Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Hi Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing great!
Been busy taking care of some shtuff around here lately so haven't been around much and I miss you all.

Welcome to all the new Marans folks popping in!

Vicki~ Pretty Girl!!!!! and wanted to give you a great big

just because.


Did we lose Debbi to her new camera?????? Where is that lady with the pictures???

Oh and I saw Randy sneaking around in here the other day didn't I???.......HI RANDY!!!!!!!!

Thanks Kim! you made my day, its been one of those weeks!

I've been thinkin pretty seriously about a few things and am coming to a place where I've got some decisions to make and its wearin me out.

That little girl still has a way over colored breast, but I'm happy with the direction I'm going. I think she is going to be a wide hefty girl when she's grown. My cuckoos are like lead weights

 

[gilavina]

Oh no, I could only wish things went that smoothly! Had to purchase a memory card for it, my old one is evidently too small. Then went to use the CD for the software and manual, doesn't work?? Guess I'll have to hit the Fuji site today and ask them what's up, then sit back and wait for the memory card to arrive, probably on Saturday. No biggie, right now it is very cloudy and misting, and it is one MUCKY, SOUPY MESS out here! Once it's up and going, I'll get some pics of Olivia and Charlotte for ya, the ladies are looking good!!

Vicki, that's the little sweetie in the other pics, yes? I love her coloring! She looks very promising to me!!

Pip has become Mr. Feral Roo around here, refusing to go into the run. He has taken up residence on the front porch at night, standing guard like a gargoyle! Whoa be to anyone who may try to come to my front door at night, I can see him attacking in the dark, or at least doing his Velociraptor growl! That would scare the crap out of a would-be intruder!

Hey Debbi!

you mean is she the same girl as in on my member page on here we were talking about the other day? If so, no, she is not even from the same line as those girls in that pic. This little girl came from my silver cuckoos, the same group that produced that silver boy I showed a while back that I contacted that guy in the UK about. I'm going to be doing some test mating in there for sure. I think one of my hens is throwing me these sports and I'm determined to find them!! They will be very helpful for working on the birchens. I can't wait to see where I'm gonna be in two or three years. I think it will be very interesting!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I hatched 3 pullet eggs from one of my over melanized BCM girls on Christmas Day. Not sure if my Blue Copper or Black Copper (both brothers to the pullet) is the daddy but at just shy of 8 weeks, the Black Copper daughter is showing the tiniest bit of copper on the back of her neck - just a bit. She looks just like her mom, except for the copper. I've been reading like mad about genetics and trying to understand all this stuff. This has got my attention. (She's shy as could be so pictures of her are a bit of a trick ....

)

 

[prarychick]

Hello, I am a newby to this site. Would love to own a maran hen. Been wanting to since I heard of them. I am not a breeder, just love to have a small flock. Monday, a dog managed to jump into my back yard and it killed all but one of my 8 hens. The one I have left is very traumatized and hardly comes out of the coop. I was hoping to buy a young maran hen to keep her company until I can raise some more chicks. It was very hard to loose my flock. I take good care of my hens. They have an insulated coop that I shut up at night and open in the morning. They have about 3/4 of an acre to range around on, plus I have good food and water for them.

Can anyone help me with purchasing a young maran hen? I am headed out to see my new grandson this weekend, but will have my computer with me. I would like to find out more. Sorry to butt in here. Thanks for your time.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Where are you? That would help though maybe chicks could be had easier than pullets.

Hello, I am a newby to this site. Would love to own a maran hen. Been wanting to since I heard of them. I am not a breeder, just love to have a small flock. Monday, a dog managed to jump into my back yard and it killed all but one of my 8 hens. The one I have left is very traumatized and hardly comes out of the coop. I was hoping to buy a young maran hen to keep her company until I can raise some more chicks. It was very hard to loose my flock. I take good care of my hens. They have an insulated coop that I shut up at night and open in the morning. They have about 3/4 of an acre to range around on, plus I have good food and water for them.

Can anyone help me with purchasing a young maran hen? I am headed out to see my new grandson this weekend, but will have my computer with me. I would like to find out more. Sorry to butt in here. Thanks for your time.

 

[gilavina]

Where are you? That would help though maybe chicks could be had easier than pullets.

I was just gonna ask the same thing....you were right on top of it tho!

 

[3riverschick]

I've got question about Maran eggs. I've got five Wheatan Maran hens. I bought them as pullets. I was also told they came from the same clutch. They did not all start laying at the same time. The eggs are various shades of brown ranging from tan to rich dark chocolate. Will they eventually all be be dark?

Keep only the2 pullets laying the darkest eggs for breeding. I know that seems harsh, but you won't regret it later! Check the show stats and see whose wheaten roosters are winning consistantly. Now check the egg show stats and see if the same breeders are winning in the Wheaten catatgory consistantly ( this research will save you many dollars and years of work). Hopefully by now you have the names of 2 breeders who win consistantly at both show and egg competitions. Call both and see if they have a cockerel or rooster out of a dark egg laying mother. The dark egg laying ability comes down thru the male but HE gets it from his mother! So you want a boy whose mother was a dar egg layer... this is why youw ant to buy your boy from a linebred line whcih has been going for quite a while. Becuase of the way the dark eg gene are interwoven thru male and female inheritage thru the generations, it takes longer than a few years to get the dark egg ability set in both sexes. The females shoudl be laying dark egs each generation and the males should be passing on dark egg genes each generation. Once you get this dark egg set in your flock, close the flock and do not add any new blood. Create a nice linebreeding prgram and use cousins for line breeding. work on pefecting your breed type and winning at the shows.
Best,
Karen Tewart
Waterford Sussex
Ligonier, PA

 

[Debbi]

Hey Debbi!

you mean is she the same girl as in on my member page on here we were talking about the other day? If so, no, she is not even from the same line as those girls in that pic. This little girl came from my silver cuckoos, the same group that produced that silver boy I showed a while back that I contacted that guy in the UK about. I'm going to be doing some test mating in there for sure. I think one of my hens is throwing me these sports and I'm determined to find them!! They will be very helpful for working on the birchens. I can't wait to see where I'm gonna be in two or three years. I think it will be very interesting!

Ok, I give up!

Trying to keep track of everyone's lines and varieties is impossible for me. Beauties none the less, and I'm sure you will do very well with them!

Wynette ~ On the good side of things, I got a Priority parcel from CA today that I bought on Saturday!! Keep your fingers crossed for me that your eggs come tomorrow!

And yes, Silkies are TOO chickens! Alien chickens, but egg laying fools none the less!

 

[Debbi]

Hello, I am a newby to this site. Would love to own a maran hen. Been wanting to since I heard of them. I am not a breeder, just love to have a small flock. Monday, a dog managed to jump into my back yard and it killed all but one of my 8 hens. The one I have left is very traumatized and hardly comes out of the coop. I was hoping to buy a young maran hen to keep her company until I can raise some more chicks. It was very hard to loose my flock. I take good care of my hens. They have an insulated coop that I shut up at night and open in the morning. They have about 3/4 of an acre to range around on, plus I have good food and water for them.

Can anyone help me with purchasing a young maran hen? I am headed out to see my new grandson this weekend, but will have my computer with me. I would like to find out more. Sorry to butt in here. Thanks for your time.

If you let us know where in the country you are, we could help you more. If you just want a pullet/hen for the eggs or companionship for your other bird, I have one I would give to you! She lays a very nicely colored egg, but has a DQ comb, so she is NOT for breeding!! Need any roos???????

 

[gilavina]

Ok, I give up!

Trying to keep track of everyone's lines and varieties is impossible for me. Beauties none the less, and I'm sure you will do very well with them!

Wynette ~ On the good side of things, I got a Priority parcel from CA today that I bought on Saturday!! Keep your fingers crossed for me that your eggs come tomorrow!

And yes, Silkies are TOO chickens! Alien chickens, but egg laying fools none the less!

haha....I don't expect you to keep track of my crazy menagerie....there are some days I think I'm nuts with all these goofballs! I probably have about 30 or so blue birchens running around, a couple of those are splash and a couple black, but almost all are blues. Just the way I like it! Are you starting to see why I love them so and am willing to do whatever work I have to, to get them where I can see in my mind they can go? haha I truly do love the birchens