Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Cadeau]

I hope so!!
I need to put up an ad for layers and get some of those girls gone, too!

then I'll have space to fill back up!!

 

[gilavina]

I hope so!!
I need to put up an ad for layers and get some of those girls gone, too!

then I'll have space to fill back up!!

haha....spoken like a true chicken addict

 

[chickeneyfoot]

What does the peppers do???????

 

[luvinbluechickens]

Ok I have a stupid question. Aren't they just supposed to have feathers on the shank and lateral toes? Aren't feathers in the middle toe a reason to cull in and of its self?

Thanks, Emily

 

[stoopid]

What does the peppers do???????

Ummm, they look like something. On a BOY.
Another name is Peter pepper.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

This is probably a dumb question, but how do you breed to get a solid Blue Marans? I guess what I am wanting to know is, what is the origin of these birds?

Quote:

I'm guessing here based on what I've been reading - Blue birds (solid or with copper added) are based on the ER allele (Birchen). Black and Blue Coppers are (aka. brown-red) start with ER/ER with s+/s+ to get the copper (red) - and a bunch of other things. For a Blue bird without copper I assume you would want to replace the s+ (red) with S (silver). Black and Blue Coppers also carry Mh (mahogany) which intensifies red. I'm betting you'd likely want to get rid of that one too. The Black and Blue Coppers also have a Ml (melanotic) allele which when carried to extremes and combined with other factors, hides the copper expression which is what Debbi is talking about. I assume this allele would be useful when creating a solid coloured bird.

I don't believe the solid blue or black Marans are an officially recognized variety anywhere in the world at this point.

There is some good information here on the Australian site (which suggests what I just mused about above is pretty much on the mark!) http://frenchmaransclubaustralia.yolasite.com/notes-on-breeding.php

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Ok I have a stupid question. Aren't they just supposed to have feathers on the shank and lateral toes? Aren't feathers in the middle toe a reason to cull in and of its self?

Thanks, Emily

This seems to be one of the things we can't always agree on. Feathers on the middle toe are a problem in Marans, as are clean shanks. However, we have to pick our battles as NO bird will be perfect. So do you use a bird that is too heavily feathered that has qualities in other areas? Or do you just cull for every problem you see? Guess a lot of it depends on how much you have to work with!!!

 

[Debbi]

Good morning all

As to the middle toe feathering, after reading what Flgardengirl said, It may be a good idea to use some of those with the middle toe feathering with naked legged birds?? It would put the feathers on the shanks quicker maybe, then take those offspring and breed them back to a "normally feathered" bird? Lisa and Lynette, are you seeing the middle toe feathers more on roos or hens, or is it an even split kind of thing??

 

[Debbi]

Hey Vicki ~ Got any new pics of Gigantor and Big Boy's chicks?? Can't wait to see them all grown out! Gees, after all the bragging about cleaning out the roos yesterday, I just looked at the calendar, and today is day 16 for my Wynette eggs! I should have more roos by the weekend!

 

[math ace]

Good morning all

As to the middle toe feathering, after reading what Flgardengirl said, It may be a good idea to use some of those with the middle toe feathering with naked legged birds?? It would put the feathers on the shanks quicker maybe, then take those offspring and breed them back to a "normally feathered" bird? Lisa and Lynette, are you seeing the middle toe feathers more on roos or hens, or is it an even split kind of thing??

I used the same set of hens and roo last summer. I hatched ALL year long last year... I really didn't notice it being an issue until just recently.
That may of been because I had so many other defects that I was culling hard for.

Middle toe feathering was not an issue for the parents... Of the offspring, I have two really nice specimens. They are my favorites from all the rounds of culling and are carrying the middle toe feather. One is a hen and the other is a young cockerel.....
The question was is it an even split.... Well, I know for a fact that I produced a heck of a site more MALES than I did females last year LOL...
I produced 5 males for every single female BCM. . . . Right now, just looking at what I have left on the property it would appear evenly split. However, considering how many males I hatched and how that wasn't one of my big issues - IDK....

Typically, I wouldn't keep or use a bird with a middle toe feathering. However, these two birds are so much better (IMHO) than ALL the others that I hatched last year that I have to TRY something with them. Originally, I had planned on breeding these two together BUT not anymore. The cockerel I am going to use over a clean shank hen. The hen with the middle toe feathering I really really, Really, REALLY, like... will just have to set out of action until this fall.
I don't want to mate her back to dad because he would take away from her type, although he has wonderful shank feathering... UGGH. I will just have to wait and see what the middle toe feathered cockerel and clean shank hen produced... SLOW going here, REALLY SLOW going...