Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[DMRippy]

Okay - so if I'm understanding what Kim and Don are saying about feathered legs:

Even though there was a previous discussion (or two!) relating that outside toe feathers and middle toe feathers are two different genes - feathering on the OUTSIDE toe that is TOO heavy can still infringe on the middle toe. - ?? -

Just trying to understand and keep my notes straight!
Thanks!

I think that is the basic thought. If you breed a bird with middle toe feathers to an non feathered bird they will even out.... I don't think Kim subscribes to that theory, but Don does. You may have to try it for yourself and see what works in your birds. After reading about the 3 types of leg feathering things.... I think tests are in order for my Cuckoos to add feathering.

 

[Lotsapaints]

I have a little experience with adding feathering using a rooster who has stubs on his middle toe. I have gotten better feathering and yes I do get some with middle toe feathering at hatch I cull them so I'm not tempted later to use them....I live close to a zoo they love my eggs and chicks and it makes a charitable deduction as they are a non profit.

 

[DMRippy]

I have a little experience with adding feathering using a rooster who has stubs on his middle toe. I have gotten better feathering and yes I do get some with middle toe feathering at hatch I cull them so I'm not tempted later to use them....I live close to a zoo they love my eggs and chicks and it makes a charitable deduction as they are a non profit.

CHICKENS AT A ZOO? What do they do with them? Feed them to animals?

 

[gilavina]

Okay - so if I'm understanding what Kim and Don are saying about feathered legs:

Even though there was a previous discussion (or two!) relating that outside toe feathers and middle toe feathers are two different genes - feathering on the OUTSIDE toe that is TOO heavy can still infringe on the middle toe. - ?? -

Just trying to understand and keep my notes straight!
Thanks!

Did you happen to see the repost BarnGoddess did the other day of something Village Chicken wrote on this? I can't remember if it was on this thread or one of the other Marans ones, but if you saw it you would know which one I'm talking about. I think he did a great job of listing it out. I think regardless you will find as many opinions on it as there are breeders.

 

[Lotsapaints]

CHICKENS AT A ZOO? What do they do with them? Feed them to animals?

Yes they do and it's not something that they can advertise for really and I can only eat so much chicken myself.....I sell to the ethnic market but with the price of feed I try to only grow out worthy ones. Most of the breeders in my chicken club cull pretty hard at hatch and they mostly show bantams and take all the culls there I thought it's nice not to waste them.

 

[Cadeau]

Yep!
That's the post I'm referring to from Village Chicken that was reposted - it said (I think) that the gene for outer toe feathers and the gene for middle toe feathers are different.

So....does that mean ALL middle toe feathers are related to the UNwanted gene. (and, thus, we should cull)

OR

Can it be spillover from the outside toe feathers getting too dense? as suggested by ...someone...I can't remember who

Am I making any sense?

 

[gilavina]

Yep!
That's the post I'm referring to from Village Chicken that was reposted - it said (I think) that the gene for outer toe feathers and the gene for middle toe feathers are different.

So....does that mean ALL middle toe feathers are related to the UNwanted gene. (and, thus, we should cull)

OR

Can it be spillover from the outside toe feathers getting too dense? as suggested by ...someone...I can't remember who

Am I making any sense?

From what I got out of VC's info, I would say that if there is middle toe feathering it is the unwanted gene putting it there as I think there is a separate gene that is responsible for the middle toe feathering. It gets weird from there for me....mostly because I don't know if there is sufficient enough info to know what make that gene tick and how to predict it. So, the culling method isn't out of the realm of reason.

 

[Debbi]

I think that is the basic thought. If you breed a bird with middle toe feathers to an non feathered bird they will even out.... I don't think Kim subscribes to that theory, but Don does. You may have to try it for yourself and see what works in your birds. After reading about the 3 types of leg feathering things.... I think tests are in order for my Cuckoos to add feathering.

I think at this point in the journey, some will get different results than others. If from nothing else, that the fact that some people have (supposed) pure lines, some have (supposed) blended lines, and some others have three or more (supposed) lines in the mix. I know I had a Clyde son hatch, out of a clean legged hen (supposed Davis/Jeane lines), and the result was a short haired look as far as the shank feathering goes. He so much looked like his dad, and crowed just like his dad, that there was no excusing where he came from, and Clyde has the "street sweeper look". This F1 male did not have feathers on the outside toes, and he did have other faults that excluded him from the breeding stock, (ie short back and squirrel tail). He did however, have improvement in the shank feathering over his mother, so if I was to breed him to something likely feathered, I do believe he would've improved it. I don't think the sparsely feathered roos will add something to a breeding program, unless they have some heavy feathering behind them. This roo was a combo of heavy to nil, and came out semi-medium. Had he not had other faults, and bred to heavily feathered hens, he would've produced correct feathering...I believe. I would rather have heavily feathered roos to pass it on to lacking hens, and I believe it (proper feathering) could be achieved within 3 generations. Just a guess on my part, with limited breeding... While I was just starting in 2009, there were still many clean legged birds around. While I may in the future breed an otherwise really nice hen with clean, or near clean legs; the roos will be heavy feathered to the toe. I have not had any of the middle toe feathering yet, and I will cross that bridge when I come to it!

 

[Debbi]

Debbi -- I am TOTALLY counting on you to fill my hatching needs since the Silkies seem to be TOTALLY escaping me! And I KNOW you have a new camera so pictures are fully expected as well.

I will have to get more on the ball! I took some 6 Silkie babies outside today for the first time, and with all the hoopla required in the process, I forgot the camera!

I still need more practice with this camera, but it's either been stormy or too darned windy to get outside for decent pics. I've got the close up shots down pat, now I need to figure out the zoom feature! Need to play around with it some more when the weather gets better. Should be a good time the first part of next week, when the temps are getting to near EIGHTY!!!!!!!!

I am SOOOOOOO ready for that!!!!!!!!!! When the Marans chicks come, i can take pics of them!

 

[stoopid]

Yes they do and it's not something that they can advertise for really and I can only eat so much chicken myself.....I sell to the ethnic market but with the price of feed I try to only grow out worthy ones. Most of the breeders in my chicken club cull pretty hard at hatch and they mostly show bantams and take all the culls there I thought it's nice not to waste them.

I know it sounds horrible, but everyone has to eat...I tried a while back to supply my culls to a reptile breeder, but I just can't picture the poor little fella in the mouth of a snake. Now a lion, somehow I feel better doing that.