Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Color looks good on the Blue Birchen too! As much as I like the Blues, I think I like the Black Birchens better. Maybe because I am used to seeing more black than blue around here, but also it provides more of a contrast of colors to my eyes. I have a new project heading my way next week!! Can't wait to get started on that one! Wish it would quit raining so I could start building the new pens!

 

[gilavina]

Color looks good on the Blue Birchen too! As much as I like the Blues, I think I like the Black Birchens better. Maybe because I am used to seeing more black than blue around here, but also it provides more of a contrast of colors to my eyes. I have a new project heading my way next week!! Can't wait to get started on that one! Wish it would quit raining so I could start building the new pens!

let me guess...Wheatens?

 

[gilavina]

I do love the blacks too, but when a blue birchen is colored properly...they are just as lovely....especially if they are a steely color of blue....makes my heart melt! haha Guess that means I better keep both blacks and blues...oh darn....haha

 

[mstricer]

Okay just so I have it right. So of you cross F1 to F1, to get F2. Then are you breeding sister to brother? Sorry for all the questions I just want to do this right. I just set up White Ameraucana bantam breeding pen. I started with the parents hatch out 3 chicks and put them in with the parents. I don't know if any are boys yet. I just figures that you breed daughter to father and son to mother.

You can, or it could be F1s from two different pens/lines. Breeding brother to sister will speed things up as far as traits go. Keep in mind, it will also speed up and bring to the fore front any really bad traits too.  Not really a bad thing to do if you need to see in a hurry who may be carrying certain undesireable traits that aren't being expressed; for example, carnation combs.


 

I get it. This will really make things easier. So when my marans start to grow and are ready for breeding. I should pick the ones with.the best traits, breed them and cull from there on,right. Thank you for being patient with me, I've been trying to breed marans since 2010 and have had no luck, between hawks breaking through netting to raccoons. Now I have 2 Marans from Wynette and hatched 6 chicks from Nancy (bargin). So I'm on my way to Olive eggers and FCBM.
Michele

 

[Debbi]

let me guess...Wheatens?

ding ding ding ding ding!!

 

[Debbi]

I do love the blacks too, but when a blue birchen is colored properly...they are just as lovely....especially if they are a steely color of blue....makes my heart melt! haha Guess that means I better keep both blacks and blues...oh darn....haha

Oh I know, I love the blues I have here too. Hope to get some new pics of the last batch with my Blues and Splash. The girls are starting to red up, so eggs from them should come pretty soon. The male from that batch I will have to watch closely. While his comb is ok, I would guess him to be a carrier of carnation. He is a dark blue with the deep red hackles, may not be correct, but I love the color. He still doesn't have any saddle colors yet, but then he is only 5+ months old, so I'll give him some more time.

That BCM pullet? you showed the hackles of looks pullet to me, but I've had some rooey girls, and girly boys before at that age and beyond, so ya never know till later on. I have one Silkie chick now who is two weeks older than the rest she is in with, and is twice the size. Acts like a pullet, sounds like a pullet, has a poof like a pullet, yet I believe it's a cockerel. Time will tell on that one, the rest of them are pretty well stamped with their sexual give aways, even this early on. I sure hope the big one is a pullet, she is lovely!

 

[BunnyMomma]

Hey, It is not a dumb question, so don't feel embarrased to ask any question. That is what this forum is about. Sharing and Learning from others.
F1, F2, and so on, F stands for Filial, which basically means offspring. So the F1 generation of a breed is usually gained by breeding two different breeds to get a hybrid breed.
Then the offspring from that breed are bred, sometimes back to each other or the parent stock. This is known as inbreeding, and linebreeding.
Then the breeder can choose the traits that are favorable toward the goal that he or she is trying to attain.
Eventually the breeder produces a pure bred species and can work on the traits during the process.

In my Baby Dolls, Through several breedings, I produced a hybrid hen
then I bred her back to a cochin with excellent qualities, and then bred siblings, and parent/sibiling combinations to arrrive at my goal of purebred offspring.
Now my goal is to develop a standard for the breed and apply for APA and ABA recognition of the breed. I am also working on many color varieties.
It is also a goal to cull the breed to get the quality of bird for showing.

Any breeder working on a project has to be very patient. Project birds take an enormous amount of work. It is also a lot of fun to work on projects.
There are a lot of breeds that are being worked on by various individuals and they deserve total credit for their hard work!
I hope this answered your question.
Sincerely, Bunny

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote: Okay just so I have it right. So of you cross F1 to F1, to get F2. Then are you breeding sister to brother? Sorry for all the questions I just want to do this right. I just set up White Ameraucana bantam breeding pen. I started with the parents hatch out 3 chicks and put them in with the parents. I don't know if any are boys yet. I just figures that you breed daughter to father and son to mother.

According to the genetics stuff I've been reading, F1 to F1 (brother/sister) gets F2. I assume mother/son - father/daughter (a new P) keeps regenerating F1. I've been told the ideal is father/daughter - mother/son breedings. Sibling breedings are sometimes necessary to get started or if you don't have enough stock. However, what Debbi said is absolutely correct as well.

 

[Debbi]

I get it. This will really make things easier. So when my marans start to grow and are ready for breeding. I should pick the ones with.the best traits, breed them and cull from there on,right. Thank you for being patient with me, I've been trying to breed marans since 2010 and have had no luck, between hawks breaking through netting to raccoons. Now I have 2 Marans from Wynette and hatched 6 chicks from Nancy (bargin). So I'm on my way to Olive eggers and FCBM.
Michele

That's all any of us can do at this point in the game; breed the best to the best, and hope for better! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but you will never know until you try it. Sounds like you are on your way!

 

[gilavina]

Oh I know, I love the blues I have here too. Hope to get some new pics of the last batch with my Blues and Splash. The girls are starting to red up, so eggs from them should come pretty soon. The male from that batch I will have to watch closely. While his comb is ok, I would guess him to be a carrier of carnation. He is a dark blue with the deep red hackles, may not be correct, but I love the color. He still doesn't have any saddle colors yet, but then he is only 5+ months old, so I'll give him some more time.

That BCM pullet? you showed the hackles of looks pullet to me, but I've had some rooey girls, and girly boys before at that age and beyond, so ya never know till later on. I have one Silkie chick now who is two weeks older than the rest she is in with, and is twice the size. Acts like a pullet, sounds like a pullet, has a poof like a pullet, yet I believe it's a cockerel. Time will tell on that one, the rest of them are pretty well stamped with their sexual give aways, even this early on. I sure hope the big one is a pullet, she is lovely!

yeah...my guess is pullet on that bcm...I also have two blues that have been some of the biggest from the beginning and guess pullet on those as well...only time will tell tho. It wouldn't surprise me to have some big pullets tho with as big as my boys are.