Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[BLT79]

RIR roo x Cuckoo hens is a sex link cross but not the other way around.

ok my splash has white feet and the two black ones do not have yellow feet. their feet are more of a slate color. a lighter version of their legs. their webbing is white and I would call the soles of their feet gray.

 

[ChellFeesh]

Yet another one of those famous "can you sex my chick" posts.

Hope everyone doesn't mind taking a look at my little ones. They turned 5 weeks old today. I have one obvious cockerel - he has a little bit of a funny spot at the back of his comb. I don't know if he was pecked and injured before I got him or if he was born like that. I got 3 of these chicks from one breeder and 3 from a different breeder. Chicks #1, 4, and 5: I question if they are full-blooded Marans chicks. The woman I got them from brought her glass of booze out with her to the coop and stumbled out of her shoe several times. Now, I'm not saying that means she doesn't know how to breed chicks, but she told me that she crossed two BCM's and yet she had 2 blue chicks (that is not possible, right???). So... my son just HAD to have one of these blue chicks and the other one had poufy feathers on its head like a Silky, so I wouldn't let him get that one. I suspect her chickens were jumping the fence doing the hibbidy-dibbidy with one another and since they looked like Marans when they hatched - that is how she sold them. I'd like to get your opinions on whether or not you think they are mutts or not. Again, it's chicks 1, 4, and 5. Chick 5 actually has some yellowish color to the toes. Chick 4 seems to be so fluffy on the butt compared to all the other chicks; its comb is a tad pink, but stumped on its gender. Chick 3 is a mottled/mossy little thing, but if it's a SHE I will just keep it as a layer. I would like to get into breeding at some point, but first I've got to find some good stock. I think my best option right now is chick #6. LOVE the feathering on the feet on that one. We call him/her "Cooper" because of the eyeliner that reminded us of the musician Alice Cooper. We thought he was a boy at first, but now is looking more like a pullet. I could be wrong... I am not good at this! I hope you are. I am thinking of going back to get more chicks (from the more reliable breeder) this weekend and might ask him for a cockerel if I've got mostly pullets here. I think the cockerel I have here (#1) will end up in the stew pot for the wonky comb issue. All these chicks seem so smart compared to the other breeds I have. They are calm and friendly. I am loving them already and I think I am beginning to turn into a "Crazy Chicken Lady." (minus the glass of booze and stumbling - that other lady has got me beat!) I'd appreciate all your thoughts on my birds, as I am new at this. THANKS!

 

[Zanna]

Okay, thank you. The splash & blue are one age and the 2 blacks are younger. So maybe the blacks are boys too and they just haven't 'caught up yet'? Is this breed slow to develop their combs & wattles? Can someone post a pic of an adult hen & roo for me so I can see the difference? What age do you think I should be able to tell at? The blacks are 3 mos old and the splash is 2-4 weeks older than they are. I can't remember what the guy said 3 mos ago, I just remember they were from different 'batches'. And the splash is a lot bigger. Maybe I'll go take another pic of the 3 of them standing together (the blue ran off in the farmer's field and we couldn't find it anywhere, so we're assuming it got eaten by a creature of the night). I'll take one of a close up of their heads too. Thanks!

Here is a Black Copper Marans Cock, his Hen Mate and a few of their Pullet Daughters from early this year. Hope this helps! I don't have splash only bcm.

 

[DMRippy]

RIR roo x Cuckoo hens is a sex link cross but not the other way around.

ok my splash has white feet and the two black ones do not have yellow feet. their feet are more of a slate color. a lighter version of their legs. their webbing is white and I would call the soles of their feet gray.

ok I am getting confused......sex links would usually be a RIR x BR HEN. both have yellow feet. if you cross a white skinned bird with yellow....you get white skin....it is dominate. yellow is recessive.

if your birds are a cross of a Marans and a blue egg layer you should have white skin. you would need 2 birds with yellow skin to get yellow skin.

 

[PsycoPeep]

Hmm...so it looks like the girls get bigger combs & wattles too. So it could still go either way with these guys. I guess I thought by 4 mos I'd be able to tell what I had!

...silly me!

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Would love to have some feedback on my FBCMs. Would this rooster be of show quality? They are all this years hatch and at least one of the girls has started laying but the eggs are not very brown at all. They free range all day with access to a layers, scratch and a litle treat of calf manna feed.

The one thing I have learned I am not a chicken photographer. I know that a picture of him from the backside will help, gonna work on that.

 

[BLT79]

ok I am getting confused......sex links would usually be a RIR x BR HEN. both have yellow feet. if you cross a white skinned bird with yellow....you get white skin....it is dominate. yellow is recessive.

if your birds are a cross of a Marans and a blue egg layer you should have white skin. you would need 2 birds with yellow skin to get yellow skin.

I have no clue, I was told to check for white or yellow feet. I am just as confused. guess I should just wait for egg color!

 

[TulsaChick]

Glass of booze Bahaha! At least it was just a glass and not a jug. #1&2 look just like my girls.

 

[ChellFeesh]

Glass of booze Bahaha! At least it was just a glass and not a jug. #1&2 look just like my girls.

I was thinking #1 was a cockerel since he was pinking up so fast. Are Marans slow to develop their combs, or did I just get lucky and end up with a bunch of girls? I will get more chicks this weekend and pick up a roo only to have 4 of these guys I have now pink up and grow wattles next week. LOL

 

[TulsaChick]

I don't have boys so I can't he you there. But if you did have one I wouldn't eat it! Breed with a nice comb and see what you get.