Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[CarolinaSkies]

WetRx or Vaseline works great , try to do 2-3 times a week till it's gone.

So does this look like scaly leg mites to you? The scales aren't damaged anyplace except near the feather follicles. I'm trying to pinpoint the cause so that I can medicate appropriately.

 

[Margitas]

Yes it's mites, just use vetrx or Vaseline , wet don't know much about poultry .
Use one if them or both and will be ok.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

A few of our lightly feathered marans roosters have ugly scales and bumps on their outer toe/shank with missing feathers and bumps. Pictures included. The scales on the rest of the leg seem fine and our vet checked a skin sample for mites and found nothing. Is this a common issue on feathered shanks? Or is something else going on? Any ideas? Anyone else see this on their birds?

They can look like this when the feathers get rubbed off...you are seeing the stubs.

 

[Wynette]

This is not scaley leg mite. It's related to feathered shanks, and may be sex linked. See here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/244582/feather-legged-cock-bird-with-inflamed-feather-shafts

 

[CarolinaSkies]

This is not scaley leg mite. It's related to feathered shanks, and may be sex linked. See here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/244582/feather-legged-cock-bird-with-inflamed-feather-shafts

Thank you Wynette. Very helpful and saves me from going through all the trouble that you went through to no avail. : < My guy does have a couple raised scales, but they're in the feather follicle area. I may dip his legs just to ease my mind that I tried something.

 

[tbmorgan]

Chipmunk chicks revisited....

More confusion! They are now 6 weeks old, and changing color AGAIN....a couple of them are turning blue! What is up with that?!? I also seem to have 2 pullets and 1 cockerel, not 3 pullets as it first appeared. My little cockerel, I have named Caleb, as he's quite the little chunk and has started crowing. (yes, for those of you who also watch American Idol....I went there! LOL) Caleb Chicken is a precious little love sponge who likes to sit on my lap. The girls are also sweet, but not as lovey-dovey as he is, or for that matter, Pepper (my little blue boy.) Is this typical of Marans, that the boys are super-duper friendly? Even more so than the girls? My boys seem to be really mellow little love bugs!

Anyway, here are pics of the chipmunk kids. Do we still think they could be golden salmons, or are they some bizarre sport color? Disclaimer: I love them no matter what....just trying to figure them out!

The Girls:






...and Caleb. He's darker, not so blue-looking, and very obviously a boy.


...and just for fun, a pic of Caleb doing his snuggly thing on my lap. He's my Baby.

 

[flitter]

I know this info is in the thread somewhere but I can't find it... so I apologize and ask anyway.
I had a nice little flock of French white Marans. I went out one day this winter and the roo was dead. No signs of distress but gone. All the eggs that I gathered to incubate were infertile. I would like to replace him but have been reading the APA site and they recommend breeding whites to a dark bird to brighten the white and darken the eggs. Is that standard procedure or something that is done occasionally? Would it be the correct way to go for me at this point? I'm not thinking of showing but do not believe in breeding junk. It only hurts the breed if the backyard flocks are just Indiscriminately bred. IMO. Part 2... if I should go dark, would a Blue Copper qualify or would I need something darker? Part 3... any suggestions on where to locate a nice young cockerel?

 

[DMRippy]

I know this info is in the thread somewhere but I can't find it... so I apologize and ask anyway.
I had a nice little flock of French white Marans. I went out one day this winter and the roo was dead. No signs of distress but gone. All the eggs that I gathered to incubate were infertile. I would like to replace him but have been reading the APA site and they recommend breeding whites to a dark bird to brighten the white and darken the eggs. Is that standard procedure or something that is done occasionally? Would it be the correct way to go for me at this point? I'm not thinking of showing but do not believe in breeding junk. It only hurts the breed if the backyard flocks are just Indiscriminately bred. IMO. Part 2... if I should go dark, would a Blue Copper qualify or would I need something darker? Part 3... any suggestions on where to locate a nice young cockerel?

I have read on other threads you can cross whites with blacks to improve the birds, type and in this case eggs. I would not use a blue or black copper. The copper might cause you a problem. Solid blacks or maybe a cuckoo???? Blacks are hard to find.

 

[ellymayRans]

So does this look like scaly leg mites to you? The scales aren't damaged anyplace except near the feather follicles. I'm trying to pinpoint the cause so that I can medicate appropriately.

Check for lice? I think it looks like the feathers have been chewed off. Just a thought.

 

[Raven1]

I know this info is in the thread somewhere but I can't find it... so I apologize and ask anyway.
I had a nice little flock of French white Marans. I went out one day this winter and the roo was dead. No signs of distress but gone. All the eggs that I gathered to incubate were infertile. I would like to replace him but have been reading the APA site and they recommend breeding whites to a dark bird to brighten the white and darken the eggs. Is that standard procedure or something that is done occasionally? Would it be the correct way to go for me at this point? I'm not thinking of showing but do not believe in breeding junk. It only hurts the breed if the backyard flocks are just Indiscriminately bred. IMO. Part 2... if I should go dark, would a Blue Copper qualify or would I need something darker? Part 3... any suggestions on where to locate a nice young cockerel?

I have read on other threads you can cross whites with blacks to improve the birds, type and in this case eggs.  I would not use a blue or black copper.  The copper might cause you a problem.  Solid blacks or maybe a cuckoo????  Blacks are hard to find.

The biggest problem with this is the leg color you will have a hard time getting the slate off the legs again. Whites have a pink leg color.