Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[scflock]

What color are the Marans eggs on the Marans egg color chart? It's impossible to tell with different lighting, monitors, etc. without one. We always have the chart in our egg photos.


It's helpful also to punch a hole in each egg color on the chart and put your egg behind the chart for most clear color matching, like this:

That's a great idea, I never thought of that. I am raising my first batch of Wade BCMs, and am really looking forward to those eggs. I have a question that has probably been discussed before, but I can't find it in a search. I bought my BCMs straight run, and am going to have a few extra roos. I also have my own flock of cuckoos that I am working on the second generation. What would happen with a BCM over a cuckoo? I know it would be a mutt, but would the BCM help darken the cuckoo eggs? I keep my flocks separated, but I have room to add a pen to experiment. My gut is telling me to leave it be, but I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried this cross

 

[ladycat]

That's a great idea, I never thought of that. I am raising my first batch of Wade BCMs, and am really looking forward to those eggs. I have a question that has probably been discussed before, but I can't find it in a search. I bought my BCMs straight run, and am going to have a few extra roos. I also have my own flock of cuckoos that I am working on the second generation. What would happen with a BCM over a cuckoo? I know it would be a mutt, but would the BCM help darken the cuckoo eggs? I keep my flocks separated, but I have room to add a pen to experiment. My gut is telling me to leave it be, but I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried this cross

I suppose you would get gold cuckoos.

 

[ataraninja1]

This guy was a "birthday gift" from a city friend who couldn't have roosters. She wasn't sure about his breed.
I think he looks lots like a Cooper Marans... but his comb is weird. I should add, he has pink legs- since you can't seem em in this photo. Do you think he is a Marans with an oddly grown comb?

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Looks like an Ameraucana cross, probably a BCM or Wheaten Maran crossed with an Ameraucana. That's what creates the Olive Egger. It should be interesting to see what happens with his children from you Easter Egger girls. Unique egg colors I'm sure.

 

[ataraninja1]

That's a great idea, I never thought of that. I am raising my first batch of Wade BCMs, and am really looking forward to those eggs. I have a question that has probably been discussed before, but I can't find it in a search. I bought my BCMs straight run, and am going to have a few extra roos. I also have my own flock of cuckoos that I am working on the second generation. What would happen with a BCM over a cuckoo? I know it would be a mutt, but would the BCM help darken the cuckoo eggs? I keep my flocks separated, but I have room to add a pen to experiment. My gut is telling me to leave it be, but I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried this cross

If you cross a BCM over Cuckoo hens, the roos will be cuckoo and the hens black. It's a sex link cross. To get a result like all gold cuckoo or all cuckoo, you would have to use a Cuckoo roo over BCM hens or some other hen like a buff orpington. Either way, it should theoretically darken the egg color of the cuckoos when you use one of the cuckoo roos from the cross to put back in your breeding pen for cuckoo.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

I have trouble seeing the air sells in those really dark eggs. I keep turning the egg this way and that until I can see it. Some of my eggs are a solid #9 color, and they are soooo hard to see into.

You may have to invest in a really good candler. I think I may have to as well. My blue and splash lay 7-9. We charted at a show. I have a friend that candles well in her Brinsea.

 

[scflock]

If you cross a BCM over Cuckoo hens, the roos will be cuckoo and the hens black. It's a sex link cross. To get a result like all gold cuckoo or all cuckoo, you would have to use a Cuckoo roo over BCM hens or some other hen like a buff orpington. Either way, it should theoretically darken the egg color of the cuckoos when you use one of the cuckoo roos from the cross to put back in your breeding pen for cuckoo.

Thank you for the reply. That's very helpful. The sex link would be convenient, but it sounds like I would end up with diluted birds that still looked purebred. I don't think I want to introduce that into my local market, and then compete against someone trying to sell them as pure.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

I have trouble seeing the air sells in those really dark eggs. I keep turning the egg this way and that until I can see it. Some of my eggs are a solid #9 color, and they are soooo hard to see into.

Would love to see photos of #9 with a Marans chart!

 

[ladycat]

Would love to see photos of #9 with a Marans chart!

I've got at least one pic like that somewhere in my zillions of pictures. I'm looking.

I REALLY need to get my photos organized!

 

[ladycat]

This is from 2 different lines of BCM's I have, showing the extremes. (I've got the 2 lines separated).

I have 2 other lines that lay eggs in between those two extremes.

 

[Zanna]

This is from 2 different lines of BCM's I have, showing the extremes. (I've got the 2 lines separated).

I have 2 other lines that lay eggs in between those two extremes.

Nice! Are the darkies from BCM? How many eggs per week do the dark layers lay?