Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Thanks Geebs, hope that young pup Pink shows up today!

Then if you still need the two crossings, and the first roo you used was mahogany, would you breed the second time to a "normal" or properly colored roo to avoid the mahogany popping up in the third generation? Guess it's a matter of hunt and peck, and like Don said before, it sure helps if you know for sure what's behind the faces in the gene department! As for right now, my roos are still too young. The oldest, 13 weeks, won't be capable of breeding due to his deformity, or at least I doubt it. The next in line, Pip, is 8 weeks. I like his posture, tail set, could have more leg feathering, but his hackles I featr will be too light. He may be a good candidate though for my 13 week pullets who are lacking in the copper dept. The youngest batch are now 3 weeks, and there are at least 3 roos out of 5 chicks, one in particular looks very promising! Now to wait on some color... All of these are BCMs, no blues in the mix yet!

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Hi Debbi

Like the black coppers the copper blues are also carrying a melanotic gene that covers the color so although your blue hen looks a solid blue she is most probably either a blue birchen or a copper blue. It's been very hard to breed pullets with the gold in their hackles. It would depend on the melanizers the birds carry as to the depth of color the chicks would have.

We are working on solid blue birds and they should be available this next year.

Bev

Thanks Bev. I just got off of your sie a bit ago, reading what you wrote about the blue genes. Loved the parking lot analogy! So, how do you tell, if possible? that they are carrying the blue copper or birchen genes? Can it be seen physically, or is that why all the problems are there. Are there any small hints that would give the different genes away, like beak or ear color, as an example?

 

[Organics North]

Thanks Bev. I just got off of your sie a bit ago, reading what you wrote about the blue genes. Loved the parking lot analogy! So, how do you tell, if possible? that they are carrying the blue copper or birchen genes? Can it be seen physically, or is that why all the problems are there. Are there any small hints that would give the different genes away, like beak or ear color, as an example?

Interesting..
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Bev, I will be interested in your blue project birds for sure!. My birds are apparently derived from Wade Jean lines.. I will see what I get out of them next summer.

ON​

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Geebs,Question for you and I do not have the answer. Don't you believe that some of these new verieties that are showing up might be the result of out of breed crossing ? Some of the new stuff are not even in France. I will say that in my BC and Wheaten Marans I have never hatched any other color. Yes, I have hatched some a very few Mossy and I mostly cull them as chicks.
I know very little about any of the other colors, but if I were going to breed any of them, would breed them just like any other breed of that color.

Don, glad to see you back - I thought you were not posting any longer - glad you changed your mind!! Most definitely some of the new colors (dare I say "most") are made by outcrossing to another breed...that's how it's done, and that's why it takes so darn many generations to get them back to (proposed) standard. That's the rough part, watching...waiting....waiting some more...it's GREAT, though, for fine-tuning your patience!!

Wynette, I think I need to go to a detox center as the forum is addicting I believe, It is hard not to give an answer if you think you can.

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Geebs,Question for you and I do not have the answer. Don't you believe that some of these new verieties that are showing up might be the result of out of breed crossing ? Some of the new stuff are not even in France. I will say that in my BC and Wheaten Marans I have never hatched any other color. Yes, I have hatched some a very few Mossy and I mostly cull them as chicks.
I know very little about any of the other colors, but if I were going to breed any of them, would breed them just like any other breed of that color.

There are other threads on this board where people tell you that they are crossing them with all kinds of things. Mostly for egg color(s). They talk a lot about MaransXAraucana crosses...they are probably really not Araucanas, but they lay a colored egg. Add that to all the hatchery junk and you have the potential of birds that look like Marans, but may in fact have very little Marans blood. I'm not talking about anyone in this thread. You folks understand such things, but there needs to be education about the responsibilities of crossing birds. When you sell eggs, chicks or grown birds, tell the people they are cross breeds.

Walt Leonard

 

[haTHOR]

Quote:
when i bought my birds i was told they were wade jeane line, but not until i asked. i assume the old lady was telling me the truth because she didn't have any idea what that meant, lol, and she raised a dozen varieties of birds, not a FCBM connoisseur.. i have no idea beyond what i was told. i did take pics of the eggs mine came from (quite dark, some were 6s for sure) and of the breeding flock before i bought them, if you'd like to see the ancestry. may i ask, why do you ask?

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Geebs,Question for you and I do not have the answer. Don't you believe that some of these new verieties that are showing up might be the result of out of breed crossing ? Some of the new stuff are not even in France. I will say that in my BC and Wheaten Marans I have never hatched any other color. Yes, I have hatched some a very few Mossy and I mostly cull them as chicks.
I know very little about any of the other colors, but if I were going to breed any of them, would breed them just like any other breed of that color.

There are other threads on this board where people tell you that they are crossing them with all kinds of things. Mostly for egg color(s). They talk a lot about MaransXAraucana crosses...they are probably really not Araucanas, but they lay a colored egg. Add that to all the hatchery junk and you have the potential of birds that look like Marans, but may in fact have very little Marans blood. I'm not talking about anyone in this thread. You folks understand such things, but there needs to be education about the responsibilities of crossing birds. When you sell eggs, chicks or grown birds, tell the people they are cross breeds.

Walt Leonard

Walt, I have been preaching exactly what you say but do not think the congregation can hear me.

 

[geebs]

Don That was incredibly funny!!!! Will you be the president!!!! we will have to invent a (sh)chick Shadel hospital.. for an inpatient program...

Are you preaching to the congregation or the choir!!! ha ha ha lol... Wow you are in rare form today... (Disclaimer: this is just for humor)

I think we are in agreement... about the crossing thing... Disclosure is always the best bet for everyone and the breed itself.. Well now seriously... so addicting I am missing my lunch.... lol

 

[Debbi]

What do they give you for detox at Chick Shadel, Egg Beaters??

 

[Lotsapaints]

Walt it's mutt central out there I read some of the threads and wonder.....and some of them are serious about starting a "breed" with the mutts

They should have a dunghill thread

For those breeders who really work hard at creating a new color without losing the type I wonder what they think. It's not that it's wrong to cross stuff but they pass it off as something else or like my girlfriend who had probably sexlinks to start with she tried to breed her own and she was getting banty sized eggs she's taking my culls as she's just having a laying flock no more roosters for her.