Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[flgardengirl]

Well darker eggs on the birchens for one thing. I think I posted Sassy's eggs awhile back and they are a better than what she hatched from, the guy who sold them to us was working on egg color so it must have worked some. The black birchen girl (haven't named her yet...how sad is that? especially since she sticks to me like glue and is jealous of Sassy who is jealous of her LOL)
lays a larger and darker egg than Sassy but it is nothing near what our BCMs lay. I would really like to cross some birchen with my darkest laying (or roo from darkest eggs) BCMs but what a mess they would probably make as far as the gold leakage thing lol. My black birchen girl is mossy, so that has to be cleaned up as well. I like my blue birchen boy but he has some gold leakage on his wings so the leakage is the major thing. Leg feathering should be easy to get compared to the other stuff. They are definitely a work in progress but I'm in no hurry. I kinda like the process...whether its plants or chickens

 

[gilavina]

Well darker eggs on the birchens for one thing. I think I posted Sassy's eggs awhile back and they are a better than what she hatched from, the guy who sold them to us was working on egg color so it must have worked some. The black birchen girl (haven't named her yet...how sad is that? especially since she sticks to me like glue and is jealous of Sassy who is jealous of her LOL)
lays a larger and darker egg than Sassy but it is nothing near what our BCMs lay. I would really like to cross some birchen with my darkest laying (or roo from darkest eggs) BCMs but what a mess they would probably make as far as the gold leakage thing lol. My black birchen girl is mossy, so that has to be cleaned up as well. I like my blue birchen boy but he has some gold leakage on his wings so the leakage is the major thing. Leg feathering should be easy to get compared to the other stuff. They are definitely a work in progress but I'm in no hurry. I kinda like the process...whether its plants or chickens

I'm right there with you! I love the process on both of those things. I love being able to see the growth and changes that result from our learning curves and breeding decisions.

 

[SherrieT]

Your opinions please..
My lone little BC Marans. Both are clean legged (darn it)
They will be two weeks old on Saturday



I'm thinking roo on the right and pullet on left???
Him (hopefully)



Her ?

 

[Cadeau]

Evening all

Gorgeous babies, Vicki! You have some nice, hefty kids there!!
You, too, Donna!
Sorry - I went to bed last night before finishing our conversations...not been sleeping well.

Vicki - good luck with whatever is on your plate!!
Sometimes the biggest leaps of faith bring the biggest dividends!!


Donna- let me know what you figure out!!
I'm in the same boat - I've had chickens for years, but have only been breeding for a year now!
I'm stressed just thinking about your 100 chicks!!

 

[Cadeau]

Anyone know someone who sells EE eggs near northeastern, PA? (or I'll be down near Philly tomorrow and will be at the Harrisburg Horse Expo Sat...)

I'd like to be able to pick up...having NO luck with shipped eggs, but have about a 97% hatch with home eggs....

MTA: I don't mind driving up to 2hrs in any direction.
I'm 2.5hrs to Philly, 2hrs to Harrisburg, 2hrs to Flemington, NJ, 45 min to Binghamton, NY...

 

[gilavina]

Evening all

Gorgeous babies, Vicki! You have some nice, hefty kids there!!
You, too, Donna!
Sorry - I went to bed last night before finishing our conversations...not been sleeping well.

Vicki - good luck with whatever is on your plate!!
Sometimes the biggest leaps of faith bring the biggest dividends!!


Donna- let me know what you figure out!!
I'm in the same boat - I've had chickens for years, but have only been breeding for a year now!
I'm stressed just thinking about your 100 chicks!!

thanks katelyn....they really are just adorable chunkers. I can't wait to see them grow some more. I have some that have wing feathers almost an inch and a half long already. Weeds I tell ya.

I certainly am praying that the leap of faith will bring dividends. I'm still deciding what to do, but am feeling more prepared regardless.

 

[bwalden]

I've got a dozen Black Copper Maran eggs in the bator. It's day 7 so i candled them. i've hatched eggs in a bator many times before but not these dark Maran eggs. I did purchase these from a breeder and they were shipped USPS. Even through the seller is in the same state as myself i'm a little worried the eggs may have been shaken too much during shipping. i candeled them all before setting and had no visable cracks or damage. it does appear there is a dark area inside the egg but i cannot tell if its the yolk or if there is more??? Any suggestions would help.

 

[gilavina]

I've got a dozen Black Copper Maran eggs in the bator. It's day 7 so i candled them. i've hatched eggs in a bator many times before but not these dark Maran eggs. I did purchase these from a breeder and they were shipped USPS. Even through the seller is in the same state as myself i'm a little worried the eggs may have been shaken too much during shipping. i candeled them all before setting and had no visable cracks or damage. it does appear there is a dark area inside the egg but i cannot tell if its the yolk or if there is more??? Any suggestions would help.

With the Marans eggs I've gone to candling between day 10 and 14, then again at day 18 before they go to lockdown. By day 10 to 14 you have a pretty good idea about whether somethings happening in them, and then day 18 you know for sure which ones are doing well and which have stopped.

 

[Cadeau]

Be brave, Vicki!

For the biggest decisions (or hurdles) in my life, I always felt Waayyy better once I had a plan!

I take forEVER to make a decision, but, once I'm in, I'm IN!
Just received our confirmation for our first foster care meeting!!


BWalden - people seem to have different luck with shipped eggs, depending, particularly, it seems on which hub they pass through.
I, myself, haven't had much luck with shipped eggs, though my home eggs hatch really well.

From what I've read, you should let shipped eggs sit a couple days before setting, and some people recommend not turning them for the first several days, in hopes that all the scrambled parts and pieces, particularly the air cell, can reconsolidate.

For candling, you need a high powered light to see much, other than the darkness.
I figure, as long as the "darkness" is growing, we're making progress!!

 

[bwalden]

Ok i'll keep hoping that they are ok and try again next week. Surely by day 14 i'll know something. I have some chicks supposed to be arriving in the morning all else fails i'll wait until my hens are laying and try again. Thanks for the advise.

Cadeau - i did let the eggs set out in my house for 24 hours prior to setting in the bator. Never tried hatching shipped eggs before but would love some Marans so i thought what the heck, i'll give it a try. I only have $20 bucks in the eggs if nothing hatches at all. But i will no doubt be disappointed if that happens. Only time will tell as they say......