Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[ellymayRans]

Wow...I really need to clean my propane tank HUH!! LOL Funny how you don't notice something like that til looking thru pics!

 

[Wynette]

You're funny, I didn't even notice your tank - too busy trying to see the specks you're referring to. I don't see them...any chance you can get a closer, well-focused picture?

 

[OHmamma]

I've been reading on the Asils and from what I've read, the hens are often nastier than the cock birds! Do you find that to be true?

I don't have an Asil roo so I couldn't honestly say but they hens are aggressive about their nest spots and the barn in general. They tolerate everyone as long as they walk the line, excpet for the poodle. I don't know why but I suspect it is because he likes to harass the ducks.

I had one go broody last month and boy was that a fight hen I tried to take the eggs!! She almost ran ME out of the barn!! She still eyeballs me from under the bench.....I bet she takes me out by my ankles one day.

I am going to put the two of them with my Shamo since I never found him a mate. I hate to see him lonely he is too beautiful. Then I will let them hatch all they want!! But safely in a nice big pen. I wouldn't want to see how they are with babies.

 

[Wynette]

HA! HAD to go look...are you SUPPOSED to clean them?

Theonly comment I have, per these pics, is that the male's legs are a bit too dark for my personal liking. Hard to say much more as the pics are "moving" pics of the birds, which makes it difficult to really give good feedback...although I'm not sure you were actually looking ofr feedback, anyway, so...never mind!

 

[OHmamma]

Wow...I really need to clean my propane tank HUH!! LOL Funny how you don't notice something like that til looking thru pics!

Sorry I couldn't see the birds for the propane tank distracting me.

Just kidding

They are still to young to really judge the eye color. They will change until they are 6-8 months old. The black specks are usually just melanizers they can even pick them up in their combs and wattles. They will likely go away, sometimes they don't. You can cull against it or try breeding it out......Don't quote me on this but most times those hens lay the darkest eggs too.

My blacks and one birchen bantam roo are so black that they had almost purple combs and wattles for the longest time. It is gone now and they are just 8 months. It scared me at first, I thought there had been a rouge Sumatra fly by.

BTW, Very pretty little flock you have there. Your roo is a cutie!

-Nicol

 

[Wynette]

I thought there had been a rouge Sumatra fly by.

 

[OHmamma]

I called them my Gypsy Clan for a while. I will admit it was pretty.

 

[Simeo]

Here's one of our marans chicks weighing in today at 9oz (almost 4 weeks old). I'm just going to guess but.... roo? He's supposed to be a cuckoo/black cross but I don't see the cuckoo.

 

[gilavina]

Hey wynette

...

Yah, it's a gorgeous pattern to work with.  Unfortunately, I have a ton of things I'm working on with my SPR, one of which is to improve the yellow of their shanks; they're quite dusky.  Hmmm...I wonder if that would make it easier to breed the slate coloring over...

Hey Wynette, I was reading somewhere online (it's been a while back) when I was researching feed additives and such and a Wyandotte breeder had found out that marigold oil had been phased out of the feed. He had noticed his birds lost their yellow legs and appeared dusky, so thought his breeding program had gone awry, so ordered some and mixed it in his feed to see and the legs became yellow again, I thought it was interesting as I've noticed a change in my yellow legs on the wyandottes and were birds that used to have vibrant yellow and are not that old yet to be fading. Not sayin they shouldn't be yellow, just interesting

 

[Wynette]

Hey wynette
Quote: I've read that too, and very recently! I've got so much that I'm working on in that flock anyway, the yellow legs are the last of my worry currently, but I'll definitely try this!