Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Mountain Mel]

First, realize that I am relatively new to all this "chicken concern"...
That said, I would just keep a bottle of RIT dye handy and my mouth shut.
If I were too concerned about perfection in my birds and not about the RIT dye thing...
Then I would call Mountain Mel and say "Do you want an absolutely gorgeous rooster that has just a touch of color in his tail?"

 

[Debbi]

Ha! In your dreams mister!!

Pink knows where that old cull Gnarles would go, huh lady??

On the serious side, if he had trauma happen to his tail, as in you grabbed and pulled some feathers, I might guess that would be the case. If the base of the feather is still blue, then it isn't growing in white. Just my way of thinking

 

[berkeleysprings]

i always thought dieing or dammaged feathers turn brown almost a brown dirt color but white pigment wouldnt happen but smarter minds than me will chime in

 

[Debbi]

Well I'm not for sure Randy, just a guess on my part, but I've heard quite a few folks say the same thing. Works that way with fur. I've had horses and dogs get cuts and had the fur come in white, but after the cut is healed and they go through a heavy shed, it came back to it's normal color. Note here, that these were slight cuts/wounds, some of the more traumatic wounds never go back to their original color.

 

[pinkchick]

Nope, no dye here, if they have the white, so be it they have the white. It's just something that I will have fun trying to breed out.

Debbi~ The base is still blue, just white where you see it.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Yup, that's what I call my chooks, the "Popeye flock". "I am what I am, and that's all that I am"

Maybe after his next molt they'll turn back to blue?? Will be interesting to watch.

 

[geebs]

My mind has been blown in the fact that my birds... most of them have changed color from year one to year two. No changes on the two to three group...but they are all females... so next spring on my male will tell the tale. less coppering.

 

[pinkchick]

geebsie~

How about sharing a photo of that pretty blue copper egg?

 

[geebs]

what egg???

(kidding)

My pictures always look lighter... this egg is hard to discern from the BC crowd... It is Pinks pullet.. What did we name her... I forgot.

 

[pinkchick]

I don't know what we named her? Did we?

So you never answered me if she molted or not? Or did she just take her sweet time to start to lay again after she came to your place?

My records say she turned 10 mos. old on January 9th.