Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[vickifiveoh]

Just found this thread. Thought I would post a pic of 2 of my Marans and 1 of my BB red Roosters

 

[BarnGoddess01]

TWO SG pips!

I'm going to bed now, it's going to be an up and down night! Thanks for all the good wishes, they must be working!!

Alright!! Where's the morning update???? I SO want to see the little SG chicks!!!!

 

[budda]

I have a few questions in regards to Marans on here....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/663114/4-chicks

Can someone give me a few educated guesses/answers?

 

[Debbi]

Alright!! Where's the morning update???? I SO want to see the little SG chicks!!!!

Well, sometime early this morning, the two hatched! One bowtied SG, and one white Silkie. I had forgotten she had a Bowtied roo in her second pen with bowtied hens, so I got one of the 25% Silkies...lucky me, huh? That's ok, it's White, and I needed more Whites! There are 3 more SG eggs in the bator, but my gut tells me I'm done. Will let them cook till the end of the day. But I did get one SG!! I'll get some pics when they are up and running later today. The both of them had stiff necks, probably from laying across the tops of the other eggs till morning. I gave them both a dose of B Complex, and the Silkie seems fine now. The SG still has a bit of a crick, so I'll wait till he's up and eating, and give him another round. So tiny, so cute, and that neck is so naked and black!

 

[Debbi]

I have a few questions in regards to Marans on here....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/663114/4-chicks

Can someone give me a few educated guesses/answers?

Budda, Sorry, I called you Bubba in the other thread, need more coffee! I'm not sure those are pure Marans? Lots of real yellow down there, and yellow skin too. None of my Marans chicks have ever looked like that. I'm sure someone else will chime in though..

 

[budda]

Thanks for the info Debbi. I saw the Pen the eggs were collected from and there was Blue Black and Splash Maran Hens in there and a Black Copper Roo and a White with black flaked Splash Roo. The eggs were some of the darkest Maran Eggs i have seen. I am not totally sure what i got but i beleive the Gray chick will be a Blue Maran....maybe. The other two i a not to sure of just because they do not exactly look like the Black Copper chicks i hatched last year.

 

[Cadeau]

Slick - so sorry your wife had to witness that...I'm glad she didn't get turned off to the whole thing - that's awful.

I think you're right - it's happened to us all:
several ago, I had a mass murder of an entire coop - 22 hens and 10 guineas.
I walked in to find them all dead with their heads missing...needless to say, every nook and cranny is hardware clothed on all my coops these days!

Martha - no, I don't sell my culls as Marans (or sell my Marans at all.)
I just put "Dark Layers" for the pullets/hens
I don't give a name for the youngsters, just an age.
Black roos are very popular at the auction, so selling them is no problem!

 

[Cadeau]

Martha - you're right about the local honey for allergies, but it doesn't help my eyes at all.

Vicki - I use an allergy eye drop from Target, as well as, rewetting drops many times per day to wash things out.
I also have the keratosis on my eye lids - actually can't wear contacts anymore b/c of it.
SUCKS to wear glasses while working on the farm and with young animals....

Martha - you'll be fine with your piglet!
A dog crate will work - 70lbs is not a really big pig, they are just SOLID!

A stock trailer would be easiest.

Pigs are easy - they get tame and act like a pet dog.
They like attention and like to be petted.

** Important - teach them to come when you call by whistling when you feed***
Makes it MUCH easier to catch them when they're loose!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I'm so glad you got at least 1 SG! Will that white be carrying any of the genes you need to move forward with SGs? I know NOTHING about how they work.

I can't wait to see the picture!! Congratulations!

 

[Debbi]

I'm so glad you got at least 1 SG! Will that white be carrying any of the genes you need to move forward with SGs? I know NOTHING about how they work.

I can't wait to see the picture!! Congratulations!

No. It works pretty much the same as the Andalusion Blue principle. With the blues, you either are or you're not. Same with the SG, you either are, or you ain't! Go back a page or so, I posted the recipe for SGs. Yes, I'm tickled. He is looking better right now, but trying to get a pic is nearly impossible at this point, it's all just a pile of fluff!