Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Quote:
Just with my own experience here, the pullets combs don't start turning red until they are coming up on point of lay. Here it varies from 17 - 24 weeks. Hate to say it, but if indeed you are seeing RED (not pink), combs and wattles at 10 weeks, they are most likely boys.

Best thing is to post some pics...we love pics!

Finally, got some time... Here is the suspect...not as red as the boys or as big as the boys but suspect...

Best I could do on camera work sorry

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/92428_dsc03345.jpg

This is a girl (I hope) and she is pinking up but comb is not really getting bigger

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/92428_dsc03346.jpg

This is a shot with the suspect next to a roo

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/92428_dsc03352.jpg

Several girls are getting pinker too, could they be older than I think?

This is my "Redneck" Boy... I know he is not right, he has too much color especially on his breast but he is the only boy with really any color.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/92428_dsc03361.jpg

This is a group shot (most of them wanted the watermelon)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/92428_dsc03370.jpg

I am only breeding for me but I do want to do the best with what I have

Haha...i love the camera delay you have going. Especially since it looks like you have a ghosty chicken. That pullet closest to the white or cream container that is not facing into the circle on the left hand side of the picture! She's translucent! awesomeness haha

 

[DMRippy]

It was doing fine till I thought I needed to use the flash...that is when things got sketchy. I have a pic of redneck with two combs, nothing else seems odd just two combs, two different color combs no less

The coop gets soooooooo much sun and with this heat we gave them some "blinds" to cut the direct sunlight that is why it looks dark but it is just shaded well in the coops on that side of the barn.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
that's a good idea about the blinds for the coop. I bet they really appreciate it! I seriously love the ghosty girl pic tho! I didn't notice it right at first...but then realized I shouldn't be able to see through her! Good job!

seriously tho...on that boy with the overcolored breast..he definitely is the best colored out of the ones I see. My big boy Gigantor which i've posted pics of on here was pretty overcolored when he was a chick and is losing that coloring now and think once he goes through his molting...it will be hard to tell he had any color there. So, if it were me, I'd pick him and maybe the next best boy or two to hang onto and let grow out to see how they pan out.
From what i can see of them in that last pic all together it looks like you have several girls to start out with. How's the copper coming in on them so far?

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Back when they first came here (Marans) evidently someone thought that the introduction of Penedesenca chickens would help to improve egg color, or at least that's what I've read and heard. So now, that Pene blood is still milling around in our Marans gene pool here in the USA today. People don't pay attention to combs much I guess, and I am guilty as charged there myself! I'm now a comb snob, and can spot the carnation and the carnation wannbes, really quick! It takes two sets of genes to have the comb show up (express itself), but if the bird carries one gene, it can go unnoticed and passed on. Until one day, you mate two birds, each carrying the carnation gene, and VOILA!, carnation comb! You can spot it quite early, usually by 5-8 weeks from what I've seen here, and it almost looks like the comb is ingrown towards the back end when it starts to come out. Usually seen more in male Marans, but it does happen in hens too, I have one! This hen has produced two babies for me so far. How can I tell you ask?? They both have Carnation combs!

Obviously, because she expresses the carnation she has both genes, so, out she goes, out those babies go, and tonight I was even considering ousting her hatchmates as well. That said, no one else has produced that comb, no other hens show that comb, and I sure hope I don't see it again. I'm still learning here, so when the experts come in and correct me, well, take their advice!

I'm just going by what I have here, and what has been produced so far.

So it takes 5 or so weeks to see if chicks have this comb problem? That's good to know as we are at day 20 of incubation and I am testing a Blue Cuckoo Marans cockeral against 2 Blue Marans hens to see if he is a carrier of this, both girls have a sprig coming on each side of the back of their combs. Told the kids we would have to see what the outcome is and make some decisions from there.

Does your hen show/have the carnation comb? If you are getting offspring showing the carnation comb than you must have a male carrying one of the needed genes too and that particular hen has the other gene needed for expression. I know VillageChicken explaned this on the Cuckoo and White Marans thread awhile back, that it is polygentic and it takes 2 dominante genes in the correct combination to get this carnation comb(ex:AaBb)and you would see expression to some degree. Apparently there is one combination that gives the best looking carnation comb. Hopefully I have my facts straight

, there was a bit more information but this is what I remember. You could always test the hatchmates and see who might be carrying it.

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I personally like that darker color of mahogany....

I still keep a nice even colored boy (Gigantor) and another unrelated boy, but I have one boy that is just now starting to show some color...and he is a BCM...but his color is so deep....I'm in love

crap....does that mean I'm keeping a roo just cause he's pretty?

Haha I have a bunch of roos I kept because they are pretty. Now I have 3 bachelor pads too many. I try and find a way to use them (ahem, justify keeping them) LOL. I kept this dark BCM roo because he turned out huge and has nice leg feathers, is the sweetest rooster, plus he came from a super dark egg. His comb has way too many points and I don't have any mossy or light girls to use him on but but but I will think of some way to use him..more Olive Eggers perhaps.

Enggass: I love your little pullet. She is turning out real nice so far.


Another way to get some really funky combs with Marans looking birds can be due to crossing the Marans to the Ameraucanas (Olive Eggers) then crossing back to a Marans. I found this out on accident because I was experimenting with egg color. I ended up with some of the funkiest combs on some roosters who look exactly like a Marans except the comb. One looks like it was rolled up in the back and has all these wierd points sticking out. It looks like a weapon lol !! Best to make sure to keep them far far away from the breeding pens...like in the freezer.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
I personally like that darker color of mahogany....

I still keep a nice even colored boy (Gigantor) and another unrelated boy, but I have one boy that is just now starting to show some color...and he is a BCM...but his color is so deep....I'm in love

crap....does that mean I'm keeping a roo just cause he's pretty?

Haha I have a bunch of roos I kept because they are pretty. Now I have 3 bachelor pads too many. I try and find a way to use them (ahem, justify keeping them) LOL. I kept this dark BCM roo because he turned out huge and has nice leg feathers, is the sweetest rooster, plus he came from a super dark egg. His comb has way too many points and I don't have any mossy or light girls to use him on but but but I will think of some way to use him..more Olive Eggers perhaps.

Enggass: I love your little pullet. She is turning out real nice so far.


Another way to get some really funky combs with Marans looking birds can be due to crossing the Marans to the Ameraucanas (Olive Eggers) then crossing back to a Marans. I found this out on accident because I was experimenting with egg color. I ended up with some of the funkiest combs on some roosters who look exactly like a Marans except the comb. One looks like it was rolled up in the back and has all these wierd points sticking out. It looks like a weapon lol !! Best to make sure to keep them far far away from the breeding pens...like in the freezer.

Have a couple of comments to make on the Carnation Comb. The side Sprig and Carnation Comb are two different things entirely. The Sprig is found in most all lines of chickens if not kept in check. The Carnation Comb will only show up if there is Penne influence. The Penne influence shows mostly on the male , but will show occassionally on the female. I had the carnation comb show in some bought eggs two year ago and as usual cull all in the hatch.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Back when they first came here (Marans) evidently someone thought that the introduction of Penedesenca chickens would help to improve egg color, or at least that's what I've read and heard. So now, that Pene blood is still milling around in our Marans gene pool here in the USA today. People don't pay attention to combs much I guess, and I am guilty as charged there myself! I'm now a comb snob, and can spot the carnation and the carnation wannbes, really quick! It takes two sets of genes to have the comb show up (express itself), but if the bird carries one gene, it can go unnoticed and passed on. Until one day, you mate two birds, each carrying the carnation gene, and VOILA!, carnation comb! You can spot it quite early, usually by 5-8 weeks from what I've seen here, and it almost looks like the comb is ingrown towards the back end when it starts to come out. Usually seen more in male Marans, but it does happen in hens too, I have one! This hen has produced two babies for me so far. How can I tell you ask?? They both have Carnation combs!

Obviously, because she expresses the carnation she has both genes, so, out she goes, out those babies go, and tonight I was even considering ousting her hatchmates as well. That said, no one else has produced that comb, no other hens show that comb, and I sure hope I don't see it again. I'm still learning here, so when the experts come in and correct me, well, take their advice!

I'm just going by what I have here, and what has been produced so far.

So it takes 5 or so weeks to see if chicks have this comb problem? That's good to know as we are at day 20 of incubation and I am testing a Blue Cuckoo Marans cockeral against 2 Blue Marans hens to see if he is a carrier of this, both girls have a sprig coming on each side of the back of their combs. Told the kids we would have to see what the outcome is and make some decisions from there.

Does your hen show/have the carnation comb? If you are getting offspring showing the carnation comb than you must have a male carrying one of the needed genes too and that particular hen has the other gene needed for expression. I know VillageChicken explaned this on the Cuckoo and White Marans thread awhile back, that it is polygentic and it takes 2 dominante genes in the correct combination to get this carnation comb(ex:AaBb)and you would see expression to some degree. Apparently there is one combination that gives the best looking carnation comb. Hopefully I have my facts straight

, there was a bit more information but this is what I remember. You could always test the hatchmates and see who might be carrying it.

Yes, the hen has a full blown carnation! I missed it when the comb became floppy, and I had not noticed it before because I didn't know back then, not to mention my way overdo need for a new eye glass prescription!

Back then too, nothing much had been mentioned about the hen's combs, so we are all making progress here! The more we learn and share, the quicker we can get on the right track! Being from MO, the "Show Me State", I'm glad to have been able to see the carnations as they come in. Now that I know, I can work away from it, and catch it much earlier and cull! Side sprigs too will spread like wildfire, my big Blue Copper roo, Blue Butt has one, big sprig. ALL funky combed birds will be gone before the next breeding season in the fall!!

 

[Debbi]

Good morning Don,

Yes, I have two distinct Carnations here, one on Pink's Blue Copper boy, JR, and one on one of my first hens. Blue Butt has a very noticeable sprig, on the side of his comb near the front end of the blade. When it first appeared on him, (or when I first noticed it!), it looked like a small bump where he may have been pecked. Today, it is an obvious, triangular shaped point, coming off the side of the comb. I will try to get some pics, but that hen is pretty illusive, and I believe she is out in the yard this morning.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
pictures would be great to see and help everyone see what needs to be worked on removing!

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
that's a good idea about the blinds for the coop. I bet they really appreciate it! I seriously love the ghosty girl pic tho! I didn't notice it right at first...but then realized I shouldn't be able to see through her! Good job!

seriously tho...on that boy with the overcolored breast..he definitely is the best colored out of the ones I see. My big boy Gigantor which i've posted pics of on here was pretty overcolored when he was a chick and is losing that coloring now and think once he goes through his molting...it will be hard to tell he had any color there. So, if it were me, I'd pick him and maybe the next best boy or two to hang onto and let grow out to see how they pan out.
From what i can see of them in that last pic all together it looks like you have several girls to start out with. How's the copper coming in on them so far?

I hope that happens with redneck, but I have plenty of room to keep them all as long as they behave. Any opinion on the suspect bird???? roo?????????? pullet????????