Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

I have loved spending the morning with ya'll....gotta run now. Have a beautiful day friends!!!!!

 

[geebs]

Whoa Kim

Nice improvement on BIG BILL....

I likey what you have done with it... He is one of the best specimens I have seen in the blue coppers. He surpasses his father for more correct type/color.... though Bill has it going on!!! If you find lil' Bill missing...You might have to come this way... Hey do you have a red hackled bc female lying around with correct eye color.. You could improve the hackle on this fellow possibly by running her in front of him... (just a thought that you probably already had)... Man kim that is a nice one!!! See what I miss when I drop off the planet for a spell...

I know what you mean about keeping the overmelanised and red birds... they really make some fine stuff... I have kept a roo this year that I would have parted with as a novice... I will get a pic of him... He is sooo cute.... I have lost some of the black in my pullets this round and the black isn't as dark as I need... I will have to use this overmelanised roo to put the black back on them for another round. I need a couple of red hackled females... If you end up with any lmk... I will blaze a path to your door... (if you are culling any lmk) I may be able to make use of em.

HI RUSTY!!!!

Hey Don: What is this I hear... I thought you swore off Marans forever???!!!

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
EXACTLY why I keep blue offspring from black to blue crosses with my Giants!

Lil' Bill is STUNNING!

 

[geebs]

pinkchick wrote:
Wynette~ You commented earlier about your Giants and breeding black to blue to keep nice crisp lacing.......that is exactly why I breed black to blue here.....for the lacing. For a long while I only owned 2 BCM hens and didn't use them for breeding because I was bent on making all the blues I could. Slap in the face for me.....when I only used the blue to blue or splash to blue, I lost lacing bigtime and some of my birds started resembling a self blue bird. I learned my lesson the hard way and will forever use blue and black to keep the lacing crisp

that is exactly what I was saying too!!! and you don't lose color in your eggies.

I know lots of ppl like the self blue look... I am not a Lav fan so I like to keep crisp lacing... I had to use the same strategies a few years back on the BLRW's.... I had to find a Black laced red wyandotte with good lacing to throw in the pot because my splash to blue was weakening every generation... Same strategy I used for the blues worked for the Wyandottes.​

 

[Wynette]

HIYA, Geebsie! Haven't seen you in a bit!! (I haven't been posting much here.....

) - hope you are well!

 

[geebs]

Hey Wynette!!

thanks for asking... Naw just a busy summer... Is my busiest season of the year... Horse stuff...Wintertime most ppl aren't riding much and do not need their colts and fillies broke out... Got to go now though... Lots of clients today!!! Not much times for chickens these days.. Lucky the broodies are doing their thing... I give em the eggs I want them to have and let nature do the rest.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Jan, I just have the mentality that when someone tells me something that I say will not work, I have to prove them wrong. I know you miss me but afraid to admit it on the forum. Take care.

 

[geebs]

naw!! Not afraid to admit it... I forgot to give you hugs (my bad)... Heres some sugar for ya big Daddy!!!

 

[dkcrumly]

Here are the two newest members of my flock. Can someone tell me how to sex them and what age is the best to do that?

They were hatched by my bantam Cochins:

 

[Tiss]

Hello Marans experts! I hatched out 4 BCM chicks nearly 5 weeks ago. Sadly, 2 of them were eaten by a snake. I'm afraid the two I have left are little cockerels based on their stance and feathering patterns but I don't really know for the breed as these are the first I've had.

They are 4.5 weeks old now and so quick, it was next to impossible to take pictures that weren't blurred. One of them has copper flecked feathers coming in on his wings, I'm assuming this is an indication of a boy?

This is the one with the copper flecking.

This ones wings are coming in black.

Here is Mr. Copper flecks in the front and the other at the back with their EE sister in the middle.

I'll try to get some better pictures later. The good news is, I have 18 more BCM eggs incubating right now. I'm sure to get at least one pullet out of that!