Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[slick4591]

great attitude slick! Just think where you'll be a couple of years from now with that mindset!
Have you narrowed down yet what you are wanting to focus on for varieties?

Thanks. I think for the time being I'm just going to work with Black Copper and Blue Copper in the Marans. I'm in the process of trying to build my incubator and some breeding pens so I can single mate them. It seems the boys and girls are waiting on me as they are ready. I also have Barred Rock and Ameraucanas layers to take up some of my time.

I guess I'm used to working in the four legged livestock arena where you either meet breed standards or given the gate. No one has yet shown sympathy for you just because you load, haul, bath, and walk your animal into the show ring. It either is or it isn't.

 

[Cadeau]

Evening all!

I missed the discussion re: the Newnan birds and I'm VERY new to Marans (@ a year now) AND learning as much as possible daily, but I'm in the camp that I cull anything that looks suspect.

Other than that - a new chick just hatched!!
and (s)he is out of a #7 egg, which is the darkest I get here, so far!!

Can't wait to see who else hatches!!

Vicki - I have to get those cockerels' pictures - I'm using your advice to single mate my bantam cochins and really enjoying seeing who comes out of which eggs today! (and banding them like crazy, before they get out of their little baskets!

Getting really excited to use the same method with the BCM and blue marans, but have to do another cull on the girls and pair them up with the appropriate roo!!



Lastly, I found these super little "diner" baskets at Big Lots! They're a bit short (my bigger eggs barely fit, height-wise, but they're working as little jails, so far!!
They were $3 for 6!! and were available in yellow, green, and blue!!

 

[Cadeau]

Pink - those babies are SO cute!
That light blue kid looks like a stuffed toy!!

 

[Cadeau]

Sorry for the multiple posts...

Anyone have any trouble hatching on the wire floors?
So far, I've had two chicks get dried as they were zipping and need help...

Is it the winter humidity (it was 56% at the time - higher now with more chicks hatching) or is it the fan and wire floor??

This is my first time hatching on the wire hatching trays!!

 

[gilavina]

Thanks. I think for the time being I'm just going to work with Black Copper and Blue Copper in the Marans. I'm in the process of trying to build my incubator and some breeding pens so I can single mate them. It seems the boys and girls are waiting on me as they are ready. I also have Barred Rock and Ameraucanas layers to take up some of my time.
I guess I'm used to working in the four legged livestock arena where you either meet breed standards or given the gate. No one has yet shown sympathy for you just because you load, haul, bath, and walk your animal into the show ring. It either is or it isn't.

precisely, that's exactly how it should be. I could probably go on far longer than anyone wants to read about shows and reasons why things are done a certain way to make it as even a playing field as possible when it comes to judging the birds without it being a popularity thing or etc. Not that it always works, but the whole point of the APA is to have a basic standard all birds are judged against (the first 30 some pages) and then by their own breed and variety standard. A DQ is a DQ...I don't view any of that stuff as small stuff or things that are negotiable or should be for one bird or breed and not another. Truth is, breeding and showing truly quality birds is hard and does not happen overnight. And the truth about birds being shown as they stack up against the standard is the most important thing we can do for the breed.

 

[Cadeau]

Same in the horse world -

For example - in dressage, ANY blood is a DQ

So - you have to be SURE you don't feed your horse peppermint treats (pink) before the ride!
B/c pink saliva is assumed to be blood in the mouth n- immediate DQ, they don't even check.
(ask me how I know

)

Same for unauthorized equipment of any kind - horse or rider

No questions - just DQ.

 

[DMRippy]

Same in the horse world -

For example - in dressage, ANY blood is a DQ

So - you have to be SURE you don't feed your horse peppermint treats (pink) before the ride!
B/c pink saliva is assumed to be blood in the mouth.
(ask me how I know

)

that had to hurt

 

[Debbi]

precisely, that's exactly how it should be. I could probably go on far longer than anyone wants to read about shows and reasons why things are done a certain way to make it as even a playing field as possible when it comes to judging the birds without it being a popularity thing or etc. Not that it always works, but the whole point of the APA is to have a basic standard all birds are judged against (the first 30 some pages) and then by their own breed and variety standard. A DQ is a DQ...I don't view any of that stuff as small stuff or things that are negotiable or should be for one bird or breed and not another. Truth is, breeding and showing truly quality birds is hard and does not happen overnight. And the truth about birds being shown as they stack up against the standard is the most important thing we can do for the breed.

Yup! Even as a non-showing chicken person, that's the way I see it! There are no "little things", if those little things are DQs! I would be too embarassed to show them, let alone breed them and pass that crap on to unsuspecting newbies! I'm sorry, but the APA needs to crack down on the judges that don't adhere to THIER OWN STANDARDS! That is the only way the money makers will be shaken up to comply and breed more wisely...IMHO

 

[gilavina]

Evening all!

I missed the discussion re: the Newnan birds and I'm VERY new to Marans (@ a year now) AND learning as much as possible daily, but I'm in the camp that I cull anything that looks suspect.

Other than that - a new chick just hatched!!
and (s)he is out of a #7 egg, which is the darkest I get here, so far!!

Can't wait to see who else hatches!!

Vicki - I have to get those cockerels' pictures - I'm using your advice to single mate my bantam cochins and really enjoying seeing who comes out of which eggs today! (and banding them like crazy, before they get out of their little baskets!

Getting really excited to use the same method with the BCM and blue marans, but have to do another cull on the girls and pair them up with the appropriate roo!!



Lastly, I found these super little "diner" baskets at Big Lots! They're a bit short (my bigger eggs barely fit, height-wise, but they're working as little jails, so far!!
They were $3 for 6!! and were available in yellow, green, and blue!!

Hey Katelyn! Good to see you! And congrats on the chickie! What all do you have in the incubator? I would say if you are having problems with chickies drying in the shells you might want to bump up your humidity a tad...I had mine between 60 and 63% for the hatching period and had no problems at all!

I'm here whenever you get those boys photos. How are your pens lookin now with the culling you've been doing?

 

[gilavina]

Same in the horse world -

For example - in dressage, ANY blood is a DQ

So - you have to be SURE you don't feed your horse peppermint treats (pink) before the ride!
B/c pink saliva is assumed to be blood in the mouth n- immediate DQ, they don't even check.
(ask me how I know

)

Same for unauthorized equipment of any kind - horse or rider

No questions - just DQ.

that had to stink.... but lesson learned I'm sure. This is exactly how I feel...we as breeders/showers have access to the same exact info as the judges and so it is our responsibility to make sure we fall in line with the standards. And if we don't....then it is on us...not the judge needing to give me a break, or the breed, or anything. Its all been laid out in the standard, which is the benchmark...