Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[VillageChicken]

Silver Salmon, is supposed to be just like Silver Wheaten with the white wing triangle, that would make it different from Birchen.
Hens look like brown leghorns, wild type, of course much bigger, and without the yellow legs, and with white instead of gold hackle.

I just don't know why they don't call Golden Salmon Duckwing or Black Breasted Red, since that what all the other varieties use for this genotype/phenotype.

Adult Wheaten Roos can be really hard to distinguish from Wildtype/BBR/Golden Salmon. Hens are very different.

 

[geebs]

Ya I guess like wheatons are hard to distiguish from the copper marans (untrained eye)... especially with the melanisers at play... I guess everyone else is out playing in thier coops... Got mine done early this morning... Finally separated birds for hatching and breeding purposed and then this morning made up a play area that I can corral them in when I am gone.... don't like em running loose.. Nieghbor kids like to chase em.

 

[VillageChicken]

Hey Don,

Do you double mate for your Wheatens too?
I'm curious what traits you have to breed for separately, if you do.
For example are your hens get too dark if you don't double mate?
It would be nice if you could get SOP hens and roos from the same clutch.
I'm thinking of getting some Wheatens in the spring and am curious.

Maybe some of the other Wheaten folks might have input too.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
I try and mate most of my chickens single as then if I find some I like I can put sisters in a pen and pen mate with a male that is compatible with them. One thing I find in the USA the Gene pool is so small that it will take more care to breed them over an extented amout of time. I have never had any of the dark back birds and think they are part of the tisdale wheaten. My wheaten are size wise as big as the Black Copper. I like the Marans to be over the required weight as I think we need the extra size to put the large chest, broad back and good length on.

Do you have any ideas on breeding the cottontail out of the wheaten or is it supposed to be there. Every wheaten male has the cottontail that I have seen. I believe it will be a fault in the American Standard, I have basically quit worrying about what is or isn't in the French Standard as I will be showing in the USA

I believe double mating is the cheapist way to breed the Parti colored birds and still end up with something worth showing. Do you have any trick of the trade you can give on breeding the Wheaten. I hope when they do the Wheaten standard they get everything included as there are no wheatens to compare with them when judging. Any help you can offer is appreciated.

Plan on doing a critique on the wheaten soon and would appreciate it if you would check in and offer your opinions. Don

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Geebs, I do not know how some of the Marans sites say that it is hard to tell the differences in the Wheaten and Black Copper Males. I don't even think they are close. Will try and get a BC and a wheaten in the light Box and then we can see. Don

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Geebs, I do not know how some of the Marans sites say that it is hard to tell the differences in the Wheaten and Black Copper Males. I don't even think they are close. Will try and get a BC and a wheaten in the light Box and then we can see. Don

I would be interested in seeing this. As it is now I look for that cinnamon wing triangle and that is it.

 

[math ace]

If somebody knows what the most recent proposed standards are for the BCM's concerning legs, shanks, and toes - - - -please post it.
Specifically, I am looking for the exacting wording concerning coloring.

I have a copy of the proposed as of 7/10 and all it says is yellow is a DQ.

Thanks whoever can help . . . .

 

[snowbird]

Does anyone know exactly what color the Wheaten is supposed to be referred to as. In the USA you have a winter RED hard wheat and you have a lighter summer wheat which is a real light beige or similiar color. The red wheat is almost a copper color. Don

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

It's very difficult to find a hygrometer that gives the correct reading so check the air sack for the best results.

Bev

Thanks Bev. Now to find a decent candler. Any suggestions? My new incubator sets the humidity automatically, and seemed, with the first hatch anyway, to be dead on with my hygrometer.

Hi

My Sportsman keeps the humidity at the correct level with the water container at the top but my styrofoam incubators certainly need water adding often. I don't think I would get anything to hatch if I didn't add water.

I use a Brinsea candler, I've had it for years and never had any trouble with it. It's hard knowing what's going on with these dark eggs and very often I can only see the air space. I think they have a new one out now that might be more powerful.

Bev

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi Geebs

I have been trying to get the gold in the hackles since 2005 but was mainly breeding for egg color. I must admit that the hackles weren't the prime importance. If I hadn't got the egg color I hadn't got a Marans. I have however been concentrating on the hackles for the past couple of years and it has got better each year. As soon as I can I'll take some pictures.

Bev