Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[geebs]

Thanks... I stole that idea...

It was a Good one and I had one in the cupboard!!!! I found myself licking off the egg...

Not really!!!

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

I have a feather duster under the heat lamp for my very young chicks to snuggle under, it keeps them happy for a few days and then I take it out.

Bev

 

[snowbird]

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The Jeanne, Presley, and Davis line of Black Copper Marans all have a problem with white wing and tail feathers. The biggest problem with the white is accepting it as normal and ignoring entirely.

Hi Don

I don't think I have seen any pictures of your line yet? How long have you been working on Marans?

Bev

Hi Bev, I must say that I don't have a line of Black Copper, Last two year I have hatched over 1000 chicks and grew then out to adult. My birds are just rejects from other more experienced breeders like your self. I didn't intend to post any longer on the forum but decided to answer your question. I will have all my single matings on the internet in october and if you like you can see the matings and the eggs produced and the chicks as they grow.

 

[BevDavis]

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Hi Flgarden

Today I was looking at the color of my chicks feet, they were pink with slate markings and thought.... hahah!!!!! Borg!

They really are amazing, it's funny how we see things every day but unless we take the time and actually study them we miss so much.

Bev

 

[flgardengirl]

Bev: That is a good idea with the feather duster. I had a little bear in with her and she didn't want anything to do with it. Feathers would be better...a more realistic momma.

Geebs I love the coloring in your rooster. It would be awesome to have one like that!! Your hens are beautiful too. Do you show any of your chickens? If not, you should!

My favorite thing to make with cocoa powder is a low calorie coffee/chocolate drink. I get a large coffee mug full of very hot water (about 10 oz) and add 1 tsp of instant coffee (o calories), 1 tsp of cocoa powder (5 calories), 1 tsp of sugar (15 calories), 1 TBSP 2% milk (about 8 calories). So @ 28 calories a drink

It gets me my chocolate fix without me feeling too guilty.

 

[geebs]

I know... You guys are probably sick to death of me posting... But..... I just can't help myself.. The weather has cooled and my pen is starting to lay again... I haven't seen good eggies consistantly for a couple months... I just came back inside and OMGosh... Looky Looky what I brought in... I am sooo happy!!!!

I use the Hershey container because it give a point of reference.. Here is another picture but it looks waaaay to light and really red instead of burgundy

The flash takes a good shade right off of it... DRAT!!!!!

Sounds delicious!!! Flgardengirl.... I actually bred these for a friend that was getting junk off of Ebay so we customized some hens for her... I like what we did... We have her "round two" growing up to use with this group... I don't think they are ready to show yet... But we got a few things right.. We didn't worry about leg feathering or combs... We worked on structure and color balance... So hopefully the next round for her will be better than this one... She has some of my best pullets I have produced. They look like the one I posted that I liked it's skull. I love the "hawk type" look that they have when young... as they mature and get substance.. wowowow.. I like a long neck on the girls...

 

[Koolduck]

Quote:
Hi

That's a nice egg from a white Marans. I have often wondered why the egg from a lighter colored bird isn't as dark as a black copper. I have asked the genetic experts and they say there isn't a link between egg and feather color but I am not sure.

Bev

Thank you...from you that means alot! I'll tell Snowball as I cant take any credit!

Do you have whites? I wonder where the guy I bought the chicks from got the white eggs from????

 

[Koolduck]

geebs thank you for the visual of your boy...helps a whole bunch!

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

Pretty eggs, everyone!

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi Don

I don't think I have seen any pictures of your line yet? How long have you been working on Marans?

Bev

Hi Bec, I must say that I don't have a line of Black Copper, Last two year I have hatched over 1000 chicks and grew then out to adult. My birds are just rejects from other more experienced breeders like your self. I didn't intend to post any longer on the forum but decided to answer your question. I will have all my single matings on the internet in october and if you like you can see the matings and the eggs produced and the chicks as they grow.

Hi Don

I could have sold Marans many, many years ago and you would have been correct in thinking they were rejects, they were. However, I didn't sell anything until the egg color was more than acceptable and the birds were not far off the standard. I have never sold anything that didn't have good egg color and bred true. It was never my intention to sell anything but I did so that other people could enjoy some of the things that I do. I am working on twenty two different colors in Marans, it's the breeding that I enjoy, not the selling. I will make sure that some of these new colors are available to others when I consider they have reached a certain standard and not before. I am sorry you bought the line you did and the problems you have had.

I would be interested to see the results of your breeding in October and I am sure others will be too. It would also be nice to see what you started out with as well so that we can compare the before and after. It's good that there is a place like BYC that people can exchange pictures and discuss Marans. It means that we can all learn.

As for the white feathers in the tail, it's a trait that Marans have and I am sure we have all tried to breed it out. I know I had it in my cuckoo's when I bred them in the 70s in England and again in the 80/90s in Wales. As for the white in the wings, this is something that black chicks have but it disappears as the bird gets older.

Bev