Thanks Ivywoods.
Got them Sat evening, and she just laid this morning. To be expected with the move and all. Even the RIR i got from a friend just laid, and both were kinda smallish. I won't make too many judgements for a week or so, let them settle in.
Selene's first egg this morning was probable a 3 on the scale. Its darker than my RIR eggs from the previous flock, but not quite what it should be. We'll see after a week or so. I do plan to breed them, albeit for my own purposes. I wont be looking toward show quality unless I get some really good genetics. I will probably get some hatching eggs come spring, maybe now if I find someone with some good ones.
I would be curious to see a discussion about the growth rates. Henderson's Breed chart as well as many older sources suggest Marans have a better than average growth rate, while most breeders now say they grow slower than average. Growth rates do factor into the utility of any animal or livestock, especially dual purpose chickens. My black tailed buff was fully grown with a nice broad breast when I got him at 8 months, while many I see now are still growing at a year or more. No, I don't think any of us want our birds at market weight earlier than 16 weeks. There is a difference though between a meaty bird at 4-5 months and one that takes 9 months or longer.
also, I keep hearing that Marans from many breeders are losing their broodiness as well. This isn't a critique, just a curiosity for breeders. Is there a point where perfect color and shape has outweighed the true characteristics we really want in Marans?
Ken