Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[sewandgrow]

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Great pictures..................... I keep trying but just can never seem to get the shots I want. They move so much....I am going to go try again while it's nice & sunny out there. I will never be a photographer of any kind I assure you. I usually leave that up to my daughter or husband.

 

[geebs]

bigspringshatchery That would be Kelvin not Kevin and it is the jeanne line... A rooster can cover confidently at least 3 birds... no problem.. they are extremely effective.. I keep 1/6 ratio with 100 percent fertility....I know ppl that use up to 12 hens on one rooster confidently.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Ok so it sounds like this person was off a little on his bloodlines. And I was worried about the 1/3 ration bc I want like 8 hens and dint really want keep 2-3 roosters in the same pen. Back to the bloodline. Is it really that sought after? I'll have to tell em it's Kelvin

 

[VillageChicken]

I understand what you mean Geebs, but I wasn't meaning the way that Black to Blue, back to Black for generations produces darker Blues.

Simply is the proper hackle/saddle color/consistency of color a homozygous Mahogany?
You and others have proved through breeding that too light + too dark produces closer to the proper copper. That seems like the action of a dominant darkening gene acting with the absence of the darkening gene to produce something in the middle - copper instead of mahogany or straw.

But do these correct coppers breed true? Why do they produce all three (light,dark, and correct) still? Has it just not been properly selected for a long enough time by enough scrupulous breeders?

Don said someone did the kip chart for the genotype. I'm curious what it looks like, how they determined it, if by genetic theory or by actually test breeding for each allele. Does the OEGB Red Brown have the same issues with balancing melanizers and mahogany? The kippenjungle calculator only has the one pattern for red birchen, and it's labeled "marans".

If there's a better way to "color" a red birchen, am I the only one that is curious?

Sorry if this is all to genetically geeky. I find it fascinating.

 

[sewandgrow]

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I leave mine in thil they are all dry & fluffed up. I tried taking a wet one out & even under the light it didn't make it. I felt so bad so now I leave well enough alone. I felt like my eagerness caused it to die.

 

[ruth]

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I also have a 1-10 ratio and they take care of business. I also have pens with more than one roo and they are fine together. I also have 60+ roos running around free and they are also fine with one another.

And, yes it's Kelvin Jeane (Wade's brother and original partner in crime) and unless he's started breeding BCMs again, I have all of his original hens. He gave all 20 BCM hens to Jesse Bryant and I bought them from Mr. Jesse. At least that part of my story hasn't been highly/hotly debated/contested.....but I'm sure it will be.

They are now lovingly known as the Bethel Line - pictures can be seen a few pages back where I posted the latest eggs (going to show) and some of my birds.

 

[Lotsapaints]

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I have 12 hens with one Roo and all the eggs I've checked are good and 1 hatched today from 1 put in the incubator just to check it's all in the "vigor" a trait that should be always bred for JMHO

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Now I really gotta brag! Earlier I posted one of my FBCM pullet's veyr first egg. It was speckled...like her spray painter wasn't yet primed....

The next one was speckled with tiny specks all over. The next was speckled with even tinier little closer together pixel like specks.

This is her fourth egg.

 

[math ace]

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MINE did that too when they first started laying. One of my SLACKERS laid me a egg today. Two of my girls have taken a couple of months vaction. The one that decided to go back to work today laid a spotted egg like yours. So, I'll be watching tomorrow to see if those spots get closer and the egg gets darker. . .

I haven't had 3 marans eggs on the same day since last May . . . . SAD, oh so SAD.

 

[math ace]

HATCHING COUNT SO FAR - - -

Delawares - - - 5

MARANS - - - 0