Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[fdnick]

Quote:
Don't have my numbers for the previous year but last year hatched 189 (my hatching season runs Sept/Oct thru March/April)

Originally kept 2 cockerels and 5 pullets...that number has been narrowed down to 3 girls and ZERO boys. Most of the cockerels were given away, others were grown out for approx. 5-6 mos. then sent to the freezer because they weren't going to make the breeding pen. Pullets are usually tossed into the laying flock if I don't like them for breeding, or when I have too many birds, I will either sell the pullets and/or give some away and this (the giving away or selling) does not happen very often. I know this sounds cold but I would rather see a larger percentage of them in my freezer then out there where they can get into hands looking to make a quick buck off of them and the breed then gets all messed up.

I am the same Pink.. i rarely sell or give away culls unless it is a friend i know just wants eatin eggs.. fortunatly my neighbor LOVES chickens and she has a pen full of our "culls"..

she sells eatin eggs locally and her customers love the dark eggs..

Criskim.. what a cutie..

 

[flgardengirl]

I just went through some of my old marans baby pics of bcms and some clearly had some white feathering on thier legs when they were hatched. None have white leg feathering now so it must fall out and be replaced with black along with the other fuzzy baby feathers.

 

[fdnick]

I do not have any BCM's but how about wheaten babies

 

[pinkchick]

Yes they can have white feathering on the legs when they hatch and it usually turns as they mature. Watch their little feeties change colors too!!!!!!!!

 

[pinkchick]

 

[fdnick]

LOVE baby pictures

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Good selection of books in the background. . .She is a cute little one. I don't think the BCM should have white feathering down the legs. I am pretty sure that my girls had black leg feathering from the very beginning. . . That was a long time ago - - -

Will someone with some baby chicks RIGHT NOW confirm if it is ok or not for them to have white feathering on the legs when young ? ?? ?




Lisa,

I had three of them in my first clutch born with yellow leg feathering. Seems like when they develop, they lose the yellow coloring, but the feathers are either very sparse or they disappear all together. The young chicks here now, at 6 weeks, still all have their dark feathering, two with heavy leg/toe feathering!

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
If you carry baby chick pictures in your wallet, you know you are hooked on poultry.

Walt

 

[Criskin]

It is AMAZING how much there is to learn! This is the first long thread I've really kept up with and, though I don't post much, I read every day. lol I was proud of myself for remembering the short toe/shank connection...the color of shank fuzz never crossed my mind. It seems like the more complicated Marans get, the more fascinating they become. Thanks all for the comments and, even more importantly, for 400+ pages of insight.

 

[fdnick]

Quote:
If you carry baby chick pictures in your wallet, you know you are hooked on poultry.

Walt

that is too funny.. i am safe,, only carry them on my smartphone..