Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Happy Anniversary Donna!



Mikey~ Hope your roo is doing better today.

 

[pinkchick]

So she would be considered a blue maran then?  What does "birchen" mean?

She could be a solid blue marans, or she could be a blue copper marans. Is she the sister or related to the black copper pullet?

If she is related to the black copper pullet then she would be a blue copper and doesn't show any copper.


Birchen is a secondary color pattern....ie, the copper and its pattern in which it takes on the bird, or in Silver Birchen, but silver instead of copper, etc. The Birchen color pattern is common with many breeds of poultry.

 

[jendodd79]

She isn't related to my BCM, different breeding lines. But I looked and all under her neck she definitely has copper feathers the same as my BCM - no birchen in there!

 

[pinkchick]

That's what I was thinking.. 100% blue. I do know a lot about horse color genetics and the 'blue' gene works very much like the 'creme' gene in horses. I guess I am MOST excited to see what color they get in their hackles. Because that hen is a splash and I don't know her genetic background who knows what color they will be... I don't see any copper on her, but I know that is pretty impossible to find with splash. Looking today, many of them have little white feathers on the tips of their wings. Know what that is about? Or is that just the feathers coming in? Bad/good/who knows? Two different chicks.

This is normal in some lines of Marans of the Birchen pattern, in both the copper variety and the Silver Birchen and Silver Blue Birchen. Usually it will molt out with the juvenile molt, if it doesn't and it remains when the bird is mature, and if a person was thinking of breeding to standard, then the bird would not be used in a SOP breeding program, but would be great for a laying flock of pretty dark eggs.

 

[mikeypalone]

My rooster is coming around very well. I have spent the last hour out there and he is starting to be a rooster again. My pens have three feet spacing between them and no way could the two roosters get close enough to fight,but I guess he wanted to prove he was top rooster,got his leg caught in the fence,for I don't know how long,and today is the best day he has had for two months. He is showing interest in the pullets again so maybe in another month. Thank you for caring.

 

[dajen]

Hi!
Do you have another picture of this pullets comb......particularly the blade or the back section of the comb?

I can take more. She is a hen now. Just started laying 2 weeks ago.

 

[dajen]

Y'all are making me yearn to incubate! Or shop for land, lol!

dajen - is your run covered, or is it really that dry where you are?

The chicken run is on a bit of a slope. We have red clay here which is fairly dry most of the time. We have crusher run in the real wet spots to help with erosion.

 

[TheCosmos]

This is normal in some lines of Marans of the Birchen pattern, in both the copper variety and the Silver Birchen and Silver Blue Birchen. Usually it will molt out with the juvenile molt, if it doesn't and it remains when the bird is mature, and if a person was thinking of breeding to standard, then the bird would not be used in a SOP breeding program, but would be great for a laying flock of pretty dark eggs.

Thanks! I am still learning about the SOPs and will keep an eye out on them as they mature. I DO want to breed to SOP and get dark eggs at the same time, so I know I have my work cut out for me. I just ordered some EXTREMELY dark eggs off eBay, yeah we'll see how that goes. lol Mine aren't laying much right now and I have only had 2 eggs I consider real 'Marans' eggs. From everything I can tell, the hens I have are very correct conformation-wise but their eggs are not that dark. Seems like you can get one and then the other has to suffer.. especially with any other color than BCM!!!

 

[desertmarcy]

my preferred size for welded wire is 1"x1", but will also use 1"x2". Not gonna lie, its not the cheapest material out there, but have been fortunate enough to pick up rolls and even old pens others have built on sales, auctions, or places like craigslist. To me its worth it. I build pens that share sides and use the welded wire on the outside where it is vulnerable to predators and then use chicken wire on the shared wall and at the bottom of the wall, will put a panel of wood about 24" up so the roosters won't fight with each other. Works well

I use 1" x 2" welded wire. It is expensive enough! I have been told by people who live in the city that wild birds (mostly English sparrows) will go through the 1" x 2" wire and thieve food. So if keeping wild birds out is also a priority, I'd go with 1"x1". I am lucky that the English sparrows don't favor the more open desert areas like where I live and I haven't had a problem with birds going through my 1" x 2" wire.

 

[flgardengirl]

Did you see anything last night? ?

Nada! Of course all the neighbors were out shooting fireworks and guns half the night lol. Probably scared it off.