Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Oh and Vicki....I still have to get some good photos of the Birchen males, stinkers are so hard to photo. It's like they know and just want to be difficult.

 

[Cadeau]

Hi Pink!
Love your blue roo!

and can't wait to see the birchens as they color up

 

[gilavina]

Hi Vicki! No worries everybody gets busy and we all have lives my friend...that is how it goess. Glad that you are doing good. Hope mom and dad are good too.
Good luck with the show I know you have been working hard putting things together. I hope you have a great time. Will you be able to take photos? Particularly the egg table???

Yes ma'am! I'm going to be taking tons of photos. We are in a new building this year and so we'll see how it goes for lighting and etc, but I have a pretty nice camera, so shouldn't be a problem. I am also hoping to have time to get photos and post them throughout the day on the club facebook page and on here possibly. Were you thinking about entering in the egg show?! I'd love as many entries as possible to make it a good time and to expose people here to the breed I'm so passionate about!

My parents are doing good, my dad's health is holding steady, so that's about as good I can ask for!

 

[heath_elisha]

Well here's my take on this....IME, my males can and do continue to "beef up" until they are approx. 1 year of age. As for copper..my Bill Sr., at 1.5 y.o. was still developing copper. Not huge amounts but deposits of it in his wing bow that he had not had prior to.
The copper can take it's time......depends on the bird. That blue cpr male I was just talking to Don about is a prime example of taking his time to express it..if he ever does. I have been battling over melanization from the beginning. Wierd I usually produce nice coppered males but haven't been able to produce a good or correctly colored coppered female in 3 years.
The color of the copper is pretty much going to be the color it is when you first see it....but you should hold off for more to give comment as well as I must confess that this is something I haven't focused on or made a permanant mental note of yet.

Thanks for the input. The young blue copper I have from you is showing lots of color at 9 weeks- at least I think so. It is all the same color though from hackle to saddle. Lighter shade then all my other marans too. Just was curious if it was an indicator of what to expect as an adult, or after juvi moult it could change.... the black copper pullet I got from you has a nice dark copper showing now and a beautiful beetle green sheen. Amazing how much they change..

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks Cad! I like him too...but his lack of copper has me worried about compounding the over melanized pullets. I need the magic copper wand!

 

[pinkchick]

Vicki~
I would love to send in eggs,but, I got 1 the other day and nadda since. SLACKERS!!!!!! I would also love to start sending out eggs to folks that have been so patiently waiting for them too.


*Big sigh and says to self* "One egg at a time.......one egg at a time." "The story of my life."

 

[gilavina]

Vicki~
I would love to send in eggs,but, I got 1 the other day and nadda since. SLACKERS!!!!!! I would also love to start sending out eggs to folks that have been so patiently waiting for them too.
*Big sigh and says to self* "One egg at a time.......one egg at a time." "The story of my life."

haha...well if the girls decide to give you three, that's all it would take! I'll keep my fingers crossed! heehee

 

[DMRippy]

Vicki

what does one need to do to send eggs? Not that mine are great but they are looking pretty good since the girls are coming out of molting.....

 

[gilavina]

Vicki

what does one need to do to send eggs? Not that mine are great but they are looking pretty good since the girls are coming out of molting.....

Anyone wanting to send eggs in are more than welcome to do so! Each entry consists of 3 eggs and are $5 per entry. The entry form and guidelines are on www.nestatepoultryshow.com under the catalog tab. I need eggs being shipped to me by November 1st so I can get the table set up. Those bringing the eggs with them to the show just need to have them in by 8:30 am Saturday November 3, so I can get them set before judging. PM me for the address for the eggs to be sent to! Don't want to post it on a public forum like this haha

 

[snowbird]

Thanks Don, you know I value your imput greatly.
I am very happy with the shade of blue that I have reached...this seems to be pretty consistant of late, but I am concerned with the lack of copper, I usually see a sign of it by this age. He has nothing, period. So what I am worried about is if I use him I will never be able to get color back....especially with already over melanized copper lacking females.
I want the copper back in my females.....how do I get it back without bringing in more birds????
Also...(aside from the copper) Can you tell me what you can see that needs improving? Lay it on me brother! If you would like more photos I am happy to get them, just say the word.

Kim, I do not see anything wrong with the Blue male or the Black male you posted recently.

Will give you my belief on the Copper color showing up. The coppre will show up if it is in the genes to start with, Last year I bred around 30 BC females and all were mostly Black. The sisters to these were colored copper color, but had things I was culling for so did not keep any of the copper neck females. The pullet offspring from these Black females and and copper colored males ran around 90% with good color. I believe what caused this to happen was they were all related and my BC line has plenty of copper.

I believe that if I had of used outside Marans on one side the results would of been entirely different..

If you want more copper all you have to do is use lighter leg males and it will happen real quick. You will also get the faults associated the the lighter leg Males..

Will not be on here much for a while but will try and check in when I can.