Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

Quote:
Im just lurking and reading...because theres so much here to lurk and read about....but the statement I bolded up top bothers me. I know with horses, and with dogs, genetics just doesnt work that way. You dont breed to faults together to get something in the middle. You breed a fault to a CORRECT type to hopefully produce correct. Genes dont "average", they produce to either one or the other. Now I do know, its not that simplistic, and theres a lot more genetics involved, but I would never breed 2 faults together hoping for correct. For example, with horses, if you have a mare that toes out, you breed her to the most correct straight legged horse you can find. You don't breed her to one that toes in.

Hey halo, I am not the experienced one here. However, from what I understand from reading every post on this thread written by those who have bred more birds than I will ever get a chance to breed that is how they fix things. . . A hen without enough color gets mated to a roo that has too much color.

I haven't had a chance to try this yet. Those who have tried it says it works

If it doesn't work, I have some eggs in the incubator that are going to produce some REALLY UGLY marans

 

[pinkchick]

Chics~ Congrats on your egg! I just love those small pullet eggs. They too cute!

NewYork~ Cute! Isn't it amazing how fast they grow?


Hiya HALO!!!!!!!!! How have you been? Good to see ya!

 

[halo]

Hi Pink!!

Maybe breeding that way does work, I dont know. It just doesnt make sense to me. Combining genes isnt like mixing white and black paint where you just get grey. I would personally not breed 2 incorrect birds in order to get a correct one; Id rather breed the incorrect bird with the most correct bird that I could find. Maybe Im wrong, but I have to go with what I feel is right.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
So sweet - - and don't worry about the lack of feathers on the legs. . . When you mate - - make sure the mate has feathers and you should produce some chicks that have feathered legs.

When I got my chicks - - the 4 girls from the hatch - - one had no feathers, one had VERY SPRASLEY feathered legs, and the other two had nicely feathered legs. So, they must of came from a pairing that involved some lightly feathered and regular feathered legs. . .

That is an easy fix. There are no perfect birds. . so you will be breeding to fix something. If legs was all I had to worry about - - -I would be celebrating !

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I've got no idea - - just been trolling this thread forever. . .
I guess if my hatching doesn't go well - - I will know who I can call

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
Ditto.

Don - I'm befuddled as to why you are wondering about this, since you've made it clear you only set eggs that are a 6 or better...? Why do you only set eggs that are at least a 6...who did YOU hear the "#4 or better" from? Just curious!

Wynette, I was trying to trace down the starting point for saying #4 or better, I believe you are the one that brought up the subject of the #4 egg. I thought it would be good if we all knew where the statement came from, and nothing else. Will worry about my own concerns in the future.

Bev's web page...
http://bevsmarans.com/TRUE Marans.htm
Says the #4 stuff...

BEV???????????????
Where did you get this from?

IMO it seems reasonable way of preserving decent egg color while, being able to breed for a decent lay rate and other physical characteristics...
Again in my newbie opinion, that is a heck of alot more guidance than with Ameraucana... Where a blue egg is often quite green...

ON

 

[geebs]

ON More than likely Bev got it from France.. Where she has gone to shows and investigated in depth the "best practice" for breeding these birds. She brought back the technology and information for us all...If it is on her site... It is gospel.

 

[chics in the sun]

Quote:
I've actaully been very pleased at how big the Marans egg is right off the bat. It's much bigger than the PR and BR eggs, and they have been laying since July! So even though she took forever to start, at least she started off with a nearly full-size one! Any input on the color rating. I can handle the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!! JK - I'm just curious. I'd guess it at a 4 or 5 - is that correct?

 

[pinkchick]

Morning chics!

I would say along the lines of a 5.

We all know how hard it is to capture true egg color in photos. It can be very

I bet that egg looks completely different to you who is looking at it in person, right?

The size of their eggs are very nice.
Ya know....it just came to me that I don't think that my girls have ever laid a double yolker, I know someone out there has had to gave gotten a double yolker from their Marans. What was the shape like on a honkin' egg like that?

 

[chics in the sun]

Yeah, it is a nicer shade in person. The BR egg always looks long and skinny like that, even though it is almost full-size now. Maybe I'll put them in an egg carton next time to give better perspective on size.