Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[OkieQueenBee]

Hi All, been awhile since I've posted on here, just been lurking....but today I had a surprise in the nest box!

Can you believe that is a pullet egg? If not she has been hiding the first ones somewhere else. :yiipchick
We have some extra cockerels, I know, who doesn't , anyway here is a pic of one of them, any thoughts?

I have to kinda agree with Wynette on the selling of "not perfect" cockerels, but then I can see some of the points that Skies was making. It's just that there are unscrupulous people that will sell birds that aren't what they should be. If we are trying to promote the breed then we, as breeders, need to try to maintain as close to SOP as possible and not sell an imperfect bird as a "Marans". My extra cockerels, (my freezer is full for now), will be sold as just roosters. And any hen that doesn't lay a dark egg will not be sold as a "Marans". I just think that we should be striving for perfect genetics. Which brings me to another question/concern, why run Blue, Splash and Copper Marans together? I have so much to learn.....

 

[alaskanchickens]

I would like to ask a couple of hatching questions that have probably been asked and answered repeatedly on this forum but theres no way I can read through 4785 pages! I have 13 BCM eggs in the incubator, along with 16 others, on day 6 and have been reading a lot of conflicting information. So to my questions:
1: Do any of you recommend setting the temp a degree or so higher than for a "normal" batch?
2: How about humidity? Keep it lower than usual for 18 days then bump up to 65 or 70%?
3: How often do you find they need assistance hatching because of the thick shells?
I'm starting to question myself as to why I ended up getting so many "chocolate eggers" for my very first hatch! I'm worried now because of all the different info and just want a successful hatch! Thanks in advance!

 

[Wynette]

Hi All, been awhile since I've posted on here, just been lurking....but today I had a surprise in the nest box!

Can you believe that is a pullet egg? If not she has been hiding the first ones somewhere else.

We have some extra cockerels, I know, who doesn't

, anyway here is a pic of one of them, any thoughts?

I have to kinda agree with Wynette on the selling of "not perfect" cockerels, but then I can see some of the points that Skies was making. It's just that there are unscrupulous people that will sell birds that aren't what they should be. If we are trying to promote the breed then we, as breeders, need to try to maintain as close to SOP as possible and not sell an imperfect bird as a "Marans". My extra cockerels, (my freezer is full for now), will be sold as just roosters. And any hen that doesn't lay a dark egg will not be sold as a "Marans". I just think that we should be striving for perfect genetics. Which brings me to another question/concern, why run Blue, Splash and Copper Marans together? I have so much to learn.....

OQB - I don't dislike that male; he actually look like he may be a pretty nice example of the breed; however, it's tough to tell in the picture as he's clearly not "posed" so we can see his natural stance. Tail angle, length of back, eye color, topline, color balance all look good from what I can see. However - I mean no disrespect, but I would strongly consider breeding them if that's the darkest egg you are getting. While it's darker than what we see in non-Marans brown egg layers, it appears to be at the VERY edge of almost too light.

I would like to ask a couple of hatching questions that have probably been asked and answered repeatedly on this forum but theres no way I can read through 4785 pages! I have 13 BCM eggs in the incubator, along with 16 others, on day 6 and have been reading a lot of conflicting information. So to my questions:
1: Do any of you recommend setting the temp a degree or so higher than for a "normal" batch?
2: How about humidity? Keep it lower than usual for 18 days then bump up to 65 or 70%?
3: How often do you find they need assistance hatching because of the thick shells?
I'm starting to question myself as to why I ended up getting so many "chocolate eggers" for my very first hatch! I'm worried now because of all the different info and just want a successful hatch! Thanks in advance!

1. no.
2. I keep my humidity at 42 for days 1-19, then increase to about 64.
3. There is no such thing as "needing assistance." If they can't hatch on their own, there is a reason. I personally do not "help"; since I sell hatching eggs and stock, it's my responsibility to provide customers with the strongest genetics possible...and that includes for ease of hatching.

Regarding #2, I do feel that degrees can be tweaked depending on what elevation you are in, but I've never seen research to support that. I hatch mine right along with other breeds without issue, and get great hatches here on the farm.

Hope your hatch goes well - please share pics when you have some chicks on the ground!

 

[alaskanchickens]

1. no.
2. I keep my humidity at 42 for days 1-19, then increase to about 64.
3. There is no such thing as "needing assistance." If they can't hatch on their own, there is a reason. I personally do not "help"; since I sell hatching eggs and stock, it's my responsibility to provide customers with the strongest genetics possible...and that includes for ease of hatching.

Regarding #2, I do feel that degrees can be tweaked depending on what elevation you are in, but I've never seen research to support that. I hatch mine right along with other breeds without issue, and get great hatches here on the farm.

Hope your hatch goes well - please share pics when you have some chicks on the ground!

Thank you for your response! This is my second year with chickens and my 10yo daughter wanted to hatch some for her home school science project and after researching and looking around she decided on Marans! I will definitely post pics when they hatch. She's so excited she can hardly sleep because she wants to keep checking on them. These were shipped eggs so I'm keeping my fingers crossed all goes well. So far out of 29 eggs, 23 are definitely developing and all 13 BCM eggs are growing!

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

No one said anything about the type on my pullet. I was hoping for that.

FWIW I read that those culls were going to be bred. Its one thing to cull a bird out because he isn't THE best and another to cull out for reasons of flaws. Wynette is right. If people are going to cull their birds for faults or flaws and then know they are going off to be bred somewhere those people aren't helping the breed any. As someone who has two breeds of chicken here that are 'rare' I can say its so much work to bring them back to a place where they 'should be.' There are plenty of hungry folks out there who'd be happy to have a chicken to eat. Of course, nothing says this person who is buying them isn't interested in making OE. They might. Or meat birds. They might, right?

They might. In the case of cockerels, we eat them. If people buy hatching eggs or SR day olds, it's out of my control. I do tell people that maybe 5% of chicks will be considered as breeders, but it still won't stop them or the person they sell/give them to. Most folks don't want to eat pullets, and sell them off as layer flock material...and nothing will stop those folks from picking up an auction Marans and starting breeding with them. I can see where those dedicated to breeding for show may be able to keep every single chick hatched until it's big enough to tell if it's going to be kept as a breeder and killing the rest, but I don't think it's realistic for most hobbyists. Even breeders will take those cockerels to auction or sell the inferior pullets at swaps sometimes to help feed the rest of the flock.

 

[alaskanchickens]

I have another question! I am on day 7 incubating and have a few eggs that appear "clear" or less dark than the others inside. I noticed little spots on the outside of the shells this morning, like something had leaked out and hardened. Does that mean they are done? It's only on the eggs that I candled a couple days ago and noted were questionable. Thanks!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Hello

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[alaskanchickens]

Hi!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Hi!

What Colours do you own?

 

[alaskanchickens]

I have my first Marans in the incubator right now. They are Black Coppers! Can't wait for them to hatch! How about you?