Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[susannemw]

Can someone - or many someones - comment about the disposition and attitude of BCMs? Are they sweet, or flighty, etc. There seems to be less information out there about them.

edited to fix spelling and grammar.

 

[gilavina]

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Yay!! I'm not part of the NPIP yet...I'm still doing my research and deciding if that's the route I want to go...but if I do, I would possibly be able to get you some hatching eggs down the line. I still have piles of work to do myself on the blue birchens, but I say working collaboratively is definitely the way to go when possible.

It might be worth connecting with Pinkchick...I don't think she should be too terribly far from you. She raises blue Marans...I know she has quite a waiting list on eggs...(I'm on it too

) and see if you could get some blue girls to work with. I don't know...just a thought.
Love the catching flies with honey comment...its so true

 

[gilavina]

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Awww....don't feel weird at all....I never had a hope I don't think. My dad raises blue wyandottes and has for as long as i can remember, so I just am partial to blue anything really. I only really like splash for the breeding options they give, or if they have alot of blue feathers mixed in...

I'm growing to love the black coppers more now that I've seen some really good examples...I have a BCM cockerel I like and think he is filling out pretty well...but my bcm pullets have no coppering yet....but do lay nice dark eggs...so I'm still hopeful I'll get one of those pretty coppery necked girls soon.

Be careful what you wish for G. Mine have too much copper......LOL

Haha...its all a balancing act, isn't it? Work to get a little more, then have too much...then work back the other way and lose the ground you just gained and end up with too little again....but then there are those magical moments when you go into a pen of young ones growing out and see one or more that has just that balance you've been working so hard for. Its truly beautiful and keeps me going for sure!

 

[seabreeze]

Oh my Gilavina, I am on that list too but waaaay down there, I realize its a popular list

I definitely would be interested in a collaborative approach! I need to get myself up and successfully hatching before I convince anyone I'm worth working with!! I will definitely keep you supplied in updated photos of the new boys, to see if they are mate or plate types!

 

[gilavina]

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I love my Marans....they are sweet and friendly and follow me all over the place. I have several color varieties and they are all the same. I only have one shifty little guy, but I think its cause he has a 'Napoleon' complex. haha

He's always been smaller than all the other guys, just a slower developer, so the thinks he needs to let me know he is indeed a big man, but he seems to be growing out of it. But really, my Marans will eat out of my hand, talk and chatter at me like they are having a conversation with me and just like to be close. I can check for eggs under them with no complaints or anything...Maybe I've been lucky, but they are just as sweet as they come.

 

[gilavina]

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Haha...too funny...'mate or plate types'...I'm gonna remember that phrase

What kind of incubator do you have? I've heard its a bit different with hatching in the PNW where its so much more humid, but you are lucky cause there are so many Marans breeders up that way to get tips from. I've adjusted my incubation habits a bit when hatching Marans as it seems to be harder on them that it is sometimes dry here. Seems I have exactly the opposite problem as you.

And I would love to see pics of your progress too! I just keep reminding myself that I'm farther than I was when I first started out with the Marans...and that as long as I'm careful with my choices on breeding, etc, it should continue to get better with time...despite setbacks and etc.

edited for typos....man my grammar is terrible today

 

[poularde]

Just wanted to post a couple awful pics of my eight babies I hatched from Pinkchick. I will get some nice individual shots later. They were getting pretty stressed out. Looks like a lot of blues to me. Taking chick photos is hard! I need better lighting and only if they would cooperate!

 

[gilavina]

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Ok, is it just me or is that blue chick on the front far right of the first picture giiiaaanormous compared to the other ones? I really like the shade of blue he has so far... When I take pics of the chicks to keep them from moving around so much, I will whistle softly and its just enough to catch their attention to hopefully get the shot I'm looking for.

 

[poularde]

You know that one is huge compared to the rest. I believe that it may be a baby from Bill. It is so large that it is having trouble getting around. I hope it gets strong enough to lug itself around!

 

[seabreeze]

Gilavina, thanks!! I switched from the LG styro bator to Hovabators. Currently have a few new Marans eggs in the second Hova along with my Midget White Turkey eggs. So far, the scheduled hatch for yesterday has produced 4 live chicks and 8 more pipping out of 32 eggs, humdity is at 62% right now. (good? bad?)

Yeah, that mate or plate came off the top of my head instead of worrying about a long drawn out description........oh well

OMG...I want, want, want those blue chicks!!