Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[3riverschick]

Green and yellow legs are a definate NO in Marans! White legs with pinkish cast refers to either a Cuckoo or Wheaten, but Blues, Splash, or Blacks should have slate colored legs. All should show with a white foot bottom. While chicks may start out with a yellow tinge to their legs, (due to the yolk absorbtion prior to hatch), that color should fade within a week or less. Green is NEVER a color to be found in pure Marans legs.

Yes Debbi (tired sigh) I believe that is what I just said. No, I didn't address leg color other than "white with a pinkish cast" because it wasn't part of the conversation.
I believe I did state green legs weren't in the breed and that yellow wasn't acceptable.
Quit pouncing on my posts looking for flaws. With all due respect, if you want to teach, teach. But stop using my posts for fodder, please.
Thanks,
Karen

 

[Arielle]

Now I will have to look at my roos, I don't know if they have spurs....... interesting.......


The snake was bleeding several places, the other chicks gave him what to for for being in their pen.

go chickies! even though you didn't help your buddy just bloodied your pen

Maybe the snake will think twice before trying that pen again. Easy food is the name of the game!!

My marans have small spurs compared to my SSH. Whitey has 2 inch spurs on a 5 pound body! Such a tough guy he is! My marans have tiny 3/4 inch studs, they look like a joke. Yet those boys rule the entire barnyard. THough come to think of it , one of my sweet AMeraucanas has his space carved out and those girls are his, and the other boys get chased off! SO funny to watch!

 

[DMRippy]

Thanks for the Clyde well wishes! He is my buddy!

Good on the chickies, Donna! Snakes don't make it too long around here. Last summer, I watched two hens tear apart, and suck down a 3' snake! Happened so fast, I didn't even have time to see what it was! Snakes, birds, and moles don't dare go into my Marans run, the Silkie run gets moles though, but they stop at the fenceline...

That was just on the job training for when they get tossed outside. Maybe these babies will not let the snake just eat their eggs like my other birds did.

If anyone has some proven methods to keep them AWAY from my shop I am open to listen......

I found a little bitty mummy of a snake on the shop floor the other day..... my son thinks if feel from the roof after COOKING up there

We have atticfoil in our shop and it probably was in the attic foil and that air is REALLY HOT! We could not use the shop till we had that put in. It was 30 degrees warmer in the shop then the outside..... miserable. Now it is cooler

It is great stuff and not expensive and apparently kills snakes.

 

[Debbi]

I will not feed the trolls...

As far as the spurs go folks, unless you have a roo over a year old, you may not have spurs! I have 2, two year olds with 3" spurs, an 19 month old with 2" spurs, and an 8.5 month old with 1/2" spurs. Marans roos do not typically FULLY mature until at least 18 months to 2 years of age. So if you are not seeing spurs on your roos, I'd love to know how old they are.

 

[DMRippy]

I will not feed the trolls...

As far as the spurs go folks, unless you have a roo over a year old, you may not have spurs! I have 2, two year olds with 3" spurs, an 19 month old with 2" spurs, and an 8.5 month old with 1/2" spurs. Marans roos do not typically FULLY mature until at least 18 months to 2 years of age. So if you are not seeing spurs on your roos, I'd love to know how old they are.

The spurs are one way to tell age on a roo. The longer the older. Mine are young so I didn't expect to see much of one. Arielle's I think are about the same age as mine so probably not much in the spurs yet either.

My Splash Marans roo.... he has big spurs, but is a nice guy

 

[Arielle]

My boys are about 12 months old. My SSH is 16 months, and his look vicious on such a tiny body!

Some of my other roosters have almost nothing--but they sure hut like h----. HE can easily break the skin if direct contact, or make a bruise thru pant legs. BOys aren't willing to part with him

but would rather carry a stick. THat rooster sure it teaching those boys teamwork and how to watch each other's back. THe thing is if they would realize the key is don't offend that rooster!!

 

[Arielle]

If the marans are late developers, when does all the delicious breast meat get put on??

 

[DMRippy]

My boys are about 12 months old. My SSH is 16 months, and his look vicious on such a tiny body!

Some of my other roosters have almost nothing--but they sure hut like h----. HE can easily break the skin if direct contact, or make a bruise thru pant legs. BOys aren't willing to part with him

but would rather carry a stick. THat rooster sure it teaching those boys teamwork and how to watch each other's back. THe thing is if they would realize the key is don't offend that rooster!!

Mine are a little older maybe by a couple of months.

BOYS..... that is fun to them.... till it goes WRONG

 

[Debbi]

If the marans are late developers, when does all the delicious breast meat get put on??

I'd say just by going from what I have here, that if their breasts aren't full by 6-7 months, by the time they mature into them, they will be too tough to eat, except in soup or shredded boiled bits. Can you say....enchiladas??

 

[Arielle]

Quote: My boys are tall for 8 and 10 and I taught them early how to handle dogs. The boys won't listen to my how to handle this rooster, but won't make him soup either. THey carry a stick at all times, it's either a gun or a rooster poker, which ever is the preferred object of the moment. Some times the mother in me can't stand it any more and I throw the rooster, with a bud, in a pen for the day. THen I can relax. I assure you my boys can wack that rooster pretty good.