Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

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Hi, guys...sorry I've not been around in a few days. Just uber swamped at work.

I've had two that lay exactly like this and, in fact, even got one egg with TWO holes in it. I have some pics...

Thought I had one of the egg with two holes, but couldn't find it.

This egg is laid about every 15 eggs by this hen; the other hen I had that laid them was from the same line. I don't know if it's coincidence or not, but I always find them interesting! The hole doens't go all the way, so I just either cook these for the chickens or eat them myself.

 

[Ivywoods]

Pinkchick--Congrats on your new babies.

I can't wait to hatch some of my own.

Debbi--Glad you weathered the storm. I'm in northeast Kansas, and we had one of our animal shelters blow over last night. It's out there upside down right now. Fortunately it wasn't really damaged, so we will be able to turn it back up and secure it. No animals were injured. We lost two barns this past June in a big windstorm, and are still recovering from that (plus damage to the house and other things.) I was up during the night to watch the radar, and our storm really wasn't heavy last night. Just a lot of wind, and we have a lot of sustained wind today.

Those eggs with the holes in them... I don't know what to think of that. Personally, I've never had any or even seen any like that.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Hi, guys...sorry I've not been around in a few days. Just uber swamped at work.

I've had two that lay exactly like this and, in fact, even got one egg with TWO holes in it. I have some pics...

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/Wadamson/holeinegg.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff66/Wadamson/holeineggb.jpg

Thought I had one of the egg with two holes, but couldn't find it.

This egg is laid about every 15 eggs by this hen; the other hen I had that laid them was from the same line. I don't know if it's coincidence or not, but I always find them interesting! The hole doens't go all the way, so I just either cook these for the chickens or eat them myself.

I've had eggs like that before. The hole wasn't so deep, instead it was well coated with extra calcium and a LOT of pigmentation, but it was certainly once a hole.

Not sure what really to say of it though.

 

[Debbi]

Ivywoods

Sorry to hear of the damage to your place, glad no one was harmed! It's really windy here today, and a lot cooler. Last funnel cloud that passed over the house, took my roof with it! Luckily, nothing like that last night. I REALLY HATE IT when they come at night!

Wynette,

I wonder if those holes aren't made by the calcium deposits that accumulate in one spot, and that the shell in that area gives way to the extra weight, thereby making the hole?? I've had several hatching eggs that had what looked like "warts" of calcium on them. None of the ones I had caved in though, and only one of five hatched.

 

[Wynette]

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Keara, I like this guy - yes, his neck's a bit short - I would think if he was bred to girls with light shank feathering you'd get rid of that middle toe feathering easily. BUT - here's my question - is the back supposed to be flat? I thought, and my mind may be wandering to the Jersey Giant standards, but aren't Marans to have a slight sloping back? I like his coloring VERY much, and his chest appears to be solid black, with maybe just a couple of random copper feathers - my preference personally is for a solid black chest, that's what I breed for, and he is really nice in coloring, in my amateur opinion. His comb has one too many points, but it's been decided that this is a minor defect. Overall, pretty nice boy you have there!!

 

[Wynette]

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Debbi, that is EXACTLY what those holes look like - as if a huge calcium deposit was on the egg, and in the efforts made by the hen to push that bad boy out, the calcium deposit got pushed into the egg. You can actually see the hunk of calcium deposit in the major close-up pic.

Hey! I found the double holed one:

And here's a different one (obviously egg stuff fascinates me):

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Keara, I like this guy - yes, his neck's a bit short - I would think if he was bred to girls with light shank feathering you'd get rid of that middle toe feathering easily. BUT - here's my question - is the back supposed to be flat? I thought, and my mind may be wandering to the Jersey Giant standards, but aren't Marans to have a slight sloping back? I like his coloring VERY much, and his chest appears to be solid black, with maybe just a couple of random copper feathers - my preference personally is for a solid black chest, that's what I breed for, and he is really nice in coloring, in my amateur opinion. His comb has one too many points, but it's been decided that this is a minor defect. Overall, pretty nice boy you have there!!

Wynette,

Could it be that his short neck contributes to the flat back? Kind of like a short back contributes to a high tail? Just a thought.

 

[Ivywoods]

Wynette- I've seen eggs with calcium deposits on them, but never with them collapsed into the egg like that.

That is really interesting

I am wondering if they collapse because that hen is needing MORE calcium.

Is she at the beginning, middle or end of her laying cycle when she lays these, or does she lay them intermittently all through the cycle?

 

[Keara]

Quote:
Wynette,

Could it be that his short neck contributes to the flat back? Kind of like a short back contributes to a high tail? Just a thought.

Wynette, and Debbi,

thanks for th input. I, of course, like him too though it took me 45 min to get these photos as he is not very fond of me

. His back does appear flat and you are correct BCM should have a slope. But I think Like Debbi said, I will try a hatch and see what I get. My husband will be a bit sad though, because this roo looked big enough for Thanksgiving.... I guess I'll be buying a turkey after all.

BTW the roosters name is Frodo, because of the extra feathers on the middle toe.

Thanks all!

 

[Wynette]

Debbi/Keara...I don't think the short neck is contributing to the flat back. Here is a roo that I was SUPER fond of (I don't have him any longer), but his back was too flat also - but he's got a nice, long neck (and a comb that made me smile from ear to ear....I dunno why, but I'm into the perfect comb) - so I think if they have a flat back, they have a flat back, and I'm doubtful (Don - thoughts on this?) that length of neck would have fixed the problem: