Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

All other things being equal, I have been culling for eye color much sooner than that, mostly because of space and feed/money considerations, can't grow them all out for 9-12 months. Do you think that over time I'd be then selecting for eye color that changes in a younger bird?

definitely.

 

[Zanna]

Wanting some input on my cull list for BCM cockerals at 3-4 months of age:

Black/Too dark ear tufts
Too little leg feathering
Feathers on middle toes and/or tufts inbetween
Narrow body
Not enough depth in body/size in general
Straw colouring
Light leg colour
Colour in chest feathers

Pullets 3-4 months of age:

Same as cockerals minus ear tufts and adding mossiness.

Also I am at the point now I think I can cull all that don't have copper around their neck. 3 of the 4 Moms have no copper, any reason to keep pullets this age that are showing none when I have lots that are?

Thoughts? Additions? Don't worry about at this age?

Lots of youngsters on the ground so I want to be really picky and get the numbers down before too long.............. and I am still hatching

 

[desertmarcy]

Wanting some input on my cull list for BCM cockerals at 3-4 months of age:

Black/Too dark ear tufts
Too little leg feathering
Feathers on middle toes and/or tufts inbetween
Narrow body
Not enough depth in body/size in general
Straw colouring
Light leg colour
Colour in chest feathers

Pullets 3-4 months of age:

Same as cockerals minus ear tufts and adding mossiness.

Also I am at the point now I think I can cull all that don't have copper around their neck. 3 of the 4 Moms have no copper, any reason to keep pullets this age that are showing none when I have lots that are?

Thoughts? Additions? Don't worry about at this age?

Lots of youngsters on the ground so I want to be really picky and get the numbers down before too long.............. and I am still hatching

That sounds like a good list to me

. I agree on the pullets with no copper in the hackles if you have nice ones with color. I cull for that.
Still hatching

you sound like me although I am through hatching Marans, but I just hatched another batch of Good Shepard Barred Rocks and still waiting on turkey poults to hatch!

 

[sarahkatie]

Wanting some input on my cull list for BCM cockerals at 3-4 months of age:

Black/Too dark ear tufts
Too little leg feathering
Feathers on middle toes and/or tufts inbetween
Narrow body
Not enough depth in body/size in general
Straw colouring
Light leg colour
Colour in chest feathers

Pullets 3-4 months of age:

Same as cockerals minus ear tufts and adding mossiness.

Also I am at the point now I think I can cull all that don't have copper around their neck.  3 of the 4 Moms have no copper, any reason to keep pullets this age that are showing none when I have lots that are? 

Thoughts?  Additions?  Don't worry about at this age?

Lots of youngsters on the ground so I want to be really picky and get the numbers down before too long.............. and I am still hatching

Zanna, at 3-4 mo, when you cull, are they big enough for eating? If not, what do you do with them? If this isn't appropriate for here, could you pm me? thx

 

[Zanna]

Zanna, at 3-4 mo, when you cull, are they big enough for eating? If not, what do you do with them? If this isn't appropriate for here, could you pm me? thx

It is just DH and I so they do make a meal with enough for sandwiches the next day. I am only breeding my chunkers so that helps with size of babies. There is also a local weekly/year round poultry auction that I can take them to if the freezer is full. At this age it varies what I get for them, the auction takes 35%. The last ones I took, the little guys sold for $8.00 each and I ended up getting about $5/bird. Don't think I have ever gotten less than $4/bird. Drop them off with food Monday AM, auction is Tuesday AM and I get a check in the mail Thursday, easy!

 

[Zanna]

That sounds like a good list to me

. I agree on the pullets with no copper in the hackles if you have nice ones with color. I cull for that.
Still hatching

you sound like me although I am through hatching Marans, but I just hatched another batch of Good Shepard Barred Rocks and still waiting on turkey poults to hatch!

My favorite BCM hen went broody with only 3 eggs set from a test mating. Well, she is back in business so so am I One more BCM Cock to test mate with 2 hens then probably done till fall.............(Ha, Ha says DH!!!!)

 

[Zanna]

Forgot to mention Gypsy face..... I know there was some discussion on this a while back. 3-4 month old pullets, too young to cull for this?

 

[sarahkatie]

Forgot to mention Gypsy face.....  I know there was some discussion on this a while back.  3-4 month old pullets, too young to cull for this?

What's gypsy face

 

[Zanna]

What's gypsy face

I understand it to be a very dark face. I have one test mate pair that is producing this, the pullets have black/dark red combs, wattles and dark/black skin around their eyes. I actually find this attractive but I do not think it follows SOP for correct/acceptable colour. Anyone else???

 

[Chickenman76]

The male does not have enough color to say what color he is or supposed to be . For SOP breeding would not breed this male. For egg layer there would not be a problem.

Thank you

. Glad I didn't use him, something told me to cull him a while back