Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[ChickCrazed]

I think you are correct on #1 and #2. I think #3 may be a pullet, but would love to see a full side shot, because it appears the tail feathering may look more like the roo than the pullet. Any way to get shots of them together?

These are not great shots - the hooligans are flying all over the place and hard to keep contained when together!

Roo in the middle, pullet on the right, unknown on the left (unknown is the smallest of the three). The roo has a comb that is pinkening and wattles are starting. The other two still have pale combs and no wattles.



Side shot of the unknown


Another side shot of the unknown


The Charlie's Angels shot Roo in the back (see how pink his comb is getting?), pullet in the middle and unknown in the front.


Not great shots and I know signs point every which way, but I am super curious about what the experts think!

 

[BCMaraniac]

These are not great shots - the hooligans are flying all over the place and hard to keep contained when together!

Roo in the middle, pullet on the right, unknown on the left (unknown is the smallest of the three). The roo has a comb that is pinkening and wattles are starting. The other two still have pale combs and no wattles.



Side shot of the unknown


Another side shot of the unknown


The Charlie's Angels shot Roo in the back (see how pink his comb is getting?), pullet in the middle and unknown in the front.


Not great shots and I know signs point every which way, but I am super curious about what the experts think!

Gosh, you aren't making this easy....LOL. It's size makes me think pullet, but the serrations on that comb are making me lean toward roo. And what little bit I can see of his tail feathers, I am also thinking roo. I would look at tail feathers of all three and see if it resembles one more than the other. Sometimes you can also look at the legs, which are a little sturdier on the roosters than the pullets. Some boys are later to bloom though, compared to the others. So........I am leaning more toward a little roo. The unknown doesn't seem to have that small dainty looking head like the pullet.. I guess my vote would be roo....but pictures from next week might make me change my mind.....lol. You need to give us weekly photo updates.....

 

[Hangtown Farms]

How much does everyone here notice there eggs lighten in color through the laying cycle

 

[DMRippy]

How much does everyone here notice there eggs lighten in color through the laying cycle

I think that is very common with all marans.

 

[DMRippy]

These are not great shots - the hooligans are flying all over the place and hard to keep contained when together!

Roo in the middle, pullet on the right, unknown on the left (unknown is the smallest of the three). The roo has a comb that is pinkening and wattles are starting. The other two still have pale combs and no wattles.



Side shot of the unknown


Another side shot of the unknown


The Charlie's Angels shot Roo in the back (see how pink his comb is getting?), pullet in the middle and unknown in the front.


Not great shots and I know signs point every which way, but I am super curious about what the experts think!

For sure you one guy is a ROO. He has a very ODD comb too. I would not breed him. The one in the front on the bottom pic MAY be a roo too.... but give them time.

 

[ellymayRans]

I don't recall ever seeing this before, but strange I should see it in this thread a week or two back, and then today one of my chicks started doing it, though not quite as extreme. (sorry, I have no camera).

I have 5 splash I hatched from my own birds, and they are 4 weeks old. They are in a box in the house with pine shavings, and they are getting fed chick starter only.

Today one of them can't seem to raise it's head. It has no discernible injury, and doesn't seem sick. It's head isn't all the way on the ground, but just kind of halfway hanging down, and it can't raise it's head any higher.

I don't remember ever seeing that problem before.

I wanted to just chime in my 2 cents here because I too have had this with a couple of birds in the past and found it happened after a bout of dehydration. Once I got them water with a bit of vitamins they had recouped over night. Found it to only have happened to a couple youngins between 5-9 wks old that had dumped water at some point and I'd had a long day of running. Catching up on posts so not sure what come of it in your instance but thought I'd share.

 

[ChickCrazed]

Thanks for the input! I fear little roo also, but he/she sure is not making identification easier! I'm hoping in the next two weeks it will get easier! I will continue to post pics! I don't have any plans to breed them, but probably won't keep the roos so I want to identify them early so I don't get too attached!

 

[Daximom]

 

[crzy4peafowl]

Thank you for the advice Wynette and BCMaraniac.

Wynette----I have already set all the eggs I have collected from her and will continue to begin hatching The good thing is that I have two separate pens with roos that are totally unrelated so I will not have inbreeding.

BCMaraniac---that's good to know that speckles are not that uncommon. I wonder if the chicks(pullets) will lay the speckled eggs as well. I feel a science project coming on

 

[BCMaraniac]

I have a Black Copper Marans hen that is approx. 5 years old. This is the beginning of her laying cycle for 2014. Her eggs are speckled. This is the first year that this happens. The specks are very dark. I have put her with a new young Black Copper Marans Roo. What is going on? Can anyone shed some light here?

Here is a photo comparing the first and second egg from one of my Marans pullets. Her first egg is on the left from yesterday, and her second one from today on the right!! They weigh 47 and 81 grams respectively.....small and jumbo plus.

I bet that second one is a double yolker.



Her first two eggs are speckled, as you see, but the speckles on the larger one are primarily on one end.