Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[snowbird]

Quote:
Debbi,
I just went out to fed and checked mine. I only have 1 out of 10 in my pen of 3 1/2 mo. old males that has a white primary, he does not have heavily feathered shanks. In my pen of 8 4 1/2 month old males none have white primaries. Three have very heavy feathered shanks. You can see white undercoat in their hackle without lifting the hackle feathers on those 3 only. 12 3 week old chicks, the one with the lightest feathering has the most white.

Tannis,

Thanks for that! So far, but only 8 weeks, my dark, heavily shanked boys have no white fluff. The white juvie primary feathers seem to disappear, at least here, at about 3.5-4 months old, and if the fluff is going to appear, it does so at this age. I am so limited in my experience, but the connection to the two, heavy white primaries and lack of shank feathering, just dawned on me today. Hopefully, my two pick boys don't come down with the white fluff disease! My third pick boy has more white in the primaries, and sparse shank feathering, but he is really coming into his own as well, and looking better by the day! Guess all I can do is wait and see. Anyone else that can check their birds for this??

Too be honest I do not believe there is any connection, but only time will tell.

 

[Debbi]

Don,

I know my hatches are very few, but so far, in all three (lol), this has presented itself all three times. Just wondered if anyone else has seen the same? Maybe no one has ever looked or associated the two?? Just had to ask.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Debbi, There is no reason it could not be true and by keeping records of what happens during the hatch and grow off is the only way we will know. If you use a heavy foot feathered male it is fairly easy to put feathers on the feet. I myself have not worried too much about the foot feathering yet, had too much other stuff to worry about. In the new hatches I will document all this so we can see what happens. Don

 

[Ivywoods]

Debbi- I probably have less experience with BCM's than you, but I will tell you that all of my chicks that I got (25) had white primaries. None of the adults have any white whatsoever on them with the exception of one roo that I have already culled because he also has the lighter color to his hackle feathers. I have one other roo with light hackle feathers, but he doesn't have any white, so in my limited experience I would say there is no coorelation.

I think all of mine, roos and hens have decent shank feathering.

 

[Debbi]

Ivywoods

Do you mind if I ask what line/lines your birds are (supposedly? if in doubt) from? Thanks for your input!

Please PM me if you'd prefer

 

[Debbi]

Math Ace

PICS??????????????????? We want fuzzy butts, we want fuzzy butts, we want...

 

[Ivywoods]

No problem. I was told when I ordered them they were Wade Jeane C1 line. It meant absolutely nothing to me at the time, and I'm still not sure I understand all I should about the different lines. I haven't done any reading on the specific lines.

I sold several trios early on (Wish now I had waited to sell some until I knew more about them. Knowing me, I probably sold my best ones!)

Of the ones I have left I am pretty happy with my hens. Some could use a little more copper coloring. and I think some are just about right. Someone in there is laying some beautiful dark eggs.'

Of the roosters I am not totally satified with any of them. Each of them has a different fault. Two have yellowish or buff coloring to their hackles, a couple don't have enough copper and one has too much.

I'm leaning toward keeping one that is a little light on copper and the one that has too much. All in all, I think those two have fewer other problems, like combs or roach back appearance or tail set too high.

 

[Debbi]

Thanks!

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Real good pictures on page #20 of the SOP. Don

I went to the library and tried to check out some books on chicken standards or chicken breeding and there are NONE in the whole DUVAL county . . . One of the largest counties in Florida and NOTHING

I haven't bothered to buy the standard book because I think someone said the new standard would not be in it because it was being approved to late.

NOW is the SOP the same book that I am talking about or is it something else??

ALSO, while I have you on the World Wide Web - - - please, give me the name of that author you recommended before. I am going to have to look online for her book since I KNOW our library system does not carry it !

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Sure you can but first you have to give us an update on the babies, then a small wait for me to load one.

THANK YOU PINK !

I am still hatching . . Believe it or not . .

Two hatched today. I have removed them and put them in a shoe box that is 1/2 under the heat lamp and 1/2 out. I keep them in the box until it looks like they have their feet under them. Then I am releasing them into the swimming pool with everyone else.

I hear peeping in the cooler still, so there is at least one more coming.

I hope it is one of my marans. So far I have only hatched 2 of my own marans. Both are from my Black copper marans. I was hoping to hatch a couple from my blue copper marans too.

CPARTIST gave me a dozen of her bcm to hatch. Eight of hers have hatched.