Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

You birds are still very young and will go through quite a bit of transformation over the next few months, so no need to worry

I will add, more than likely, the ones with copper already will be cockerels. If you wanted, you could post photos of them here and get opinions on cockerels and pullets.

 

[choptank330]

Oh okay. Thank you for your help.

 

[Crzy4Chickns]

Yes the hens should have copper in their necks.
number one though, is that they lay very dark eggs.

 

[pinkchick]

I have one hen that lays a spherical eggs, I always have to candle to be sure which end is up. I can say that her egg shape does breed forward in her daughters and they laid nice dark eggs.
I culled all of her daughters, but one because they had other issues that warranted them not worthy of the breeding pen. Still waiting on Roberta the slacker who is going on 10 months old to lay, I believe that she will lay a nice round egg........eventually.

Here are the eggs I have been getting since the 8th of Feb., note the round eggs to the right of the photo, the slightly longer eggs in the center and the very pointy egg on the left. The eggs on the far right (3 of them) are from the my 4 year old Splash Copper, the 2 rows in the center are from my 2 year old Blue Copper (not a daughter of the splash) but her eggs are a definite improvement in shape from what her mothers were. The egg on the left is not from my birds but from the (ugly Bettys) BCM hens I have here that are my best friends, they come from a completely different line or lines of birds than mine...but notice the extreme pointed end.

m

These are all from my 4 year old Splash Copper. Sorry about the dirty ones...but it's been rainy and muddy the last few days and to be quite honest I have just been to lazy to clean them. If the chicks in the 'bator would ever hatch, I'll be poppin' this lovelies in.

 

[SeattleLeah]

HI!

I believe both #1 and #2 are pullets and #3 is definitely a cockerel.

Thanks Pinkchick! Im glad i asked, I almost gave Chick #2 away today.

On a side note, I want to label some eggs but pencil doesnt show up. . . the are too dark

. Is it ok to use sharpie?

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks Pinkchick! Im glad i asked, I almost gave Chick #2 away today. On a side note, I want to label some eggs but pencil doesnt show up. . . the are too dark

. Is it ok to use sharpie?

Your welcome and I hope that I am right and they are both pullets. I have had several pullets at this age that look rather roo-ish, in my experience, they have always ended up being my largest females. I use sharpie and have had no problems with it. I have received shipped eggs many times that have been marked with sharpie and hatch. 2 pipped in the bator right now. I have used white colored pencil in the past and have liked it as well, but prefer the sharpie because it is easier to see when looking in the bottom of my sportsman in the hatching tray, where it tends to be very dark.

 

[choptank330]

I will try to get pictures of the bigger two. Its more defined in one than the other. I just wanted to see if it meant anything like you said. More than likely its a cockerel.

 

[maryhysong]

I have one hen that lays a spherical eggs, I always have to candle to be sure which end is up. I can say that her egg shape does breed forward in her daughters and they laid nice dark eggs.
I culled all of her daughters, but one because they had other issues that warranted them not worthy of the breeding pen. Still waiting on Roberta the slacker who is going on 10 months old to lay, I believe that she will lay a nice round egg........eventually.

Here are the eggs I have been getting since the 8th of Feb., note the round eggs to the right of the photo, the slightly longer eggs in the center and the very pointy egg on the left. The eggs on the far right (3 of them) are from the my 4 year old Splash Copper, the 2 rows in the center are from my 2 year old Blue Copper (not a daughter of the splash) but her eggs are a definite improvement in shape from what her mothers were. The egg on the left is not from my birds but from the (ugly Bettys) BCM hens I have here that are my best friends, they come from a completely different line or lines of birds than mine...but notice the extreme pointed end.

m

These are all from my 4 year old Splash Copper. Sorry about the dirty ones...but it's been rainy and muddy the last few days and to be quite honest I have just been to lazy to clean them. If the chicks in the 'bator would ever hatch, I'll be poppin' this lovelies in.

Drooling over those beautiful eggs! Can't wait for my kiddos to grow up!

 

[OHmamma]

Barb, I believe that the Judges in USA and Canada would need to be educated on what shape the Marans egg should be. It would have to be something like what is going on with judging the Marans.

I have been in charge of one egg show and helped with several. The woman that I had judge mine was very good. (Pat Lacey) I sent her Marans information and links and she came very well prepared. She had never even seen a Marans egg but was very excited to do it. So far hers was the best judging I have seen.

I think that communication between the person hosting the egg show and the judge that they ask should be done well in advance of the show. The MCCUSA has clear rules and judging instructions that the judge should see before the show.

-Nicol

 

[Irishgirl]

I have a 3 week old Black Copper Maran roo, and he has a small, clear, blister-lookin thingy on the underside of his beak. Is this normal? I thought at first it might be part of his comb/wattles, but I want to make sure.