Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[snowbird]

I'm thinking about doing a chick down study with the FBCM. I was just curious if it had been done before so I can compare results.

"mathace" Lisa done a study with the BC chicks and it was posted on one of the threads. Maybe she will see this or I can PM her and ask if you would like.

 

[pawtraitart]

"mathace" Lisa done a study with the BC chicks and it was posted on one of the threads. Maybe she will see this or I can PM her and ask if you would like.

Thank you. I'd love to check my results against another flock.

 

[ashandvine]

I got an egg today that was ... amusing? Alarming? The pullet who has started laying is clearly starting to lay her larger eggs but today's had both a rough end, and it was cream with sparse splotches of dark color. As I understand it the color gets darker the longer it takes for the egg to descend-- as in a laid back hen makes for a nicer egg. So is my hen very stressed? What the heck?

 

[pinkchick]

"mathace" Lisa done a study with the BC chicks and it was posted on one of the threads. Maybe she will see this or I can PM her and ask if you would like.

I believe those photos are in this massive thread..............somewhere.

 

[pinkchick]

I got an egg today that was ... amusing? Alarming?  The pullet who has started laying is clearly starting to lay her larger eggs but today's had both a rough end, and it was cream with sparse splotches of dark color.  As I understand it the color gets darker the longer it takes for the egg to descend-- as in a laid back hen makes for a nicer egg.  So is my hen very stressed?  What the heck? 

How long has she been laying? About how many eggs has she given you altogether? Also, what were her first eggs like? Color, shape?

 

[Zanna]

Thank you. I'd love to check my results against another flock.

I am doing that this season, first hatch of two chicks was two weeks ago, 7 out of 7 hatched drying in the hatcher right now. I would love to compare notes. What I have right now is pics of Mom/Dad (single mating) and the two chicks so far at about 2 days old. Probably time to take another pic. of them. The 7 in the hatcher are from the same mating. How frequently are you going to take pics of the chicks?

 

[pawtraitart]

I am doing that this season, first hatch of two chicks was two weeks ago, 7 out of 7 hatched drying in the hatcher right now. I would love to compare notes. What I have right now is pics of Mom/Dad (single mating) and the two chicks so far at about 2 days old. Probably time to take another pic. of them. The 7 in the hatcher are from the same mating. How frequently are you going to take pics of the chicks?

I'm thinking at hatch, 7 weeks old, and then again at 14 weeks old. That should give me enough information to decide how much farther to take the documentation. A lot depends on if I find that chick down tells me anything useful.

 

[snowbird]

I would suggest you take the study until the 4-5 month molt to be sure the white feathers all leave. That is what I plan on doing with any Marans I hatch this year, It will be a little later when I start. I have eggs in the incubator now but no Marans yet. The old hens I have left just are not laying.

 

[pawtraitart]

I would suggest you take the study until the 4-5 month molt to be sure the white feathers all leave. That is what I plan on doing with any Marans I hatch this year, It will be a little later when I start. I have eggs in the incubator now but no Marans yet. The old hens I have left just are not laying.

Absolutely. Any birds that miss the first culls will be documented further if I find a relationship of chick down color to adult plumage. It's simple enough to make a few notes next to their band number on my ledger.

 

[snowbird]

Absolutely. Any birds that miss the first culls will be documented further if I find a relationship of chick down color to adult plumage. It's simple enough to make a few notes next to their band number on my ledger.

My plans at present are to do a photo album for the chicks on my profile page for all to see.