Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

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I'm sure you are not being ignored, but many here may not have any access to the Blue Birchens to know off hand. Blue Birchen would be the dilute of Black Birchen, both having the silver ER gene as apposed to the gold ER gene of the Black/Blue Coppers. Forgive me, I'm still trying to choke all of this down, and you seem to have, from other posts by you that I've read, to have a far better understanding than me!

The Birchen gene is just the silver gene replacing the gold gene. BCM=gold gene; BlkBirchen=silver gene. Same for the blues. So the Andalusian blue factor would fit here as well, as long as the birds you are breeding the Blue Birchen to are TRUE blacks, blues, and splashes; NOT those mentioned with hidden copper genes. If you breed a Blue Birchen to a Black Copper that phenotypically looks pure black, you will now have a silver AND gold gene, and it may appear as a tainted silver tone in the hackle color. OK, now that I stuck my neck out here, let's here from the pros!!

This is just my take on it, and I am FAR from even beginning to understand chicken genetics!

Great job Debbi, that's exactly what I would have mentioned. What's that they say about new tricks? Someone's been doing their homework!Extended Black based BBS dominates over ER so you will lose some of your birchen hackle/saddle in offspring. Silver is sexlinked, so the hen offspring would still be silver BBS/Birchen hybrids, but the rooster offspring would be silver/gold mixes. You won't get anything pure from this combination. The genetic makeup of a pure BBS Marans is different than a Birchen. It would be like breeding cuckoo to wheaten, you don't get anything that breeds true, or that you could offer to anyone as a pure Marans.

Holy cow!! I actually got it right??

Thanks VC, the "new tricks" are evidently slowly seeping in, so the old dog can learn afterall!

 

[Debbi]

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Oh NO!!!

I feel your pain, I hope it peters out before it gets here. Ours will show up as tornados instead of snow; OR snow then tornados!

Crazy weather. They say out here, "thunder in February, frost in May", so we're not out of the woods yet either.

 

[Debbi]

Neat job on the chickie boots, Bravo!! I saw someone else's bootie job awhile back on BYC, and wondered how in the world you can hold the chick and apply the boots?? My hands don't work that well any more. Someone needs to start making pre-made booties, like little dog booties, to place on newborns. Your booties remind me of the "jellies" shoes the kids were all wearing when my kids were little!

 

[pinkchick]

Mel~

I'll take the snow over the rain anyday......snow is much prettier to watch fall and cover the ground than rain is.

Thin egg shells can happen to new layers and older established layers. Thin shells or soft shells can be caused by nutritional deficiencies or infections. Try giving them a nice gruel of oatmeal, steel cut groats, cranberry, pumpkin, scrambled eggs, cinnamon, tumeric, garlic and a suet cake all cooked together. When cooled down stir in some plain yogurt and crumble and vitamins like rooster booster. They will go nutz for it and it is packed full of goodies for them. I do this once a week and don't be afraid to use the cinnamon brother....it is very very very good for them. Hope this helps and others come by with their advise and opinions for you.

Bravo~ Your chicks feet look great. I am very glad it is doing well. Doesn't that make you smile big?

 

[Bravo]

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Ty, Ty lol!

I was rooting around the medicine cabinet and found those little, round waterproof bandages. Super easy..I just slapped 2 together and viola!

Now this chick really deserves the name "flipper" lol

 

[Bravo]

Thanks Debbi and Kim! Literally no skill involved on my part which is ideal. Curious to see how these bandages hold up

 

[pinkchick]

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Ty, Ty lol!

I was rooting around the medicine cabinet and found those little, round waterproof bandages. Super easy..I just slapped 2 together and viola!

Now this chick really deserves the name "flipper" lol

Flipper is a perfect name!

 

[stonecottagefarm]

Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself. My husband and I are starting a preservation farm for ducks and chickens and have decided to add french copper marans to our flock. After a lot of searching, I've decided to go with a direct line from France and bypass all the american lines. Just wondering if anyone else on here raises Marans with more recent french lines.

Thank you!

 

[pinkchick]

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Welcome!
Congrats on your Marans! A direct line from France you say? Were they imported legally and you have seen proof of it? There are very FEW folks here in the U.S. that have birds that are directly from France that have been brought here legally. Not trying to be difficult or arguementative but why bypass the American Marans? Are they sub-standard?

 

[Bravo]

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Welcome

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