Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[sewandgrow]

I woke up to Pinkchick's eggs hatching this morning. 3 were out when I got up & I am sure more on the way. I am off to go check. The first on out is a big fat guy with tons of white (not yellow) on his/her chest......
Karen in Turlock California

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
I have asked the same question......twice. IMO, there has been no definitive answer given. I believe that all shades of blue should be acceptable.


We will never be able to get rid of the "leaky-ness" in blue, I wouldn't want to, blue is leaky period. The leaky is what gives us Splash, without the leaky in the Splash...we would just have another whiteish colored bird. The Blue gene basically acts like a diluter gene and we cannot control how much it does dilute or how much it doesn't, nor can we control if it misses a feather or two, hence the leaking.
I think we should embrace it and focus on overall uniformity of the bird ( ie..,body type, copper, shank feathering etc.) and good lacing, lacing is very important in the blues. Lacing.. one of the main reasons I keep coming back for more of the blues.....ya just don't get that in the Black Coppers. (No offense to the BCM lovers out there.

)

I also agree with Hens and Roos.....I have found that the lacing stays darker and more crisp when producing blues from Black Coppers. I have found that I loose lacing when I breed the blues to the blues and blues to the splash, however it takes more than just one generation of breeding the blues to the blues or splash to start to loose crisp dark lacing in the offspring. Once I put the Black Copper back in to the program....lacing is now back on track and nice and crisp.

 

[Raven1]

Quote:
Kim looky here these are the chicks I talked about the color on. Any opinion?

 

[Cadeau]

Thanks!
That makes sense!

I wasn't sure if it was similar to Geebs preferring the shorter "low riders" i.e if one prefers the sky blue to the powder blue or nearly navy blue.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Kim looky here these are the chicks I talked about the color on. Any opinion?

I saw that and am thinking about what to say.....I can't see them as clearly as I would like, (my monitor is seriously JUNK....need to hit my dad up today for a new one. Ohhhhhh Pops...look out I'm coming over to go monitor shopping!

) but I can see that they do not look normal to me. I can't put my finger on it because I cannot see it clearly.....DON what do you see?????

I will say that I would expect to see all of the chicks looking like the first one....and I believe the first one photo'd is a roo BTW.

 

[Cadeau]

Another question:

I have a 10 wk BCM cockerel who was coming along very nicely...(I think?)
Huge, big guy since he hatched - way wider than the rest - like a football player
good coloring
great feathering

BUT - his comb started to grow all of a sudden and it looks like it wants to fall....

So....is there any way to help/splint the comb?


Is he a cull?? Is this genetic??

I did read that a fallen comb is a DQ, but could I use him for a breeding program, if all else was very, very nice?? (will have to wait and see)

I'll try to get pics after work

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Come on chick chicks....we need to see you! It's time to come out and play!

Congrats Karen! I hope they keep popping like popcorn for you.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
I think maybe he is just hitting a huge growth spurt and the combs can sometimes seem to change like overnight and suddenly look HUGE....give him some more time to see if it will straighten out. I have had some cockerels combs do that and I worried about them staying that way but after several more weeks as they matured the combs were normal. I will say that they were nice beefy combs upon maturity...a little too big for my taste, but nice combs. Just watch him at this point, he is still very young and will grow leaps and bounds between now and 6-7 months of age.

Oh, you could also post a photo of him for more opinions and advise. WE LOVE PHOTO's!!!!!! I think some of us may be just as addicted to photos of Marans as we are the birds themselves.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
I have asked the same question......twice. IMO, there has been no definitive answer given. I believe that all shades of blue should be acceptable.


We will never be able to get rid of the "leaky-ness" in blue, I wouldn't want to, blue is leaky period. The leaky is what gives us Splash, without the leaky in the Splash...we would just have another whiteish colored bird. The Blue gene basically acts like a diluter gene and we cannot control how much it does dilute or how much it doesn't, nor can we control if it misses a feather or two, hence the leaking.
I think we should embrace it and focus on overall uniformity of the bird ( ie..,body type, copper, shank feathering etc.) and good lacing, lacing is very important in the blues. Lacing.. one of the main reasons I keep coming back for more of the blues.....ya just don't get that in the Black Coppers. (No offense to the BCM lovers out there.

)

I also agree with Hens and Roos.....I have found that the lacing stays darker and more crisp when producing blues from Black Coppers. I have found that I loose lacing when I breed the blues to the blues and blues to the splash, however it takes more than just one generation of breeding the blues to the blues or splash to start to loose crisp dark lacing in the offspring. Once I put the Black Copper back in to the program....lacing is now back on track and nice and crisp.

Kim, my friend, I have to say to you the Blues will breed true just like all the other blue breeds when someone gets serious with them and raises large numbers and culls. All of the color of blue variations will be showable but I really believe they will state in the standard that a medium Blue is preferred.

Regardless of what some have said the splash are different when using them for breeding depending on what blue variation they came from. If I had my choice of making a blue mating I would use the Black Copper and splash combination as it will give some young that are more in the middle of the road in the blue color.

Some of the bigger shows like Ohio National and Lucasville , Ohio, And Connersville , Ind. you will see some of the most beautiful fowl in the blue pattern with no other leaking . A good colored Blue is a sight to behold.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Kim looky here these are the chicks I talked about the color on. Any opinion?

I saw that and am thinking about what to say.....I can't see them as clearly as I would like, (my monitor is seriously JUNK....need to hit my dad up today for a new one. Ohhhhhh Pops...look out I'm coming over to go monitor shopping!

) but I can see that they do not look normal to me. I can't put my finger on it because I cannot see it clearly.....DON what do you see?????

I will say that I would expect to see all of the chicks looking like the first one....and I believe the first one photo'd is a roo BTW.

Kim, I just see chicks that look mixed up. Either mixed up with different colors of Marans or out crossed to something else. I do not think pure marans.