Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

perhaps the new rage for vegetarian chicken feeds is contributing to the problem? Also if it's worse in winter, when bugs and green forage are scarce, would certainly explain the problem. Some report it's worse when they have lights on. Perhaps because the lights are inducing the birds to lay even tho they are lacking in certain vital nutrients? Certainly something to think about.

The issue with the lights is the SHOCK of them suddenly coming on or suddenly going off. Some folks suggested using a dimmer to gradually introduce and terminate the light. I never went that far with my girls... I only had issues with the marans. The other birds in the same coop never produced meat or blood spots.

 

[ramirezframing]

ok my dad does marans, He has blue coppers and hatched chicks this year. My question is which roo to keep (sons) for a backup rooster. They are both a medium blue and have feathered shanks. the difference between them is one has the yellow orange heckle feathers and orange-ish wing bow while the other has a mahogany color on the heckles and no color on wing bows. They are both 3 to 4 months old. Thanks for any help

 

[xlboergoats]

ok my dad does marans, He has blue coppers and hatched chicks this year. My question is which roo to keep (sons) for a backup rooster. They are both a medium blue and have feathered shanks. the difference between them is one has the yellow orange heckle feathers and orange-ish wing bow while the other has a mahogany color on the heckles and no color on wing bows. They are both 3 to 4 months old. Thanks for any help

It sounds like to me that the one with the orange-ish wing bow has Blue Wheaten in him. What you have discribed makes me think of our Blue Wheatens.

Just A Guess,
Ernie Haire
Arp, Texas
www.Marans2XL.com

 

[pinkchick]

Blood and Meat Spots. I have found some good info in the book Poultry Science and Practice by WINTER and FUNK

Blood Spots and Meats spots may be found in some eggs.They result from the hemorrhage of a small blood vessel located in the small blood vessel in the ovary or oviduct. A blood spot on the Yolk indicates a hemorrhage in the follicle at the time of ovulation.The focille probably did not rupture along the stigma where they are normally no blood vessels. If the spot is in the white of the egg, it indicates a hemorrhage in the wall of the oviduct. Bloody eggs are probably the result of more severe hemorrhage.Th reproductive system of the female is easily ruptured when in production. FRIGHT,HIGH PERCHES and NESTS, and a deficiency of vitamin K may result in an abnormal number of Blood spots.

Hope this might help.

In the book Practical Poultry Management by Rice and Botsford found this. Vitamin K  symptoms of absence Subcutaneous and internal hemorrhages. Sources Alfalfa Meal, green feeds, animal by-products

Exvellent information Don! Thank you!

 

[pinkchick]

It sounds like to me that the one with the orange-ish wing bow has Blue Wheaten in him. What you have discribed makes me think of our Blue Wheatens.

Just A Guess,
Ernie Haire
Arp, Texas
www.Marans2XL.com

Agreed! With the orange-ish wing bow it sounds as though Wheaten is definitely in the mix of the birds.

 

[pinkchick]

Kim, In the case of ablolete need where the brother-Sister mating is the only way to breed forward, Go ahead and make the mating and cull heavy. Then start breeding the main male to the daughters and the main two female back to one of the young male. Just do the brother-sister mating one year and then start breeding them like you would have the old pair.

If these have a lot of faults it will end up a disaster but is worth trying. I would single mate both pullets as one might produce better quality. if these are good quality fowl they could be bred forward and just cull all of the faults as you go forward. If you need clerification on any of this just let me know.

THANK YOU!!!!! You are the greatest! I emailed her the information you wrote up this morning. She is thrilled that she can rebuild using her existing birds. I will admit they are beautiful birds those Coronation Sussex.


Have another question for you and will PM it. Thanks again!

 

[pinkchick]

 I do believe one of my washingstons (aka pink's chicks) are laying now! We had an extra marans egg in the coop yesterday. Going to do the chicken shuffle to see which little one it is! Not a bad color either- darker then the others just slightly and the same size- meaning her first eggs were not noticeable (ie not small little tiny pullet eggs...) My husband had to point it out to me lol 

YAY!!!!!!

 

[flgardengirl]

ok my dad does marans, He has blue coppers and hatched chicks this year. My question is which roo to keep (sons) for a backup rooster. They are both a medium blue and have feathered shanks. the difference between them is one has the yellow orange heckle feathers and orange-ish wing bow while the other has a mahogany color on the heckles and no color on wing bows. They are both 3 to 4 months old. Thanks for any help

You could post pics and someone could surely give you an idea of which to keep.

 

[flgardengirl]

have you tried marshmellows in you traps? We find this to be a good bait to use.

We left the camera on for a few days and I checked it this morning. I got 2 different raccoons, 2 different foxes, and a bunch of possums!! Many showed up at the same time or a half hour apart starting around 10pm to 6am. The possums show up first then the raccoons, then the fox and then all show up sporadically throughout the rest of the night.


Class starts back up today so I probably won't be back on here much for awhile, I have a lot of tough sciences stacked up this semester so it will totally suck lol.

 

[pinkchick]

We left the camera on for a few days and I checked it this morning. I got 2 different raccoons, 2 different foxes, and a bunch of possums!! Many showed up at the same time or a half hour apart starting around 10pm to 6am.  The possums show up first then the raccoons, then the fox and then all show up sporadically throughout the rest of the night.

That's alot of critters! What are you going to do?