Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[jonsccm]

Just crossing the 2 will not give you Sex Links.  You have to use Barred Hens and solid roos to make sex links...... works like that with ALL breed of chickens.  As for losing egg color when you introduce new blood to marans it will affect the genes for the egg color.  Cuckoo typically are not as dark as a BCM so when you cross them you will lose egg color.... it just happens.  When you breed related birds you egg color will improve when you breed from unrelated birds you have to kinda start over with egg color.  From what I understand egg genetics are not understood and have not been studied much so beyond that I can't help you. 

Ok thanks! You learn something new every day! Has anyone tried this? And how much is sacrificed in egg color? I imagine that it may be somewhat unpredictable.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I made a cross with my Cuckoos and BCM. I did lose egg color but the roo was not from my birds so I am not sure what color egg genes he carried. I made the cross to increase size in my marans.

 

[mckeesbackyard]

I've tried both ways. There's pros and cons to both. My first broody, I immediately took her out and moved her to the brooder we had just built. Let her set on 8 eggs and she laid 3 more while being in there before she strictly SET. She hatched them all out just fine. The con with this method was re-introducing her to the flock as well as the chicks.

Now, with letting a broody set inside the coop, just make sure she has an area that's great for her, no one to poop on her and no one messing with her. Also, when it's close to hatch time, make sure the littles won't fall from where the nest is...Honestly, I used a laundry basket so that way when they are big enough to get in and out, they can. I feel if they aren't able to fly to the tip of the basket, they should stay in there. I keep a small waterer and feeder in there. The best thing about this method is, the whole flock accepted the chicks the moment they hatched. They do not mess with the chicks. After a week, the hen felt it was time to bring the chicks out to free range with the rest of the flock. ....there's your con. Chicks are such easy targets for cats, dogs & hawks. I usually stay out with the chickens when they free range anyway.

Thanks! This information is quite helpful--now I know what to expect with either scenarios. In taking the eggs and incubating, I can then just wait until they're old enough to try to get the newbies integrated and can do some culling beforehand.

 

[skookumchuck]

I went to the hatchery the other day to grab 3 Chantecler chicks when I was there I picked up 2 Cuckoo Marans the eggs are going to be coo to have in the flock. How do these birds get along with others?

 

[lady birds]

I AM BRAND NEW TO THE CHICKEN world, all for the sake of eggs. I am starting with 2 Cuckoo Marans. One came to me with a rather pasty butt and when that was removed gently there was just bare skin beneath (filling in now that she is 2.5 weeks old. She has grown noticeably slower than my other C-Maran. She has 5 companions in their dog crate converted home; she lies down alone and eats alone while the rest are often a herd together (2 Ameruacana born same date and 2 Salmon faverolle a week younger. IS this "aloneness" just a personality or a sign she is not healthy.

 

[Wynette]

I AM BRAND NEW TO THE CHICKEN world, all for the sake of eggs. I am starting with 2 Cuckoo Marans. One came to me with a rather pasty butt and when that was removed gently there was just bare skin beneath (filling in now that she is 2.5 weeks old. She has grown noticeably slower than my other C-Maran. She has 5 companions in their dog crate converted home; she lies down alone and eats alone while the rest are often a herd together (2 Ameruacana born same date and 2 Salmon faverolle a week younger. IS this "aloneness" just a personality or a sign she is not healthy.

No, this is not normal. I would anticipate you'll have issues with that one eventually. Very sorry to hear it, but I do hope the rest do well!

 

[lishanicole81]

I have 3 barred rock pullets that I bought for egg layers for my family when they grow up, and a really sweet black marans chick that I am hoping is a cockerel. I was just wondering if put him over the barred ladies would I get sexlink babies? This is for my personal flock, not to sell or anything like that. I just love both breeds, and they both have wonderful qualities.

 

[DMRippy]

I have 3 barred rock pullets that I bought for egg layers for my family when they grow up, and a really sweet black marans chick that I am hoping is a cockerel. I was just wondering if put him over the barred ladies would I get sexlink babies? This is for my personal flock, not to sell or anything like that. I just love both breeds, and they both have wonderful qualities.

Yes... a BCM roo over barred hens/pullets makes sex links.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

I have 3 barred rock pullets that I bought for egg layers for my family when they grow up, and a really sweet black marans chick that I am hoping is a cockerel. I was just wondering if put him over the barred ladies would I get sexlink babies? This is for my personal flock, not to sell or anything like that. I just love both breeds, and they both have wonderful qualities.

These are stock photos of that cross. The cockerels have headspots. Just be sure to hatch separately so you can tell the BCM pullets from the crosses (though the crosses tend to have yellow on the feet). Some will have feathered shanks, some will not.

 

[1876 Farm]

These are stock photos of that cross. The cockerels have headspots. Just be sure to hatch separately so you can tell the BCM pullets from the crosses (though the crosses tend to have yellow on the feet). Some will have feathered shanks, some will not.

I'm about 98% sure that that 1st picture is mine. (haha, so funny to see it reposted)... I'm just not home to look through my computer for that exact picture.

I attempted to load up a picture of my BCM x BR rooster, but it won't let me load any pictures... but you can see both my hen and rooster as they aged from days old to 19 weeks...at the bottom half of this blog post.
http://www.wanderingcreekacres.blogspot.com/p/chicken-hatch-2013.html