Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Are you sure it was a BCM roo? Any pics of him? Does the hen/pullet have any reddish/brown fluff on her vent area?

 

[geebs]

Bikerchick.. Hey good to have ya.... When I get marans.. and this is just me...I seem to be the minority here... I get from the closest point of import and I will get from several good and I mean good established honest ppl with good feedng program and good ethics. The I order 2 batches from each.. a year apart or at least six months apart.... unless I can get an adult bird from each at the same time... (that is my preference..) It give me a one year head start if I get a bird first.. Then I breed the lines separately... keeping a closed flock....Those breeders now a days are hard to come by... and then I single mate...Some choose to double mate...I have had trouble with my male line so I am currently a year or better behind in my male line.. he he...

If you only go with one breeder that is find too... Just remember it is best not to breed brother and sister if you can help it... I try like Don says weed out the traits in one pen before I cross the pens.. I do this using one line... I use Wade... but I do have a pen of Donna Gherkes which have Presley in them... they are a genetic nightmare but I love em...I come up with everything from that line...I might even hatch a puppy from em.... it is one of my favorite breeders for many reasons... I also Like Fitzgerald, and of Course Wade... I think Culpepper has his birds... I would have to look..

That is my 2 cents worth... Clear as Mud???

Bev could tell you the closest point to get her birds... If that is the line you choose or whatever... Bang for the buck I tell you is someone reputable that has no complaints and has bred several generations of birds...Otherwise it is really a roll of the dice.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Yeh, well that's just showing MY age! Well before I hit the west coast! I'm a New England gal...

Whoa dude! I did live in CA in the 80s! My bad, guess I was too busy for Brody!

 

[geebs]

I thought I smelled toasty coasty on ya deb

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Ha! I was birthing and raising kids in CA in the 80s, not much time to be Brody or anything else wild!

Got all my yayas out back east, the north, the south, and the middle back in the 70s!

 

[bikechick]

Thanx Geebs for the info.
I used "brody" in High School. Yep, 80's in South Florida.

I'm not sure how well I could use it now.

 

[geebs]

That is so El de bunka roe these days!!! lol

 

[Ivywoods]

My first BCM chick hatched late on 11/30.

They weren't due to hatch until 12/2. I have another one pipped. I was afraid I wouldn't get any to hatch out of this batch. It was kind of a last minute decision to hatchabatch. I pulled eggs out of the refrigerator.... eggs that had been laid in a pan of D.E, eggs that had been washed to get the poopy off... you name it. I bought a new incubator and wasn't sure how well it would work. It's one of those sold on ebay for reptiles. It is actually a refrigerator/heater. I guess when I'm not hatching eggs, I can store eggs in there for extra storage space.

First chick looks fine. I'm excited to see what else I get. I have no idea which hen laid these eggs. I know which roo was in there with the hens, but it's a crap shoot as far as which hens. I did only put eggs in that were a 6 or better on the marans scale.

This coming spring I will be better able to sort my hens. I recently purchased some stacking pens (used) from a lady that raised puppies. I got 6 pens, so that will give me a breeding pen for each of my breeds plus an extra one. I also have a few miscellaneous pens that I could use if necessary.

I'm trying to figure out how to sort my hens. I guess I will put my best hens in with my best roo, and then only hatch the darkest eggs from that group. I don't really have a way to separate each hen.

I'll post baby pictures when a few more hatch (hopefully)

 

[berkeleysprings]

you could use nest trap box later today when i get off work i could post some picks
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[pinkchick]

Good Luck Debbi!

But I have one tiny problem.................you didn't post any pics of the eggies!!!!!!!!!!!!