Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[geebs]

Another thought: Why take exception to EXCELLENCE??? Why not have good conformation along with the best shaped and DARKEST egg... If we strive for the stars we may just hit the moon....

 

[snowbird]

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Don~ I can say that I do not use the color chart except for determining whether or not an egg is a 4. If they are a 4 or anything more than that I keep the bird that lays it...BUT.....I look for all things considered in a breeder not just egg color. This slows the process down considerably but is the only way I have found to keep a sort of even keel in breeding and not losing everything such as type and variety color and patterns. I will gladly accept a #4 egg because it means that they are still a Marans but the norm here for my birds runs between a 4-6 with the occassional darker egg but I have never never never had an 8 or 9. I will take the slow road anyday so I don't lose everything. Breeding birds is like a marriage it takes work no matter what we started out with if we are determined to make it work.

Kim, I like a dark egg also, and would not set a real light egg under any circumstances. I see people all the time saying they have 8-9 eggs. It is really hard to tell from pictures as the camera has a lot to do with how dark. I do not have a problem with any color Marans I have as even the Cuckoo and White lay at least a 5-6 on the egg scale.

The only reason for the post was to see what people are breeding for in their Marans. I pretty much no what the regulars are going for.

 

[snowbird]

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Brought a smile to my face can you imagine that. I guess I might be greedy as I want the total package.

 

[geebs]

Ya.... Ditto... I am happy to report that my favorite pullet... granted she could still use some red is laying 6's and 7's... No white... I will have to photograph her for you... I am a real proud chickie mama... Do you have a fave from last year??? I have crossed her for more color already... Waiting for pippage... time will tell.... I hope that adding the extra color didn't take away too much melaniser and allow for the white!!! AAAAACKKKK that would be a step backward...

Oh and Don... The egg shape... OMGosh... I have to photograph it for you!!!! I think I finally have a good hen!!! (only one but a gal has to start somewhere)

 

[snowbird]

Jan, My favorites are the Wheatens and will take some pictures if the weather breaks as forecasted. I kept to males and both did not have the cottontail, well the cock bird just up and dies a few days ago, so only have the young male from nivtup for this year. No wheatens for sale around this part of the USA.

 

[snowbird]

Jan, none of my BC lay the spherical eggs. the white and wheaten do mostly though.

 

[geebs]

Cool!! Can't wait to see em... I don't have wheaton... for me it is about real estate...just room for one color currently... I hope your weather there is better than ours here... I have outfitted everyone for a liferaft and I think Noah and his Menagerie just floated by... OMGosh we are under water right now... It is hideous... Birds are barely laying...Either that or fish have come in and snatched their eggs

I will see if I can find an eggie in the fridge from Ghiradelli (my fave)

 

[VillageChicken]

Pink - comb genetics are weird. There are actually more tinted/pinkish laying peacombed birds than blue laying peacombed birds. Asils, Malays, Brahmas, Buckeyes, Cornish, Sumatras, Shamos... and what about silkies that have the walnut comb? They usually carry the PP peacomb gene with the RR rosecomb to give them the walnut comb. I know there are some blue laying silkies out there, but it's not the norm.

I think that the blue egg color segregrates away from the peacomb easier than the other way around (single combed rarely lay blue, but peacombs often lay non-blue). Maybe it's because Aseel, Brahma, Cornish and Sumatra are relatively old breeds and went into the formation of many of the common breeds we have today. And from the beginning they carried the Peacomb/non-blue laying combination so it's passed on to a disproportionate number of the chicken breeds we know today. The peacomb mutation probably happened separately in the East (India, Indonesia, China) and in the South - South America. I don't think anyone knows what came first the peacomb or the blue egg. But only in South America they ended up together.


I've read about single combed blue egg laying leghorns, so there must be different ways the genes can be "parked".


You're right though, for any Araucana/Ameraucana based EE's the peacomb is a great indicator. Sorry this is probably more for the EE thread than the Marans!




Separate question: Those who live in the frigid North! Is a split egg a good indicator of a frozen egg or can they be frozen without cracking? Frozen eggs go back to the chickens or to the dogs, some seem awfully cold, but I only pull the split open ones.

 

[pinkchick]

comb genetics are weird.

I KNOW!

That's why I said it was a whole 'nutha topic......lots and lots and lots of things to consider in the whole world of chicken genetics. It all makes my head spin really. Just when I think I have one thing figured out I go and read something else that throws a monkey wrench into it.

Separate question: Those who live in the frigid North! Is a split egg a good indicator of a frozen egg or can they be frozen without cracking? Frozen eggs go back to the chickens or to the dogs, some seem awfully cold, but I only pull the split open ones.

Never had a frozen egg to my knowledge so I will be waiting patiently to see what others have to say.

 

[pinkchick]

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Sooooooooooooooooo JEALOUS that you have White Marans! If you ever feel jiggy and want to share some, you just let me know MR. !!!!!