Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Zanna]

Vicki, your birds are looking great!!! Pic. of any of this years keeper BCM pullets and cockerals? Glad to see you are posting again

 

[gilavina]

Vicki, your birds are looking great!!! Pic. of any of this years keeper BCM pullets and cockerals? Glad to see you are posting again

I should, I am in the middle of trying to move pens before the snow flies and sorting birds into the pens I haven't winterized yet and the darn yahoos are jumping the 7 foot tall kennels I'm using. I'd taken the tops off to prep for moving them, but haven't had a day off to do so yet, and they are having none of that. Once I get them somewhat contained I'll get some photos. I'm only holding back one black copper cockerel that is just beastly. Its like trying to hold a wiggling bowling ball with legs. I didn't have too many BCM cockerels this year, I have quite a few pullets tho. Some are from Maryland (4 I think) and the rest are from my own breeding. I sure can see a difference in size and heft, but those from Maryland have really good color and am looking forward to seeing what they might offer. I think I probably have about 15 or so all together, but some will go to a friend's layer flock because they are not exactly what I'm looking for. I can afford to be picky now that I'm heading into my 5th year with them.

 

[gilavina]

I fail to see anything wrong type wise, he has plenty of shank and feet feathering.comb looks ok also.

Wayne or Vicki can comment on the Color better than myself.

I don't use any males that come from BCM matings that end up with this gold coloring if only working on Coppers. If you were wanting to use them for working on a birchen line, it would be possible as long as you have pullets or hens with pure silver neck collars as they would control the offspring's coloring. It would be a long process as you would get cockerels with a range of coloring and have a lot of culling to do in order to move forward, but can be done.

 

[Zanna]

I don't use any males that come from BCM matings that end up with this gold coloring if only working on Coppers. If you were wanting to use them for working on a birchen line, it would be possible as long as you have pullets or hens with pure silver neck collars as they would control the offspring's coloring. It would be a long process as you would get cockerels with a range of coloring and have a lot of culling to do in order to move forward, but can be done.

Thanks for the update on your BCM, can't wait to see the pics. The wiggling ball image cracked me up as I was thinking the same thing last night in the dark with several of my pullets as I was trying to put zip ties on their legs so that I could tell lineage from a distance without looking at toe punches.

Needed a good reason to keep these light coloured little cockerals and since I don't plan on working on birchen they will go. Thanks for your input on this one!

 

[gilavina]

Gilavina, thank you! Your Marans are gorgeous!

Thanks! They are work in progress, but gotta admit I love the challenge of them.

 

[gilavina]

Thanks for the update on your BCM, can't wait to see the pics. The wiggling ball image cracked me up as I was thinking the same thing last night in the dark with several of my pullets as I was trying to put zip ties on their legs so that I could tell lineage from a distance without looking at toe punches.

Needed a good reason to keep these light coloured little cockerals and since I don't plan on working on birchen they will go. Thanks for your input on this one!

Hopefully this week I'll have time, I start a new job, so am working both the old one and training for the new one at the same time. The poultry show here just ended, so I'm also up to my neck in show reports as well, so who knows.

I can't wait to whittle down to just the keepers for the next breeding season. I am hoping to get an early start, depending on the weather of course.

 

[gilavina]

Vicki, The 10% copper in the breast was only in the original draft for the SOP and was taken out later.
I like to use a male with a lot of Copper on the chest if I am going for more color on the female. You would have more cull male from this though. When I hatched all the BC three year ago I had about 80% with good copper Hackle and a lot of the males went to the asian market, all of those female were sold as layers.

Very good, the only male I have with coloring on his breast is Gigantor, and all the offspring vary, depending on the pullets or hens I use.
I have another question for you about the white in the hackles in juvies. I was wondering if the presence of white at the base of feathers could appear when it comes time for them to hit their juvenile molt and then after molt will go away? I regularly check my birds for the presence of white in both the blue and black coppers in the wings, tail, base of tail fluff, hackles and etc and before about 3 weeks ago there was nothing. This age group I found two cockerels with this, so just curious if it is more the molt, than something negative. I've not had too much experience with white in the hackles.

 

[MandyFitch]

Here is a pic of a 7 week old BCM chick. Went out this evening to check on them and found it sitting on its feet with its head on the ground. Picked it up and it's neck just hung limp. We have had this before and none have died, just would like an idea of why this is happening.

That doesn't look good. I hope someone answers soon!

 

[KsKingBee]

I don't use any males that come from BCM matings that end up with this gold coloring if only working on Coppers. If you were wanting to use them for working on a birchen line, it would be possible as long as you have pullets or hens with pure silver neck collars as they would control the offspring's coloring. It would be a long process as you would get cockerels with a range of coloring and have a lot of culling to do in order to move forward, but can be done.

Thank you for the advise, I really didn't think that there was any use for the golden cockerel, I'm glad there is but since we are going to work with only coppers, I think we will just call him Stew.

 

[gilavina]

Alright, all those that run bigger Marans breeding programs. I'm working on getting down to the best stock for holding over winter for breeding stock in the spring. How many cockerels/cocks do you typically hold over?
So far I am at a holding pattern with 13 including Coppers and Birchens. I don't have individual breeding pens for pairs in large fowl, so I'm either gonna need to come up with something fast, or somehow cull down some more. I like each of these for different reasons. grrr

Coppers I have:
Blacks
Gigantor
Geronimo (Gigantor's offspring from last spring)
Alternate Roo (he's responsible for some of my best hens)
A young 6 month old BCM (very tankly)

Blues
young 6 month old I posted picture of the other day

Splash
Big Boy (my avatar)
2 young 6 month old cockerels that are really well matched with Big Boy)


Birchens I have:

Blacks
a 3 year old from original eggs
young 6 month old cockerels

Blues
3 young 6 month old cockerels