Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

haha Show row is just show coops I've collected over the years that I have set up, and then have plywood fit to go over the top of the bottom layer and then lay down some tar paper and put the next set of show coops up and fill with a nice amount of shavings. I also will change out the shavings pretty often the week before the show. I also use this set up of pens if I'm working on comparing birds for culling. i need to get them set back up asap! I have a show in about 2 weeks and will need to get going on washing and housing them here in a few days where they can dry and stay nice and clean.

Thank you! Do you have any pictures of your "Show Row"?

Do you do this to keep them clean and get them use to being in the cage?

 

[gilavina]

Thank you! Do you have any pictures of your "Show Row"?

Do you do this to keep them clean and get them use to being in the cage?

I don't have it set up right at the moment, I need to get all the coops down out of the haymount and get it all done soon. Basically, it looks just like at the shows, only double decker. Most of my coops are large fowl or double large fowl coops. I do use them for keeping them clean and to make sure they are used to the coops. Makes things so much easier when they get to the show indeed.

 

[math ace]

I don't have it set up right at the moment, I need to get all the coops down out of the haymount and get it all done soon. Basically, it looks just like at the shows, only double decker. Most of my coops are large fowl or double large fowl coops. I do use them for keeping them clean and to make sure they are used to the coops. Makes things so much easier when they get to the show indeed.

Ok Vicki,

Whenever you set them up... I would appreciate seeing a picture either on this thread or PM me. I got a pretty good idea of what you are saying. I just need to picture to show my visually challenged other half

 

[gilavina]

Ok Vicki,

Whenever you set them up... I would appreciate seeing a picture either on this thread or PM me. I got a pretty good idea of what you are saying. I just need to picture to show my visually challenged other half

Haha, I'll do my best lady! I don't know which way is up these days with doing the show secretary stuff, but will see what I can do for ya

 

[Zanna]

Ok Vicki,

Whenever you set them up... I would appreciate seeing a picture either on this thread or PM me. I got a pretty good idea of what you are saying. I just need to picture to show my visually challenged other half

X 2 Pretty please!!!

 

[CountryFriedChicken]

CFC, if you do the breeding in a big pens with one or more males and a lot of female all you will be doing is raising more mixed up Marans, Believe mwe there are too many bred this way already, But it is entirely your decision to make.

Thanks Don for your time, but rereading my post I realize I was not clear enough. It is my fault as I was in a hurry to get out of the door.

My tentative system was a pen of general population - this would be my back ups/replacements. Then the layer pen will be divided up into breeding pens, the best rooster with one or two best hens go into pen one, same for second and third. I already sold most of my layers for this plan. Two or three different pens to avoid inbreeding so fast. All for the same goal.

Yes I do realize that marans have different genetics but would this system be a good way to obtain the marans we all are looking for in the long run?

Thanks

 

[heath_elisha]

Morning all- anyone here ever been to the boston poultry expo? It is coming up this november and thought about dragging the whole family to it. Would love to see some marans there.... but really would love to just see a bunch of nice birds.

 

[snowbird]

In 2009, I started my Marans flock. Since that time, I have hatched chicks from my own flock and chicks from other breeders.
I have kept records and taken pictures. I have culled and culled and culled. I have worked diligently to improve my flock with each generation of chicks.

I am one of the EVIL folks who run the blues and black coppers together.

I am truly only interested in black coppers. However, my original flock started with 3 blue and 1 black copper marans hens.

My roos are always black coppers. I keep which ever color hens that run truest to breed type. I would love to have the luxury of breeding black to black only. Unfortunately, after doing several hatches with my SINGLE black copper hen I failed to hatch a single pullet. That's right, my black copper marans hen threw males only - HENCE my reputation for hatching cockerel heavy hatches LOL...

Maybe one day, I will have the luxury of mating black to black ONLY... but not yet. Right now, I have 3 black copper marans hens that I will be hatching from this Fall. They are being bred back to the black copper roos. If I hatch some nice looking girls this Spring from these matings, then I will be able to start doing black to black breedings. However, the hen I like BEST out of all the hatchings from last year is a BIG BLUE Copper . . . . BIG BERTHA ( She weighs in at a whopping 7.5 lbs).... If she throws me some BIG BLACKS Pullets, they will come into the program. There is NO WAY I am culling a bird true to type with that kind of weight to her because she came from a black x blue crossing.

Like I've heard so many times before... My Feed Bill, My Choice... IF in the future, I learn the hard way that my flock is messed up because of my breeding practices, I guess I could always just switch my concentration to Blue Copper Marans only.

Lisa, You have somewhere along the road missed the reason for not breeding the off spring from the BC and blue copper back into the BC. The blue copper are not even close to being as good as a BC, this is not an opinion it is just a fact. There are keepers of poultry and there are breeders of poultry. The choice is entirely yours to make and it seems like you have made the choice.

 

[snowbird]

Thanks Don for your time, but rereading my post I realize I was not clear enough. It is my fault as I was in a hurry to get out of the door.

My tentative system was a pen of general population - this would be my back ups/replacements. Then the layer pen will be divided up into breeding pens, the best rooster with one or two best hens go into pen one, same for second and third. I already sold most of my layers for this plan. Two or three different pens to avoid inbreeding so fast. All for the same goal.

Yes I do realize that marans have different genetics but would this system be a good way to obtain the marans we all are looking for in the long run?

Thanks

Hi, With all the faults we are dealing with in the Marans I would only single mate to start with. Then you could take females that were sisters and breed them in the same pen if you wanted.

 

[Wynette]

I have a quad that I am going to be breeding next year that does not have the white feather problem. Well at least not yet that I can tell( they are 8months old) I do have one pullet that has no copper but I hope breeding to the roo will help on that. I also want to thank everyone for all the amazing info you give out . I will be asking a lot of questions as this endeavor goes forward.

I'm in catch-up mode once again. hobby - I have

that you do not see the white underfluff in your male. Some of them get it as early as 8 weeks, but the CH line I had didn't get it until they were much older. ANd, I had another line (Davis X Jeane) that didn't get them until he was almost 2. But - I would think that more times than not, they would appear much sooner. So - put me on your hatching egg list NOW, please - and keep me posted on the white underhackle feathering, okay?