Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

How long does it usually take to be able to look at a chick and say "yep hes a cockerel".

How old is the bird? Do you have a photo? In most cases, a person should be able to see the differences very well by about 3-4 weeks of age. Watch for nice red wattle and comb development in cockerels.

 

[Cadeau]

Hi Pink!

Sure - I'll take anyone's opinions!
The more the merrier - I'm at the beginning of my journey, only a year and a half in!

I cull any bird with middle toe feathers, but haven't been culling for CHICKS with a middle toe feather or two (yellow.)
I also cull clean legs and boys with a wave in their comb...though I have one I really love and I can't use him...


I know we all had a discussion about foot feather genes and there was some question as to whether the middle toe feathers are a separate gene or if there could be some "overflow" from our street sweepers.


How many of you ladies and gents cull at hatch for middle toe feathers?

 

[Lotsapaints]

I started culling for that last year and have kept it up because I can hatch many chicks. I still use a cock bird that has stubs because I don't have a replacement old enough to use and most of his chicks are fine. This is the quickest way to cut down of excess cockerels as I sell the females as dark egg layers. You know most people do not breed chickens as they live where they can't keep a rooster or don't want one in my area anyways. I cull next on fast feathering which I want and then type a nice wide chick turns into a nice wide adult after that for me it is a waiting game. White feathers, bad combs, feather shafting, poor doers etc...on any bird I hate to breed from them for me until a full molt I have done plenty of test mating to make sure I have no hidden yellow leg gene to see how well the rooster can darken a light egg. Thanks to Don I single mate to make sure that cross is a good enough one to keep doing too some hens don't lay enough or I don't like their egg shape or finish. I find it much easier to cull now than at first my motto is I can always hatch more and after reading of other people's misfortunes I'm much more diligent on testing. I'm not sure yet on closing my flock I like to try too many things but I do band or punch as to not mix up things by accident...

Hi Pink!

Sure - I'll take anyone's opinions!
The more the merrier - I'm at the beginning of my journey, only a year and a half in!

I cull any bird with middle toe feathers, but haven't been culling for CHICKS with a middle toe feather or two (yellow.)
I also cull clean legs and boys with a wave in their comb...though I have one I really love and I can't use him...


I know we all had a discussion about foot feather genes and there was some question as to whether the middle toe feathers are a separate gene or if there could be some "overflow" from our street sweepers.


How many of you ladies and gents cull at hatch for middle toe feathers?

 

[gilavina]

Vicki Debbi y'all ok out there?

I'm ok....I just finally got internet back....it was a scary night last night...wave after wave of storm cells with tornadic activity....I was a ball of nerves by the end of the day....finally went to bed at 2 am after the last of the really bad stuff went through. Have another set of storms rolling over now...hopefully they won't be bad.

 

[gilavina]

Morning! Checking in to see if everyone is okay?

Vicki~ Congrats on the hatch! That's a cute bunch o' cuteness! 1 Splash is not enough.

Cad~ I hope you are feeling better very soon. (I know you didn't ask me but I cull fo rmiddle toe feathers....you will find sometimes that they don't even need to have that middle toe feather to have one pop up in the offspring. )



Mountain MEL!!!!!! We have 9 Marans babies developing right along and we have 7 Olive eggers, possibly 8 OE's, not sure on the 8th.

They are due for lockdown on the 19th.

thanks Kim! I have to get more pics...I was gonna take some last night, but ended up spending the night hunkered down in the basement. We have a fruit cellar that's cement on all side and ceiling too....so went in there during the worst parts....but I was not quite expecting to see a snake hanging out on the drain cover by the water tank.....yikes! Must have come up through the drain and moved it to the side a bit. Needless to say that was not a welcome sight when I walked in there!

 

[gilavina]

Debbi!!!! I hope you are ok! I was just watching the weather and saw the crap hovering right over your area!! Stay safe! I'll be praying lady

 

[Cadeau]

Ok - then I seem to be on the right track!

I cull for all the DQs, like anyone else, but was wondering about culling for middle toe feathers specifically in the chicks.


I'm about 1/8 into single mating my group with their current roos - that will tell me a LOT!
Very excited to see these chicks grow - the first batch is 1 week old!!

I do sell on my non-breeding worthy girls as "dark layers" - I've decided to sell the roos and most culls as "black chicks" this summer to see if that makes more economic sense than raising the girls and raising the boys to eating age.

 

[DMRippy]

OK are you ready for these pictures of my Barred Black Copper chick?

I know what pen laid the eggs I hatched... I don't know who the sire is. I have not hatched any other so far with this barring. If I had room I would grow them out to see what they look like as adult birds, but I don't. When they hatched they were coppery looking, so I marked them to watch. As they got a little age on them they were mossy looking and now this is what they look like. Pink I do have one of your pullets that hatched with the 2 blue roos of yours I have. Just thinking there is a connection to your barring that is showing up. I will keep an eye out, but NONE of the chicks I have hatched since that batch looked like these did at hatch. I know I have one that is mossy, I will watch. I also think it is odd that they are both roos, like sex linked to the pullet, BUT they would all have the barring if that was the case, I am confused any IDEAS? THESE ARE NOT GOING TO BE USED FOR BREEDING!

 

[Debbi]

Debbi!!!! I hope you are ok! I was just watching the weather and saw the crap hovering right over your area!! Stay safe! I'll be praying lady

Hi all! Alive and well here Vicki, glad to see you too! There is a lot to be said for fervent prayer. Storms were headed directly for me, and traveling at 85mph! I swear, in the last seconds, watching the radar loop, those storms veered to the north of me. No hail, hardly any wind, but LOTS of heavy rain! Rain, I can handle! Even the power stayed on for my eggs and chickies!! Thank you Lord!!

 

[Debbi]

OK are you ready for these pictures of my Barred Black Copper chick?

I know what pen laid the eggs I hatched... I don't know who the sire is. I have not hatched any other so far with this barring. If I had room I would grow them out to see what they look like as adult birds, but I don't. When they hatched they were coppery looking, so I marked them to watch. As they got a little age on them they were mossy looking and now this is what they look like. Pink I do have one of your pullets that hatched with the 2 blue roos of yours I have. Just thinking there is a connection to your barring that is showing up. I will keep an eye out, but NONE of the chicks I have hatched since that batch looked like these did at hatch. I know I have one that is mossy, I will watch. I also think it is odd that they are both roos, like sex linked to the pullet, BUT they would all have the barring if that was the case, I am confused any IDEAS? THESE ARE NOT GOING TO BE USED FOR BREEDING!

Oh Donna, how bizarre!! I think I would have to keep them just out of serious curiousity! Brindle Marans???