Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

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Debbi, I have a Cuckoo male that has really nice foot feathering, but has one problem the middle toe also has a couple of small feathers on both feet. Do you have any idea of where this is coming from, looks like some cochin blood mixed in but I have no idea.

Don,

You are asking the wrong person that question! All I know, is the feathering should only be on the outside toes. May be popping up from birds in the past, and who knows what went into the bird that is now expressing that fault. Sounds like a Walt question to me!

 

[flgardengirl]

I just had a major scare!!! All this talk about shank and toe feathering got me to go out and look at my blue and blue copper pullets feet. I get out there in the pen and start looking for them I only see 3 of my youngest blue pullets (there should be 6) Then I notice there are 2 of my BHB BCM pullets missing as well. I start freaking looking everywhere for them and can't find them. I swear at myself for not putting the padlock on the gate. I feel sick and sit down on this old stump in their pen. Then I looked over and see this long plastic drawer thing (like the kind you slide under your bed) that I had given them for a dirt bath thingy. I run over and lift it up and the 5 missing birds run out. They look all sweaty and bewildered looking. I am so happy and give them water. They seem okay now. What a relief. I threw that tub right out of the pen, they must of been in there all night the poor things! Good thing it had some holes poked in it for drainage. I am doing a headcount each and every night and morning from now on.

 

[snowbird]

For sake of conversation has anyone noticed that their Marans tend to have their females hatch a better quality than their males ? I think these BC might have to be double mated for a while to get some better males hatched off. I only could keep seven males from the most recent hatch. I have some really good female from the same hatches and making be believe to go the double mating to get some decent males to use for breeding. All of my young female are over the bottom weight required and will be much bigger before one year old. It is almost impossible to put the chest and broad back on a very small Marans. No scientific data but I believe the Broad chest , wide back and length of back have something to do with open up the tail so it will not be pinched. These are just my experiences and nothing else.

 

[Debbi]

OH my!!

Glad it turned out ok for you! Bet you even forgot to look at the shanks!

 

[flgardengirl]

Yep, I sure did forget. I will have to do it later. I am still shook up lol.

 

[geebs]

flgardengrl I had the same thing happen with a different result... Soooo sad. I am sooo glad your babies are okay... I lost several birds last year and that was one way... Another was the snow piled on my hawk netting collapsed it onto a coop... THe wieght killed everything in the pen... (I have since removed hawk netting for winter... (we don't usually get any appreciable amount of snow here)

 

[Wynette]

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Don, I feel like I have the opposite going on. I seem to hatch super nice males, females tend to lack hackle coloring and shanks are too lightly feathered (IMO). Most DO have good size (pullets).

It makes sense, what you say about the broad chest/wide back-length of back opening up the tail.

 

[Debbi]

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Maybe because for the most part, the hens seem to be more correct than the roos, and pass it on to their girls?? IDK, I have yet to have an egg let alone some of my own birds, lol.

ETA: That said, my first clutch had more (3) pullets, and they are far better than the 1 roo. Second hatch, only one roo, so can't compare. Third hatch, the three roos are far superior to the two pullets so far.

 

[Ivywoods]

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lad you found them and that they are all okay.

I talked with my sister a couple days ago. I had given her a trio of my BCM's in exchange for some help she had given me. She said she couldn't find the roo, and that he had been gone for several days. Later that night she called and said she found him. He had gotten himself lodged behind a chalkboard she had leaning up against the wall in the barn. She was lucky she saw him. She said he wasn't walking very well when she got him out, but that he ate and drank and got better.

 

[pinkchick]

flgarden~

So glad everyone is ok! Wheww! You had me sweatin' there for a moment! If that had been me I would have sat there and cried like a baby if I thought they were gone!!!!!!