Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

All my coops and my house have metal roofing and are ready for winter except the runs, I havent finished trenching in the drain system to divert the run off from the gutters and downspouts so it doesnt stand in the runs. I also need to scrape and backfill runs with gravel and sand...though 6-8 inches of sand did very little for me last year. This time I am rethinking my position and thinking like water.

 

[geebs]

I have made my runs up higher than the ground and put pea gravel in them... I used Railroad ties... and metal roofing with channels to run the water out of the coop...Here is a funny one for you... I have a huge field behind me that was oats...Now if that doesn't attract mice and rats I don't know what would... Well they would get a hankerin for extra goodies and come tunnel from the outside into the inside of my coop...I of course went peppermint on their &(*)&es and they left, but......leaving behind beautiful water channels to the field.. man talk about natures grand design...I run my trenches to their entrance tunnel that goes under my woodpile and out to the ditch by the field... Sooooo sweet...

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Where did you get your Wheatens Illia? Can I have him?

I know I know he's a stud muffin. . . He's from Bev Davis, and for sale, yes. Live in the Pacific Northwest?

I just still can't get a good shot of my Blue Wheaten cockerel. He's my keeper, but he's pretty skittish after witnessing all his buddies get yanked out of the bachelor pad in a big frenzy of feathers. (I sold all my culls to one person in one day)

 

[berkeleysprings]

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[jeremy]

Quote:
Where did you get your Wheatens Illia? Can I have him?

I know I know he's a stud muffin. . . He's from Bev Davis, and for sale, yes. Live in the Pacific Northwest?

I just still can't get a good shot of my Blue Wheaten cockerel. He's my keeper, but he's pretty skittish after witnessing all his buddies get yanked out of the bachelor pad in a big frenzy of feathers. (I sold all my culls to one person in one day)

I'm in Northern, CA. He's magnificent.
My heart though is set on Blue Wheaten Marans too, funny that you bring them up!

I'd love to see your boy, if you can ever get a shot of him.
How consistant has your egg color been with the Wheatens? Or BW for that matter, bout where does it fall on the color chart?
A lot of breeders I've found selling eggs don't have anything over a 6 for the Wheaties, that makes me sad.

ETA: I'm looking into getting some Wheaten/BW birds from Cree Farms.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
I know I know he's a stud muffin. . . He's from Bev Davis, and for sale, yes. Live in the Pacific Northwest?

I just still can't get a good shot of my Blue Wheaten cockerel. He's my keeper, but he's pretty skittish after witnessing all his buddies get yanked out of the bachelor pad in a big frenzy of feathers. (I sold all my culls to one person in one day)

I'm in Northern, CA. He's magnificent.
My heart though is set on Blue Wheaten Marans too, funny that you bring them up!

I'd love to see your boy, if you can ever get a shot of him.
How consistant has your egg color been with the Wheatens? Or BW for that matter, bout where does it fall on the color chart?
A lot of breeders I've found selling eggs don't have anything over a 6 for the Wheaties, that makes me sad.

ETA: I'm looking into getting some Wheaten/BW birds from Cree Farms.

My Blue Wheatens are from Cree Farms.

Their color is around 7, I believe. And they're just starting to lay. Honestly they're just as dark as my Black Coppers. I'm VERY impressed with their color, which is why I got them. I too normally feel Wheatens have very poor egg color, but I was extremely impressed with Cree Farms' eggs. Their birds are another matter. As you can see, I've got a red Wheaten, and my Blue Wheatens are taking for ever to grow (only the males though. The females are GORGEOUS.)

Sadly my only blue Wheaten pullet has gone missing. She used to always wander off in the back end of the pasture, and I haven't seen her in days, so I REALLY hope she's just gone broody somewhere. . . Otherwise, I've got 3 Wheaten pullets left, all with good egg color. I'll post pics tomorrow.

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
I'm in Northern, CA. He's magnificent.
My heart though is set on Blue Wheaten Marans too, funny that you bring them up!

I'd love to see your boy, if you can ever get a shot of him.
How consistant has your egg color been with the Wheatens? Or BW for that matter, bout where does it fall on the color chart?
A lot of breeders I've found selling eggs don't have anything over a 6 for the Wheaties, that makes me sad.

ETA: I'm looking into getting some Wheaten/BW birds from Cree Farms.

My Blue Wheatens are from Cree Farms.

Their color is around 7, I believe. And they're just starting to lay. Honestly they're just as dark as my Black Coppers. I'm VERY impressed with their color, which is why I got them. I too normally feel Wheatens have very poor egg color, but I was extremely impressed with Cree Farms' eggs. Their birds are another matter. As you can see, I've got a red Wheaten, and my Blue Wheatens are taking for ever to grow (only the males though. The females are GORGEOUS.)

Sadly my only blue Wheaten pullet has gone missing. She used to always wander off in the back end of the pasture, and I haven't seen her in days, so I REALLY hope she's just gone broody somewhere. . . Otherwise, I've got 3 Wheaten pullets left, all with good egg color. I'll post pics tomorrow.

Well I'm glad I brought Cree Farms up!

I could "settle" for a 7, that can always be improved upon. I almost gave up on them because all I kept seeing pictures of were eggs that barely made the Marans cut... 4's, 5's... I knew though if I kept looking somebody SOMEWHERE had to have developed a good line. I love the color of the Wheatens, they've always been my favorite. Going on appearances alone I think they are far far more attractive than Black Coppers. Then when you mix the color blue into the equation, well, then you have a bird that's after my heart.

Pictures would be fantastic!

:

 

[SkyWarrior]

Got a question for all of you. It appears my first hatch my FBCM chick is a roo and the Blue Copper Marans chick is a pullet. (yeah, I think I can tell at 2 weeks just by the combs!) If I were to breed the two when their older, how does the entire blue gene work with this? Will I get BCM with blue genes? Or will I actually see splashes or blues in this? Very curious.

And BTW, both came from very dark eggs.

 

[geebs]

Jeremy was there a question in there? I missed it.. Do I have cree wheaton? Nope.... I had a sport from their Wade BC line.... which they no longer carry... I bought the last of their birds... This generation I got is dissappointing compared to the last one I had... I believe Madelynnbelle still carries them though... She may have the Wheaton as well... Be sure to specify line. Cree farms is in Seabeck Washington. You can Google it. The first generation I got from them was the best I have had. They are 7 and 8's...no doubt about it... Not every time... But a lot of the time. For dark eggies..I would still find the closed flock BHB line. I know Drom has em....Nice shape and color... don't know if he will sell any or not though. I guess you will have to check them out.

 

[geebs]

Skywarrior: If your Blue is in fact blue and not blue Copper then the first generation for them would be 1/2 Black copper and 1/2 blue carrying a copper gene...(bred again would yeild blue copper). Now will the black copper show on the necks of the black birds...I can't remember.