions so no worries there. I downloaded them on my computer as pdfs and they are great references.


BTW IF YOU FIND THAT ELUSIVE PERFECT ROO SNATCH HIM UP AND BREED LIKE MAD!

 

[pablolucas]

I wanted to get some Black Copper Marans and finally bought them from My Pet Chicken on 4-17-13 and some Blue Splash also. Two of the BCM began laying some beautiful
small dark eggs on 9-15-13