I've been reading this thread from the beginning, started about 10 days ago (am at page 210 now), and since then y'all have added about 75 more pages! Geez, let a guy catch up already. I did the same thing with the Ameraucana thread a few months ago, and saw some of you regulars on that thread as well. I'm new to chickens, and to marans, but have learned a lot reading this thread and others. Weird thing is that I feel like I actually get to know (and like!) people that I'll probably never speak to or see in person.
I have a question about Marans chicks and feathering. A couple hundred posts back, there was a post about the k feathering gene, and what mutations can cause slow feathering. The topic was quickly passed up when Bev stated that she only experienced the slow feathering in Cuckoos. The article said slow feathering causes delays in POL, and carries a lower resistance to some diseases.
I know that here in Europe the genetic background of Marans may be slightly different than what lines you all have experienced there, but I have 3 chicks that hatched from eggs shipped here from UK (shipped hatching rate just as bad here) that I see a marked difference in the feathering speed between them. I've seen this in my other hatches as well. Australorps, RIR's and a previous marans hatch all had marked differences in feathering rate at day 10. At that time I didn't record who was who, nor did I determine if it was gender related. The last marans hatch I had, the one rooster did feather significantly more slowly than the hens or at least his "12 week" moult came a lot later. Had to cull him due to a crop problem.
From this last hatch, at 10 days, one chick has long wing primaries - at least the two outermost on each side are quite long, and pin feathers in the tail almost an inch long. The other two still have fuzzy bums with no pins sticking out, and wing primaries that are at least an inch shorter.
Anyone else see this in their hatches? Is it a gender thing or really the difference between the K and k gene? I've started photographing all my chicks regularly starting at 3 days and will try to follow if it is at all gender related. Thanks for any input you all might have. You seem like a really nice group.
I have a question about Marans chicks and feathering. A couple hundred posts back, there was a post about the k feathering gene, and what mutations can cause slow feathering. The topic was quickly passed up when Bev stated that she only experienced the slow feathering in Cuckoos. The article said slow feathering causes delays in POL, and carries a lower resistance to some diseases.
I know that here in Europe the genetic background of Marans may be slightly different than what lines you all have experienced there, but I have 3 chicks that hatched from eggs shipped here from UK (shipped hatching rate just as bad here) that I see a marked difference in the feathering speed between them. I've seen this in my other hatches as well. Australorps, RIR's and a previous marans hatch all had marked differences in feathering rate at day 10. At that time I didn't record who was who, nor did I determine if it was gender related. The last marans hatch I had, the one rooster did feather significantly more slowly than the hens or at least his "12 week" moult came a lot later. Had to cull him due to a crop problem.
From this last hatch, at 10 days, one chick has long wing primaries - at least the two outermost on each side are quite long, and pin feathers in the tail almost an inch long. The other two still have fuzzy bums with no pins sticking out, and wing primaries that are at least an inch shorter.
Anyone else see this in their hatches? Is it a gender thing or really the difference between the K and k gene? I've started photographing all my chicks regularly starting at 3 days and will try to follow if it is at all gender related. Thanks for any input you all might have. You seem like a really nice group.
