Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Quote:
If I had your male and he had feathered middle toe I would cull from breeding. If you breed this you will only have more in the future. If you just want chickens for the backyard and never intend to sell eggs or show it would not make any difference. The only problem would be later if you decided to raise something to the SOP.

At 8 mo. your male also appears to have a narrow back and a comb with a thumbprint. Don

Don,

You have to remember that not all of us can produce 600 chickens at a whack. We can only try to get some good birds and improve from there. It's much easier to cull enmass with huge amounts of birds, but if I culled like you do, I wouldn't have ANY birds!

Will I ever show, doubtful. Do I want SOP birds, yes. It will just take me longer to get there. I don't sell eggs or birds at this point, and won't until I have something worth passing on. It will just take me much longer to do it. I think her roo is a nice bird, despite his faults. She is starting off way better than a lot of here with him. JMHO

 

[Cadeau]

Thanks so much!!

His name is Bryant
(not very original, but he's the only one here with that bloodline right now!)

He will get a lunch of yogurt and scrambled eggs!!

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
Geebs, can you clarify a few things for me? I think he is a lovely rooster, but I am seeing pink legs, not the medium slate called for in the SOP. Also, can you explain the flames in the chest? From the SOP I was under the impression that a black breast was highly desirable but copper flecking less than 10% was acceptable. What am I missing?

Thanks!

 

[snowbird]

Question, Has anyone notice that when you cross lines the feather legs will decrease and some will not have any leg feathering at all. My first chicks I used a male of the same line but from a different breeder and both male and female had lots of feathering on legs, well the chicks about half have no leg feathering period. This is a experimental breeding as I was looking for a reference point on Down color and adult feather color. Don

 

[Goose and Fig]

Quote:
I don't know but I saw that roo in person at Newnan and I took a pic of him he was so pretty

I believe this is the same roo as in the ad.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/sultry_jasmine_nights/Bird Shows/Newnan GA/IMGP0987.jpg

Right- that is the roo. Its the only pic I have seen of all of their stock. I asked for pics on ebay too, and never got them. Bev Davis had pics a while back of ...maybe they were silver salmon? The hens were amazing. But by the looks of this roo they are not silver. Anyway- ifthey look anything like that I would sure want some. Unless they are like silver ameraucanas (spastic)

 

[geebs]

snowbird, you are suggesting to cull this one based on just a comb? and one toe feather that may or may not breed forward. He isn't full grown yet...

Well I would use him. Others may do what they like. He is better than a good percentage of the examples on these threads... some others ppl use have unforgivable faults such as white earlobes etc.

I wouldn't worry to much about nominal faults that get a point deduction and worry about things that could be a DQ entirely.

 

[birdygirl123]

I guess this is where I also get confused. Isn't breeding these guys like that of a recipe of sorts, like geebs said?.. In making the line better, you breed to compliment.. getting babies that are better suited to the "standard"?.. and you continue to work hatch to hatch.. If she uses him, paired with nice hens.. that doesnt mean that every bird will have the same flaws correct?.. but I do see how it is important to start with a good foundation. But if we all had the perfect birds we wouldn't be here now would we?..lol..



Quote:
If I had your male and he had feathered middle toe I would cull from breeding. If you breed this you will only have more in the future. If you just want chickens for the backyard and never intend to sell eggs or show it would not make any difference. The only problem would be later if you decided to raise something to the SOP.

At 8 mo. your male also appears to have a narrow back and a comb with a thumbprint. Don

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
If I had your male and he had feathered middle toe I would cull from breeding. If you breed this you will only have more in the future. If you just want chickens for the backyard and never intend to sell eggs or show it would not make any difference. The only problem would be later if you decided to raise something to the SOP.

At 8 mo. your male also appears to have a narrow back and a comb with a thumbprint. Don

Don,

You have to remember that not all of us can produce 600 chickens at a whack. We can only try to get some good birds and improve from there. It's much easier to cull enmass with huge amounts of birds, but if I culled like you do, I wouldn't have ANY birds!

Will I ever show, doubtful. Do I want SOP birds, yes. It will just take me longer to get there. I don't sell eggs or birds at this point, and won't until I have something worth passing on. It will just take me much longer to do it. I think her roo is a nice bird, despite his faults. She is starting off way better than a lot of here with him. JMHO

Debbi my friend, Only one comment why breed something that is going to produce more culls. With the leg feathering if they have none they should from breeder flock. The same for middle toe feathering. If I had to would rather breed two good Marans and hatch every egg they lay than breed culls. Don

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
This happened with my first birds. Both parents were nicely feathered. The roo was Davis/Jeane, the hens were Jeane. Out of the 5 chicks I got from this mating, I got 2 with very sparse feathering, and 3 with zip. Clyde and Roy both have great shank/toe feathering, and they were crossed on the 4 pullets from above. Three pullets had no feathering, the one has sparse. The four chicks from this cross, three have shank feathering and one has nothing. Isn't there an inhibitor gene in there somewhere? I can only assume, that even with two nicely feathered birds, you can still get poor shank or no shank feathering when the two inhibitors connect.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
geebs, this isn't going to happen so have fun, just recommend that anyone get more than one opinion. Don