Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

today I picked up some pumpkins....got 4 of them that weigh about 20 pounds apiece... ended up with 80 pounds of pumpkin for a little less than 16 bucks. I'm stocking up for the birds for winter. Supposed to have a pallet of them come in on the truck that I can sort through before I put them out on the floor. I'm excited! Last year I waited too long to get any and the couple i did find ended up being pricey.

 

[Bravo]

Hi guys!

I just wanted to take a quick minute and share a BCM girl that is very, very special to me.

Back in spring I had 1 chick in a brooder come down with cocci. None of the others showed symptoms until a week later so we had no idea what it was in the beginning. Long story short, this little girl who was only 2 weeks old at the time she fell deathly ill ended up making a full recovery! When we thought the most humane thing to do was euthanize her she started showing improvement. I hand fed this little one every few hours for almost 2 weeks and after a failed treatment with Sulmet, Corid finally worked and she slowly regained her strength.

Anyways, this is my little (HUGE) fighter. She ended up being one of the bigger girls and prettiest out of my BCM's too. I never though though she'd lay eggs so I was content to having her as a decorative lawn ornament but I caught her in the act this weekend and she is the layer of my darkest egg.

(she's in the background of this photo)

Thanks for letting me share

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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I believe I read that there are 9 different varieties of Marans entered at Crossroads so Marans are definitely getting some attention.

last count I heard for entries to crossroads is 10,250 birds. I've never been to show that big, and am dying to go, but not this year for me.

I would love to see all the different Marans in one place!

I am SO glad to be going. I will do my best to get pictures that capture the atmosphere. (Especially the Marans and Ameraucanas - my soft spots!)

 

[flower]

BRavo she is very appealing also. What a fantastic story with such awesome results, full recovery and the best of everything. I think I would call her Magic.

 

[Bravo]

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Thank you flower! What a darling name! I was so apprehensive to name her even after she recovered because I didn't want to jinx it. I guess it's time to give her an official name

 

[Debbi]

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Wynette,

Obviously you didn't read my whole post there. I have no problem with people having their project birds at all. It's when they start to sell, an unfinished product as something, "new, rare, and special", when the "project" is still a project. That's where the "money, greed, and fame" come in. Folks then bite and buy these birds as "Marans", when in all reality, they are MUTTS. Until the projects breed true to type, color, and function for at least several generations, keep them in your backyard. There are a few folks on BYC that have dedicated "projects" that take years to complete, and even then are honest about what may pop up. I'm just finding now, duh I'm a bit slow, that some Marans folks are not quite so dedicated, or honest. Easy peasy!

 

[upthecreek]

this may have nothing to do with what you guys are talking about(if so disregard) but over the years i've had different people(people who did not know each other and lived in completely different parts of the US) tell me about getting a real suprise when crossing American Games with Marans in the darkness of the eggs laid by the crosses .


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[Illia]

Hey, egg color genetics are pretty mysterious. . . .

If I knew someone who knew them well, dark and blues especially, I'd LOVE to pick their brain. All I know is the basics and that dark eggs are actually several genes at work.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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Wynette,

Obviously you didn't read my whole post there. I have no problem with people having their project birds at all. It's when they start to sell, an unfinished product as something, "new, rare, and special", when the "project" is still a project. That's where the "money, greed, and fame" come in. Folks then bite and buy these birds as "Marans", when in all reality, they are MUTTS. Until the projects breed true to type, color, and function for at least several generations, keep them in your backyard. There are a few folks on BYC that have dedicated "projects" that take years to complete, and even then are honest about what may pop up. I'm just finding now, duh I'm a bit slow, that some Marans folks are not quite so dedicated, or honest. Easy peasy!

I am so NOT wanting to stir up trouble here because I very much like and respect both you ladies but when, exactly, is a Marans' "project" finished??? All the crap that continues to show up in the Black Coppers, for example, even from the best lines and best breeders - seems to me a few more decades at least of serious, SERIOUS closed breeding before we can even consider them finished ... and we all know that isn't going to happen.

 

[Debbi]

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Holy cow! Between you and Susie, you guys get some great deals! Pumpkins here, 2/$9.00, and these are probably 12 pounders and less. I want some pumpkins for the chooks, but not at that price! I do have an opportunity to pick up some after these folks have their annual "pumpkin shoot". Not something I really see the benefit of, as pumpkins are so high dollar this year; but hey, if they want me to take some pumpkin pieces off their hands for free, that may be the way to go!!