Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Organics North]

I am not 100% sure but I think she has a couple of pullets/hens left. No Roosters. She is getting replacements ASAP. She does not pop in here often....

Oh wow...
Makes one realize the "fragility" of some lines birds. thanks

 

[DeannaA]

Bought some black, blue and splash eggs and wanted to ask if this is a splash chick. Thanks!

This was my splash.

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Here are some pictures of a couple of our roosters. They were hatched in mid-August, both had the same daddy. Comments and critiques are welcome.

They are for sale if anyone is interested.

 

[Chickielady]

Happy New Year all !

Hope all have a happy & healthy and prosperous year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DMRippy]

Happy New Year all !

Hope all have a happy & healthy and prosperous year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How is the house building? Done??????? We need to see some of those Cuckoos......

 

[Chickielady]

How is the house building? Done??????? We need to see some of those Cuckoos......

The house is going excellent !
We are finishing the kitchen & moving stuff in despite the freezing & seriously DRY weather here.....................................



As for the Silver Cuckoo Line..................
I culled heavily & have but 1 cock and 4 hens to start the new year, shooting for the lower tail set, which has been hard since almost all of the old flock had tail sets at 90 degrees !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PROUD GIRLS HA HA HA !!!
I am working more on the Crele Albertans at the present..................new pullets just started laying TODAY despite the low light & COLD !!!
I'll check back as soon as I can !!!!!!!!

 

[geebs]

WHOA... mountain lion... Ug... I got predated not too long ago... Dogs... UG... and I have a hawk flock that keeps the peep count to a nice minimum ug... So PINK.... sorry to hear about the CAT... Dang it anyhow... I finally have some replacement hens... (fingers crossed as they are only 5 months old... ) Haven't done a lot of hatching but am warming up the bator as we speak.... happy hatchings folks!!! Geebs out!

SullyD: about the pic you posted.... Blue birchen with some leaky genes... split for gold.... Sneaky overmelanised hens... Could throw 2 colors in offspring... Been a while and I am a little rusty but I think you could cross and get two different color offspring.... Someone can chime in here... I haven't had silver birchen in many years... But you have the blue version of that expressed here. If you look up silver birchen and gold birchen... you will see a black bird... you have the blue expression showing up... a lot of the time you will see a mix of the two that expresses both the silver and the gold.. It can be bred out either direction I believe. Cool bird genetically speaking if you are a project person.

 

[mikefields]

I finally got that pesky fox. He wouldn't go in the trap. It was my babies or him , so it was him.

 

[JFreeman]

This subject has probably been broached before, but there's no way to scan all 4755 pages to find out. Which of the Maran varieties lay the rich dark-chocolate colored eggs? I have a blue copper, and she lays darker eggs, but it's only a shade or two darker than a production red. I am going to order a Golden Cuckoo this year, and I'm hoping they will lay nice rich eggs.

 

[HenThymes]

This subject has probably been broached before, but there's no way to scan all 4755 pages to find out. Which of the Maran varieties lay the rich dark-chocolate colored eggs? I have a blue copper, and she lays darker eggs, but it's only a shade or two darker than a production red. I am going to order a Golden Cuckoo this year, and I'm hoping they will lay nice rich eggs.

I tried Gold Cuckoo and was rather disappointed. Eggs they hatched from where an ok color but the offspring was a dark tan and not brown at all.

I have a Cottage Hill black copper hen that has blessed me with an amazing color. She is with my boy who is a cross of two different colors but blue. I also have one of her daughters who has followed in her mothers footsteps and laying gorgeous dark eggs.