Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[prettychicks]

Today I bought some baby BCM chicks. Only 8. I don't really know anything about Marans. In the past I had silkies, buff orps, pekin ducks and guineas. Now I only have some Lavender Orps and the new BCM's. I am so excited to have them and got to see the eggs of the parent birds. Pretty dark but not as dark as mahogony. From what I have seen it is similar to what most people have here in the US.

I am here to learn more about them and I did not buy them for showing. I have never been to a chicken show. Would love to someday but I never see them advertised anywhere. I just love chickens and enjoy their own unique beauty that each breed has.

Mary

 

[gilavina]

Today I bought some baby BCM chicks. Only 8. I don't really know anything about Marans. In the past I had silkies, buff orps, pekin ducks and guineas. Now I only have some Lavender Orps and the new BCM's. I am so excited to have them and got to see the eggs of the parent birds. Pretty dark but not as dark as mahogony. From what I have seen it is similar to what most people have here in the US.

I am here to learn more about them and I did not buy them for showing. I have never been to a chicken show. Would love to someday but I never see them advertised anywhere. I just love chickens and enjoy their own unique beauty that each breed has.

Mary

Congrats on the chickers!

As far as shows, the ones I know of in OK are
Oklahoma State Poultry Federation - Shawnee - usually in Dec
South Central Poultry Club - Cement - Jan
Great Plains Game Bantam Spectacular - NewCastle - Feb
Northeast Oklahoma Poultry Show - Pryor - March
Texas All Game Bantam Club- New Castle - Oct
and there is an APA annual meet hosted by the Oklahoma State Poultry Association in Shawnee - Dec

 

[prettychicks]

Quote:
I am hoping to catch a swapmeet before long. I know they are having one in Muskogee I think.

 

[blueberrychickens]

I recently hatched 5 FBCM on 5/16-5/18, is there any easy way to sex them at this age? Some have more white in the wing feathers than in others. I can take some pics tmrw if that would help. These chicks are some of the sweetest babies I have ever come across, but I am not allowed to keep any boys due to town rules....
Thanks.

 

[heath_elisha]

Just wanted to show of some cute fuzzy buns recently hatched

Toooooo adorable


There is a much batch of chicks here- but the blues are marans, a couple of the black ones and the one right in the middle!

 

[Debbi]

Today I bought some baby BCM chicks. Only 8. I don't really know anything about Marans. In the past I had silkies, buff orps, pekin ducks and guineas. Now I only have some Lavender Orps and the new BCM's. I am so excited to have them and got to see the eggs of the parent birds. Pretty dark but not as dark as mahogony. From what I have seen it is similar to what most people have here in the US.

I am here to learn more about them and I did not buy them for showing. I have never been to a chicken show. Would love to someday but I never see them advertised anywhere. I just love chickens and enjoy their own unique beauty that each breed has.

Mary

Congrats on the new babies, Mary! In the end, that's what it all really boils down to, enjoy them!!

 

[Debbi]

HELP !

I'm stumped and I need your expertise. I have 2 groups of chicks from the same hatch dates ( over 3 consecutive days, May 18, 19 and 20th )AND a group 2 weeks older and 2 chick 4 weeks older. All chicks started out well. THey are divided into 2 brooders in different rooms. Both groups have wobbly chicks, more they walk like they are almost sitting = older chicks and younger chicks AND in bother brooder boxes. Then there are others that suddenly crash laying on the floor unable to get food and water and get run over. When I assist they can eat and drink. The crashing started last Friday with one, now I have 4 as of today. I have been suspicious of wobbliness for much longer. The majority seem just fine.

I babied one over the weekend and it is doing better, going from laying on side to standing and somewhat mobile. Since this morning, two more have crashed, one in each brooder.

I added 1/2 ml poyl vi sol per pint water; changed feed on Friday ( same company) added probiotics and grit and a while later finely chopped grass. I covered the shavings and another crashed in that brooder so I have removed ALL shavings from both brooders as of this minute.

I found a pea (?) in the shavings as well as chunks of corn. I'm sorry to say I gave the shavings to be bedding for other birds. Will see if they have trouble too.

The pea is a round circle, colored like a bean: med tan, black at the location that it germinates. It makes me wonder if peas oridginated from the shavings or the chick feed ( it is a small mill and not all is consistently ground).

I have whole corn and whole oats. Should I grind these in my coffee grinder and feed this until I can buy different grain from a different mill.


HELP !!! You all are so knowledgable, I know this isn't a marans question though my FBCM and cuckoos from Donna are at stake here. Can I ask that we go off topic for a few minutes.

Just out of curiousity, and this may be the key; what kind of Pine shavings are you using? Are they kiln dried and sifted, or are they fresh, green shavings, as in right out off the tree and into a chipper?? If you open the bale/bag, is there a really strong pine smell?? This may be your problem, the green stuff can be just as toxic as cedar shavings, and also has the powder and small pieces they can ingest. Just a thought, hope they get better!!

 

[Debbi]

Thanks all for the input, my thinking at this point is to grow them out and see what they look like as adults,,also plan on checking his sibs that went to another owner and see what they look like.

Since he does appear to meet other standards (leg feathers, comb, eyes, size, tail set) and I have read the last thing to worry about is color and I am not in a hurry to produce the next future Birchen champ he might be my keeper for now, breed him to the Blue sibs and see what develops from that cross. I'm also interested to see the egg color from these pullets, the BCM hens(mother) all lay a very dark big egg.

Don't get us all wrong here, he is a pretty boy. If you only want a pretty roo for a backyard laying flock, well, you have him. The point we are trying to make is this. There is a criteria for the Birchen pattern. That pattern does NOT include lacing. Whether it be a Black Copper or Blue Copper (both of which are Birchens also, but express the gold/copper gene), or a Black or Blue Birchen; none of the above should include lacing. And to say, and I refer to the highlighted portion in your quote, is like trying to buy a Cadillac, but comparing it to a VW. They both have 4 wheels, horns, headlights, and go down the road; but they look nothing alike!

If your aim is to breed Blue or Black Birchens then it would behoove you to get one who is as near to all of the SOP and breed requirements, INCLUDING COLOR. The color IS part of the requirement to be called a "Birchen". So, if you are interested in getting a good start with Birchens, it would really be a good idea to study up more and to review some of the pics here on this thread. People here know how frustrating and EXPENSIVE it can be to get the means to the end by taking the long route. Many times, it will never happen! You could conceivably breed that roo for the next five years, and you will be no closer to having a properly colored Birchen. More importantly, whatever is behind that lacing is going to be passed onto the offspring, again and again. With that one fault, you may also be introducing more faults; like yellow legs, incorrect head shape, wrong colored eyes, lighter colored eggs, etc. I'm not trying to scold you, nor is anyone else. We are just trying to give you a hand up and a shorter path to take to get to your end goal. So if serious about Birchens, get another roo. If not, breed on and see what you get. JMO...

 

[prettychicks]

Quote: This happened to me and I lost all of my poultry. I bought feed from a local store that milled it themselves and they did not have enough protein in it. I had the feed tested and that is what the state ag office told me. It was Rickets disease. Get them some different chick starter feed somewhere else.

 

[Debbi]

This happened to me and I lost all of my poultry. I bought feed from a local store that milled it themselves and they did not have enough protein in it. I had the feed tested and that is what the state ag office told me. It was Rickets disease. Get them some different chick starter feed somewhere else.

Wow, that's awful! Glad you brought this up for her!!