Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

VillageChicken!!!!!!! Gotta question for ya!

Feather legged genetics~


My boy Bill is clean legged as we all know.....his BCM brother Mr. French had 2 feather stubs, one on each leg, when he was 4 months old they dissappeared and have never come back, he is now 2 years old. Both Bill and Mr. French are offspring from feather legged birds. My question is this- 2 times now I have produced offspring from Bill that have produced birds with a few sparse feathers on the shanks and the birds he was mated to to create these feather legged kids were both clean shanked, one was a Blue Ameraucana hen (from very good lines....no feathers and never threw any), the other hen, one of Bill's clean legged daughters that was produced from my first Blue Copper Marans hen that was also clean legged........what gives? Can the same thing happen with feathered shanks popping up in clean legged birds like clean legged birds can pop up from the breedings of feather shanked birds?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ivywoods]

I've not had it happen personally, but I know of breeders that have had this happen, such as feathered shanks showing up on ameraucanas.

Those genes they carry go back a long, long ways.

My Great-Great-Great Grandfather was a blacksmith and wagon maker. Do you suppose that is why my chicken coop is made from an old horsedrawn blacksmith wagon? I just couldn't resist!

 

[syble]

not that i'm village chicken, but i will say this, classic feather legging, is dominant, but the type of feather legging that marans have seam to be affected by other genes. it wouldn't surprise me if at least in the case of Mr. french where he had 2 stubs that disappeared that one or more of those controlling genes when a bit over board, yet he still has them.

We get that a lot with tufts in araucanas, as long as the bird carries one of those tufting genes, it can be expressed as a tuft of 2 feathers on one side of its head easy to miss, or a pair of large unbalanced tufts, but as long as that gene is present in the parents you have a chance to produce offspring of perfectly balanced beautiful tufts.

Sib

 

[loprettaerin]

My first set of marans chicks are know 21 and 18 days old. They are really started to feather out, They feel so heavy compared to other breeds of chicks I have raised. They all deffinatly have there own personalities. Please correct me if you think Im wrong on there sex, Still learning how to sex them so young. lol My DH did really good thing this weekend we were very busy outside trying to till my garden so it would dry out more to be able to plant and building some breeding pen. 1 done and 1 framed he is really proud of how they turned out and we both think we need 3 because they would also work good to use for some grow out pens. Really hoping they sky's are not going to put some more rain on the ground.

Just finished cleaning all the waterers out and brooding boxs and getting set up for some more hatches this week and next. I also had 3 little ducklings that just could not wait to hatch today so they hatched for me on mothers day

Light blue maran this one hatched late so think it is only 18 days old I beleive it is a hen?

Darker blue maran I think it may be a hen but somedays looks like a roo but tail feahtered out right away so leaning more towards hen then roo?

black copper If this one does not turn out to be a roo then she may be a pretty onree hen. He? was very slow at getting any tail feathers also. Really acts like roo.

My weatons first thought they were both girls know leaning more towards one and one.
Hen I think feahtered fast and much lighter on wings also and just more calm like a hen.

The roo I think

Picture of my breeding pen complete. DH and me used mostly all scrap lumber we had around for it. I think between the 2 of us it came out great.

 

[Mountain Mel]

Quote:
Now, if I can rmember how to post fotos...

Here are 3 pictures of Madison. I am sorry that they do not show his size and color any better, but with my little camera this is the best I can do. I hope Pinkchick gets some holding pens made so she can get some of these Roos back from me.

 

[seabreeze]

Egg-actly Pink on the Lab example!!

 

[seabreeze]

Mountain Mel....WOWSA...THAT IS A YUMMY looking splash!!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Cute babies, I'm not sure on your blue chicks but think your right on the wheaten ones. Nice pen!

 

[Mountain Mel]

Quote:
If you are going to drive up this way anytime soon you can take him home with you!

 

[Ivywoods]

Mel,

that is one pretty splash roo.