Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[cherylcohen]

thanks I'm so excited! Does anyone want to play the "I'm a birchen, I'm a BCM" GAME. I'd appreciate any PMs with guesses thanks - I don't want to hijack the thread so pls PM me instead.

Here is the link to the pics

http://gallery.me.com/cheryl3355#100345

 

[cherylcohen]

Sorry I'm so needy today...

In regards to starting a breeding program for the Wheaten Marans, I think I've got a pretty good start with the 15 eggs I just put in the bator. However can someone tell me if it is wise to get more eggs to make sure I have a good start?

And if I were to get more eggs, should I get them again from same breeder or different. If the answer is a different breeder...from whom? You guys rock, thanks for all your help and guidance.

 

[Wynette]

Cheryl, having some of Bev's stock and not knowing the origins of the Birchens, the ones with heavier shank feathering would be Black Coppers....I'm thinkin' anyway!

 

[Chef]

Quote:
Thats a tough one because a lot of people buy maybe a dozen or 2 of some really good looking eggs and all they hatch are a bunch of faulty birds. It is not easy to find or hatch "standard quality" so I would say to hatch as many as you could to better your choices, but you have to start somewhere. It goes as stated before that it just depends on what your goals are as far as what you keep or cull. JMO

Oh ya and I think your guess is as good as mine at this point on the babies. Sorry.

Chef

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Yes, it is wise. Always get more eggs.

When I started with Black Coppers, I purchased over 16 eggs from 3 different sources and still I don't think I have enough to work with.

Also, you should think about putting some blue genes into there, too.

I honestly want to switch my program strictly to Blue Wheatens (which of course involves normal Wheatens though) come this spring.

Here's my main man crowing.

Also on that note, I'd LOVE criticism on him! Serious stuff. I know he's got red popping up in a few feathers where it shouldn't be, and he needs to gain some weight, and I'd love to increase the amount of feathering on his feet, plus his comb isn't the perfect comb. . . Oh, and his waddles are more round than oval. And his tail's sickles seem rather tall/long. I honestly do plan on replacing him once I get some good/better offspring from his breeding.

Anyone else's thoughts? And, I have three pullets he's with currently. One has a LOT of "light cream" and her back is more pale than the other two, plus she's heavier in body-type and has a perfectly straight comb. The second has a patch of dark, almost burnt umber coloring in her back, but her body type is very full and nice. Her comb is slightly tilting at the blade. The third I'm just using until she will be replaced, as her chest is darker, her comb is really tall and leans to one side towards the back, and her tail is quite tall and thin.

Pics of the three:

The one I'm replacing next year is on the right, the lighter more perfect one in middle, the one with the dark patch on the left.

I'm thinking of keeping the offspring from the one in the middle, as I'm thinking the fact that she's got a lighter chest and less darker coloring on her back, it will fix my cockerel's red in his chest?

 

[flgardengirl]

Illia that is some serious roo eye candy. I put up my bators and now, I am gonna have to drag them back out and set up another breeding pen if you keep on showing that boy!
Are those female wheaten pics, blue wheatens as well? Do you think it is better to have a pure blue marans roo over a wheaten hen or visa versa for creating the blue wheatens?

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Personally I think that trying to create more Blue Wheatens from scratch, by now, is a terrible idea unless you're very experienced with genetics and start with Blue Coppers instead of Blues. Using Blues on Wheatens will really kill the egg color, as I've yet to see any BBS Marans with good egg color. It's sad, honestly. I first thought it was only the new hatchery stock of BBS eggs I was seeing, then I see it with breeders too. I know Wheaten eggs can often be bad, but not as often as BBS Marans.

But, if you just want to think of it theoretically, I'd do a Wheaten x blue female, just so that the wheaten's slightly better color covers all the girls. Otherwise, there's no difference on which is the male or female, as blue Marans carry the golden genes anyway. Or do they not?

Oh, and my girls are Wheatens. My only Blue Wheaten was taken by a raccoon two months ago because she decided to go broody way off in the back of the pasture without my knowledge. By the time I got really worried of her disappearance and went looking for a nest, all I found were smashed eggs and a feather trail leading into the woods, beyond the fence. (which by the way was predator proof, thank goodness, except for one tiny little spot)

 

[flgardengirl]

Thanks for the explanation. I do have one bbs- blue girl who lays a pretty dark egg, dark as some of my black coppers and has good feather lacing. She is a little heavy on the foot feathering and has a large comb but pretty good otherwise. I also have 3 pure blue pullets as well but they aren't laying yet but are related to the other blue I have so I am hoping they will lay dark as well.
Wouldn't mixing the blue coppers with the wheatens create problems like the bcm x wheaten thing? I know some people don't like having the wheaten gene present in the bcm genepool.

ETA: So sorry about the loss of your blue wheaten hen that must have been hard!

 

[snowbird]

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I have had some brown breasted males , but never anything like this one. I am pretty sure I know where he came from.

 

[fowlman01]

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It would be DQ'd. I couldn't see it well until that last pic.

Walt