Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[snowbird]

Quote:
I never recommend breeding that will not produce something that is going forward to the SOP. I have sold about 300 like these for meat.

Don,

But are you going by the coloring alone? What about the other qualities that may outweigh something with a more "proper" color? Even with his darker coloring, I like the first roo better.

No, there are more thing than color in my decision. My percentage of culls was way too high this year and am determined it will not happen again, unless something else pops up from something that has been bred into the BC to improve them is the word that most use I believe. Will not compromise again what I believe is the proper way to breed the BC. Just my way of doing things, might not work for everyone. I can guarantee that I sure know how to breed culls.

 

[geebs]

Snowbird....LOL Cull thing.... Those birds I posted did have some mossy as younguns but not the partridge look... Just mossy... A very different presentaation... Born black... gain brown and turn black again.

 

[Ivywoods]

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I don't know which of my hens laid which eggs. I think a lot of my hens could use a little more copper coloring. Maybe if I got them out of their coop and run and took a closer look, maybe there would be some mossy, but as of yet I haven't noticed it.

What I have noticed is some have better combs than others. I wish they had a little more copper on their necks. They all have leg feathering, but some of them are only lightly feathered. They are in with my hubby's BJG's right now, and sometimes when there is not enough light I get them mixed up with his BJG hens until I see the feathering on their feet, then look closer and I see the copper.

I've got to get a way isolate them one at a time so I can figure out which one lays which eggs.

It sounds like I shouldn't be too upset if I'm not getting any "9" eggs, huh?

 

[math ace]

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I still hear peeping / chirping. . . So there is more hatching going on tonight!

I have a total of 8 marans right now and there is a 9th one hatching right this moment !

 

[snowbird]

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Geebs, look at the undercoat feathers that you can see in the pictures. Those mossy chicks may turn black but the undercoat and soft feathers will be light brown. This is just my way of doing things and not trying to get anyone else to try it, I believe everyone should do what they think works best for them.

 

[Debbi]

Lisa!

 

[Debbi]

I wish my girls would hurry up and mature to POL! I so want to get on with the experimenting!

 

[bigoakhunter]

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I laughed at the name! I used to work for a un-named company where we packaged Agent Orange to be shipped overseas. We did not know what it was at the time, just that it was a super brush killer. I am still kicken and healthy, so who knows. I have some FBCM hens that have no copper at all, others from that hatch have some. Wonder what would happen if your boy and my all black hens got together....LOL

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
I laughed at the name! I used to work for a un-named company where we packaged Agent Orange to be shipped overseas. We did not know what it was at the time, just that it was a super brush killer. I am still kicken and healthy, so who knows. I have some FBCM hens that have no copper at all, others from that hatch have some. Wonder what would happen if your boy and my all black hens got together....LOL

Dave,

I was thinking about that name too. Out here, in brush country, a lot of people used the agent orange to clear the land of scrub brush. Some used it on tree lots as well. Wonder how many folks burned that stuff in their wood stoves and had bad results? those two roos are definately "bright"!

 

[flgardengirl]

His name has given me second thoughts about eating him lol. Just the thought of it... My stepdad says he was exposed to A. Orange in Vietnam and has some type of cancer in his knee and other problems. He thinks it was from A. Orange.

Anyhow, about this roos history: I bought 10 eggs from a breeder and most were extremely dark. Agent Orange and two other roos hatched along with 5 females. The other 2 roos have normal coloring (not mossy). One of the pullets is a little mossy (her name is Sedona) and one is all black. The rest are nice and dark with coppering on their hackles. So he probably might have some good genes in there with the bad orange ones lol. No clue what would happen if he was crossed on all black hens...