Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

HOW ON EARTH DID I MISS VICKI'S POST WITH THESE BEAUTIFUL BOYS IN IT???

heehee! Thanks Kim. Hoping to see more and more consistency with the hatches this next spring. So far its gone really well with massively reducing the white in the wings. Only just the teensiest amount on the very tip of a primary or two this year and so far all the birds that have gone through their molt have lost the white completely! I need to get some pics of Luella again, she is a wide tankly BEAST and I love to just watch her!

 

[snowbird]

Don could you please elaborate on
"It is still my belief that the BC need to be double mated to get max use of the genes."

Do you mean breeding daughter to father and mother to son? I'm just not familiar with this term, thanks.

Double mating is where you mate a pair to produce males and a pair to produce female and this has to be done in several breeds to be successful in the shows. Most any Parti-colored bird will breed better show birds if double mated.

 

[maryhysong]

Double mating is where you mate a pair to produce males and a pair to produce female and this has to be done in several breeds to be successful in the shows. Most any Parti-colored bird will breed better show birds if double mated.

I presume you mean different pairs, with the one pair selected to enhance the qualities of the males and the other the qualities of the females? This is a bit different method of breeding than I am used to but I am learning that chicken genetics are a bit more complex than rabbits ;=)

 

[picanins]

...

2 blue splash pullets at 5 weeks old

Thank you SO much! Very helpful

 

[cajun backwoods]

i have alot of chickens but only 2 cuckoo marans and they just started laying almost 2 weeks ago and i already have a double yoker, i believe a new chicken yard and some new marans are in my near future lol

 

[DMRippy]

i have alot of chickens but only 2 cuckoo marans and they just started laying almost 2 weeks ago and i already have a double yoker, i believe a new chicken yard and some new marans are in my near future lol

That is a nice color for a Cuckoo egg.... got pictures? of the birds

 

[cajun backwoods]

That is a nice color for a Cuckoo egg.... got pictures? of the birds

i need to take some, i will have some up tomorrow, but the eggs seemed to be a shade or 2 darker a week ago but it might just be me getting use to seeing them

 

[Wynette]

I presume you mean different pairs, with the one pair selected to enhance the qualities of the males and the other the qualities of the females? This is a bit different method of breeding than I am used to but I am learning that chicken genetics are a bit more complex than rabbits ;=)

Exactly. It's recommended for many varieties of breeds. I am reading a book wherein one longtime breeder has a very large pen with more than one male - his hatches produce both good males and good females, but I am at a loss about how - there would be no way to know who is breeding who.

 

[Wynette]

Depending on what is in feather, I'll be showing here at the beginning of the month as we have a State Marans meet and egg show. Which by the way, anyone that wants to enter the egg show, just let me know and I'll get you the info!

A state Marans meet? 'splain, please!

 

[snowbird]

A state Marans meet? 'splain, please!

Wynette, All the Poultry Clubs with the APA can have State, District and national meets. Some clubs even have a eastern and western National. I believe for the Marans Club you would ask Danielle for a state or District meet for next year here in Michigan.