Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Ivywoods]

Marquisella-
Thank you so much for answering my questions. I am not wanting to raise a lot of marans, but I do want to keep to the standard and I want some dark eggs... just not too many. As it is I am having to feed some of my marans eggs back to the chickens and sometimes a treat for the dogs when I get more than we can use.

Mine are pure Wade Jeane birds, and I've been afraid to mix them because I've been told you could lighten the egg color by doing that.

 

[Debbi]

kowgurl62 ~ Welcome to the Marans thread!

Nice flock you have there! I love the "dark boys" too. Looks like you have some goodins' in there!

 

[Wynette]

Howdy, Marans friends! Been awhile since I've checked in...goodness, there's absolutely no way I'll be able to catch up! YOu guys are chatty buggers!

Hope you're all well!

 

[kaitlyn_rae2003]

Hello everyone!
I am brand new to marans, and I have gotten some lovely chicks from bishops/malapine farms, and they are just gorgeous. I know literally nothing about marans except the lovely dark egg the hens produce. So I will work my way through the thread but I just thought I would say hello and introduce myself, (kaitlyn)
My group consists of 4 splash birchen marans, and 3 blue olive eggers ( is that a marans too, or just a cross?) They have all got feathered legs, and I will post pics really soon. I am wondering what sorts of beautiful offspring I could create with these guys. I also have malapines pure black ameraucanas, so I feel like I have some good options of creating BBS olive eggers possibly? I need a genetics tutorial but I am looking forward to learning as much as I can about my marans especially! Thanks so much!
edit-- they are from the bev davis line.

 

[AyeUpChuck]

everyone! Lots to learn and share in here!

Good Morning y'all! The weather is reminding us that we're still in the PNW for sure though I at least don't have to eater the garden but it's got some haying folk in a tizzy. Might have to wait to get pictures of the Marans tomorrow. Though I'll have to get shots of the 16 babies I hatched out over the last few weeks.

Have a great day!

 

[Mrs. Cannon]

Quote:
YAY Marans! I'm glad you chose them they are a wonderful breed

As far as the olive eggers go, a Marans roo is used over a blue egg layer to produce an olive layer (I could go more in depth but this is just a simpler explanation) But yep just a cross and with those ameraucanas you could make some lovely crosses

Do you plan on just doing olive eggers or them and Marans?

 

[Mrs. Cannon]

I just wanted to say I've been trying to follow this thread and all the information, but I couldn't because my lack of internet

But finally today I have... drum roll please! THE INTERNET! So I'm excited to be able to post more and learn more

 

[Sphinx]

I've missed this discussion. I've been so busy with the kids out of school that I haven't had time to play here as I'd like.

We also have been busy expanding our chicken run- we now have an extra 4.5'x22' of run for the chickens to play around in. I'm hoping to integrate my rooster with the girls soon. We have his little coop right by the main coop so they all see each other all day, and then we let them all out into the yard to free range.

My rooster is now about 4 months old. He's managed to dominate a couple of the girls, but the dominant hens are still really picking on him, so I don't feel quite comfortable making a permanent move for him. We've named him "Sue" hoping for a Johnny Cash type scenario, and it seems to have helped a little. LOL

Once I do move him over, I'm contemplating hatching some of the eggs to give to SIL (or maybe keep a couple chicks for myself since I have more space now). I'm thinking a BCMxOE would make a neat hen. I would love feedback on my rooster though, to see if I should be eating less fertilized eggs and hatching more, if he is a really great specimen or not. I do also have a fairly nice (though too dark) BCM hen that would be nice to match with.

 

[Debbi]

Good day all

Wow! Look at all the new folks coming in here!!

Hey Wynette, glad to see you are still about!

We had a nice rain last night, with more possibly today!

Chickens were all feisty this morning with the cooler weather. Was finally able to get the last two little roos out of my house! Hopefully, to stay out there now with Solo and Clyde at night. He is so good with his kids. The older 4 chicks who are 3 weeks older than Solo think she is fair game, and will come over out of nowhere just to give her a good peck. Clyde wasn't having any of that last night, and when one of the older ones would peck Solo, they's promptly get a good peck on the top of the head from Dad!

It really fascinates me the way the chicken dynamics work, it's really like watching people! In the words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along??" Think I'll make a sign saying that, and hang it in the run!

 

[kaitlyn_rae2003]

Mrs. Cannon :

Quote:
YAY Marans! I'm glad you chose them they are a wonderful breed

As far as the olive eggers go, a Marans roo is used over a blue egg layer to produce an olive layer (I could go more in depth but this is just a simpler explanation) But yep just a cross and with those ameraucanas you could make some lovely crosses

Do you plan on just doing olive eggers or them and Marans?

I really like the marans a lot, I am thinking I may get some other marans in the near future, when some really great ones from a known blood line pop up. I havent had the best luck until this most recent breeder in VA. I am finding a lot of people in the area just breed from their hatchery stock, and while that is great, and works well, I am striving for substance in my flock, and I hope to hatch out in the future, so I really want a quality stock to go from. I can't wait to watch these guys grow up! Super cute already!!​