Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Hens and Roos]

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those look great!

hope that one day I can get our eggs to that color(the shelled ones of course

).

 

[Bravo]

Thanks Ivy! It looks like I have a couple of girls that are mediocre layers in the color dept too-- but it doesn't matter anymore. I don't have a rooster to continue on breeding so these girls will just be my city layers

I think you brought this up before but now I can concur--my Marans eggs definitely have a higher occurrence of meat spots. I really think that is going to make them harder to sell to the average consumer--how do you go about it?

My husband's friend owns an amazing, very high-end restaurant and the minute he found out we had Marans he's been trying to buy all of our eggs each week lol. That would be a sweet arrangement but I hate having obligations to anyone--not only that but if I want to use the eggs, even if it is just to feed to the dogs, I don't want to feel guilty about it. I think I am going to have to give him chicks for Christmas

 

[Bravo]

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I've got 2 monitors set up and on 1 I can see it and the other they all look the same. The differences I guess are subtle but to the naked eye there is a difference. Ah, well, I guess since there doesnt seem to be a preference for the hue, it doesn't matter

Thanks Hens and Roos! These girls are F2 girls I've bred. Each generation kept improving on egg color but there are still a few girls that are definite culls in the egg dept if I were still breeding. They are still very, very early in their lay cycles too (only started a few weeks ago) so I just hope they can maintain their color over the long run. Time will tell

 

[Wynette]

Hello, Marans friends! It's been ages since I posted, but just wanted to say hello....been thinking 'bout y'all and hoping all is well with you! My gals are all in VERY hard molts right now - a few so hard that they can't even fly to the roost at night. Poor gals! I don't even like looking at them, it pains me!

Anyway, just wanted to pop in & say hello - hope you're all staying busy & productive with your chooks!

 

[stoopid]

Hey lady, since I didn't win the yack contest, can I be put on a list to buy BCM eggies next spring?
It would have been today, but you pegged the meter early. SO CLOSE!!

 

[Wynette]

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You're funny. PM sent.

 

[Ivywoods]

Because of the blood spots I don't sell the marans eggs. I think the people I sell to would have a cow if they found a meat or blood spot in their eggs. For that reason, I use the marans eggs myself and I try to keep the number of hens down so I don't get too many. I have sold quite a few eggs for hatching, or hatched and sold chicks. Right now I only have one hen laying, but I have several pullets nearing point of lay.

Personally, the blood spots don't bother me, and I think the marans eggs have such better yolk consistency than any other egg.

Wynette-

Debbi-

 

[Debbi]

Susie!

I get an occaisional blood spot, usually in the pullet eggs. One thing I've noticed lately, is that since I quit feeding them oyster shell, I don't have near as many spots. In fact I haven't had any spots with my two new layers yet. Correlation or coincedence??

 

[Wynette]

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I had a few Marans that laid eggs with HUGE hunks of meat spots. Blood spots don't bother me, but meat spots....

I ended up moving those gals (and their daughters) out of my breeder pen and I haven't had meat spots since...so I think the ones I had were genetic to a few specific gals.

HIYA!

 

[pinkchick]

Beautiful eggs Bravo!



Hi Wynette!

Debbi~ I don't feed oyster shell either and I don't have too many problems with blood spots or meat spots that I have seen. They don't bother me at all if I do find them...I simply scoop them out with a spoon and resume cooking. My egg customers have all been asked about them and no one reports finding anything.