Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

I get up every work day between 5 and 6 (eastern time). That is why I normally can not hang out with you ladies on the west coast.

The question is WHAT ARE U DOING UP? ? ? Isn't this like . . . 4 a.m. for you ? ?

 

[geebs]

yep... I don't sleep well this time of year... As it gets close to Christmas...My house burned down years ago and ever since...I am a Raving insomniac until after Christmas... It works out good... I usually start hatching eggs.. that keeps me busy watching the bators for peeps... LOL You are still one of the last up on the thread when I go in to watch TV till I fall asleep..

I really need to get the hatching bug.... I just can't seem to get to it.... I need my hatchies in December so they are laying before fall.. My Wades mature soooo slow.... I wish I had kept the Davis line. They were months ahead of these... Good things come to those who wait I guess.... and nothing about these birds is quick.

 

[cpartist]

Quote:
Uh-OH, I will separate the black banded from the blue banded and verify that I haven't mixed up the chicks.
Your blues are definitely DARK. . . Either that or I hatched all black coppers

That would be as bad as hatching all roos

Quote:
I can understand why your Ameraucanas would be a popular item. SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL ! !

How do you decide which marans to sell at this young age? ?

Can you tell the gender differences on the delawares ?? ? Combs, wings, and tails all look very similiar on mine. The bcm's are showing major differences. but not the delawares.

Math- If I hatch any with clean shanks, I sell them as pet quality for 4.00 each. The rest are 6.00 each and I let people
pick out the ones they want. Most will opt for the cheaper chicks, they just want dark egg layers. I sell them as straight run, and sometimes
I have an idea on gender at hatch, so letting people pick out their own chicks seems to be a "fair" way to sell them. I don't
want to intentionally pass on too many roos to anyone and the randomness is more likely to give a 50/50 mix.

I'm having the same problem as you identifying gender in the Delawares. I'm not sure I knew what I was doing when I feather sexed them,
but based on that - 1 boy, 7 girls. Looking at combs last night -6 boys, 2 girls. I'd like to raise up more than one roo to choose from, but not 6....

.

I think we need to take some photos and head over to the Delaware thread

.

Geebs, my Blue Coppers have all started laying between 19-22 weeks. My Wade BCM's usually between 21-26 weeks. They are slow to get
their coppering in (girls) and it gets better after the first adult molt, and the boys take a while to beef up and get good saddle and back coloring...so they are slow
in this respect. I'm guessing there are different "strains" in all the lines and now that I'm on the third generation, I'm seeing mine are pretty consistant in terms of
egg color, laying age and what to expect at certain levels of maturity.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I got my marans chicks this past Christmas. I loved come spring and everyone was looking for chicks and mine were at POL. . .

I hatched the current chicks about a month before the last year's batch. Our winters are so much more milder than everyone elses that raising chicks in the colder months is not so hard once they get their feathers. I am 2 weeks no with my chicks in the house in the swimming pool. I am hoping to get at least another week out of the pool. I am going to try to find some way today to take them outside during part of the day. I think it would be good for them

 

[geebs]

cpartist Mine usually start about 8 months though I recently got a hen 5 months old that they said wasn't laying yet and the week wasn't out before she laid me my first egg... She is Wade Jean... Gonna use that hen for sure!!! LOL Not a super darkie though about a 6 or so at POL Still the tradeoff may be worth it in my book... I will cross and see what Charles can do for her.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I had already contacted someone about the delawares and was told to look for smut on them around 4 weeks. I was told there was no way to sex them this early . . .

So, I guess we could head over to the delaware thread. There are several on this thread that have marans AND delawares and might be able to help us - - -once they wake up

 

[geebs]

No Delawares here.... Someone can mail me some.... If they come in Bantam...

 

[cpartist]

Quote:
I got my marans chicks this past Christmas. I loved come spring and everyone was looking for chicks and mine were at POL. . .

I hatched the current chicks about a month before the last year's batch. Our winters are so much more milder than everyone elses that raising chicks in the colder months is not so hard once they get their feathers. I am 2 weeks no with my chicks in the house in the swimming pool. I am hoping to get at least another week out of the pool. I am going to try to find some way today to take them outside during part of the day. I think it would be good for them

Lisa, we made a 4 foot circle of 2" x 4" wire and lined in with hardware cloth....use a plywood top.
On warm days, we put them outside....they love it. This is by no means preditor proof, so we set it
up right by the house and only when we are home.

 

[chickenguru]

I have this roo here that I wanted to ask a question or two about. I know his underside is blue.
I just don't know what the proper name for the color on his topside is.
What hens should he put in with? I have FBCM, Cuckoos, and Black Marans.

 

[geebs]

MathAce: i should have kept my first hatch from Christmas but sold em to a friend...Won't make that mistake... I miss the days when I would keep chickens in the winter and have eggs by spring..DRAT.. have to wait till summer Then it gets hot and guess what?? no eggs. It is enough to make me want to cross em with RIR's but then I would get RIR looking birds with light eggs that don't lay as often!!! LOL

Just Guessing Jr. you hatchoholic... but it looks like a cross and the color on top would be Cuckoo (Golden Cuckoo).... It is a Blue and golden cuckoo ppl eater...
Likely something got in where it didn't belong.. Pretty bird though... I do have an affinity for blue bloomers on a chicken.

I think I will get my bators busted out so I can look at em... I will set some eggs to hatch X-mas morning... anyone want to be a hatch buddy?