Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[StevenW.]

Marans eggs went on lockdown a little bit ago.... I have no hope for them to hatch really

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
Dont give up hope! They can still hatch

 

[loprettaerin]

Quote:
Aww sending you good hatching vibes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Cadeau]

ok - new comb pics:
Sorry they're dark - impending thunder storm!!

This is the roo that Don said might have a thumbprint - so what do you guys see??
Trying to figure out just WHAT a thumbprint is!

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
the large wrinkly area that looks like someone took play-doh and stuck thier thumb in it right after making a rooster comb?

On the first pick the stray feather is pointing at it?

 

[Debbi]

Cadeau,

Unless this roo has a DQ on his comb, as in side sprigs, I SURELY wouldn't worry about it! That is an awesome looking boy, with much more to offer than to worry about! JMHO

 

[Debbi]

Finally got some dry in the weather here, so decided to apply the chicken aprons to the now bare-backed pullets today. Ok, now these girls are friendly, but they don't like being held. Figured I was in for a fight. To my surprise, 4 of the 5 came into the coop when they saw me bring the aprons out. Kept all roos out of the coop as they may not like me fussing with their ladies!

To my great surprise, the girls all behaved beautifully. I put them on a roost and put on the aprons, and they all acted like they were being dressed for the prom!

They were beside themselves with pride in their new digs. Let them out of the coop, and the boys looked at them like "whaaaaatttt???"

The girls are all prancing around like they won the lottery, the boys, not so much. Oops, spoke too soon...it didn't take Roy too long to figure out the new "coats" don't mean no romance!

Now hopefully, their feathers will grow back. I hate looking at the girls with male pattern baldness going on on their backs! It detracts from my perfect, bucolic, country, chicken landscape!

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Cadeau, I think this is the male that I stated was narrow across the shoulders, There is no way you can have good width between the legs and across the chest if you have a narrow back. Now if you are not planning on breeding to the SOP none of this is important.

 

[snowbird]

Ever so often I read on the threads that the leg feathering is not a problem as it can be fixed in one set of chicks. I would be interested in seeing the proof.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Don,

I sure don't know that for sure. Will be able to tell once the second hatch occurs from Roy & Clyde. The little ones I have here now, at a week of age, have feathered shanks except for one. As I PMed you, these eggs were collected at the end of a two week withdrawl from the old roo, so it may not have been long enough time to totally get him out of the pool. The next batch will be all Roy & Clyde babies, bred to sparse and non-feathered pullets, so we'll see what happens. Although they may all have feathered shanks, I doubt they will have the feathering that is desired, or at least what I desire, in the first cross. I will post pics of the new hatch when they are in the brooder, but they are not due to hatch till the 14th.

Now, as to chick leg feathering; and I asked this a long time ago, has anyone noticed a difference in white/yellow leg feathering in day olds and as older chicks? In other word, if they are born with yellow fluff on the legs, do they mature to have shank feathering as adults? In the cases I've had, I have found in the past hatches that the light stuff on the legs ends up being either very sparse as adults or non-existent. Anyone want to chime in on this? Don, from what I've seen here, just here; I would think it would take at least two generations to get what I like in the progeny. JMHO