Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[tfpets]

Can I be sad here for few minutes? I had my hopes up all week about my eggs from Whitmore farms coming - my pricey Blue Copper Marans were finally gonna be here - their "estimated" delivery date was Friday 2/6/09 by Fed Ex...well, Friday came and went, and no eggs. Saturday also came and went...no eggs...and Fed Ex doesnt run on Sunday.....

My poor babies!!! They're somewhere in Bloomingdale, California...and Will Whitmore hasnt emailed me back to say he even cares when I let him know they didnt arrive, and what I really just wanted was a little sympathy???

Anyhow, I'm hoping they get here in decent shape, and I get something out of this fiasco?? I am feeling little green around the gills about how much I paid for these to have this happen, and the odds are getting less every day....my bator is waiting, thats what I get for getting caught off guard!

I had actually expected him to mail them in "Mid" February and was shocked when he just sent them without warning me first!! I just got an email saying your shipment has been sent by Fed Ex!!

If they dont come soon, I'm going to be out of town this weekend!! Holy smokes, I'm a mess!

On a good note, My newest Cuckoo Marans babies Rock! They are sturdy as can be, and are in an outdoor brooder pen now! Amazing how quickly they are growing!

Oh, an BC and his lady friends are now in their own "Quarters" and I can see what kind of eggs they lay! I'll be able to check fertility, and will try a couple of practice hatches before I start giving away the eggs!

Everyone take care! Thanks a bunch!
Tina/Tfpets

 

[drom]

Hey wait a sec, I'm not saying anything lighter than "mid coppery" is good but I think the standard does make references to two colors. Let me see if I can find it and I will post it.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
Two colors would still be better than what I have in THESE birds, and they go all the way to GOLD!

If you look at onthespot's website, her rooster "Goody," who is gorgeous, has a deep, even color on his head/neck/hackles, and then a different color on his saddle feathers, the second color also being deep and even. I'm of the impression that that's how it's "supposed" to look.

I do have one rooster (I need to take pictures) that is ONE color over head, neck, hackles, and saddle, and I love him. My #2 favorite looks similar to Patty's in color.

 

[drom]

"Moreover, when we select a stock with a very red coppery color, it seems more difficult to contain a black excess on the whole body. The black tonality is often deeper and more glinting. So, the searh of a good and strong coppery color but no more than that, appears to be very commendable brom the moment that we want to stabilize the color at the very best.

On the contrary, the light coppery stock favour much more widely a dominance of the incorrect golden tone at the expanse of black.

At this point, it is advisable to remain careful because this dominance must be considered as turning towards a faulty tonality instead of the red-coppery colour researched. We must also admit that the colour of the cock hackle often show a two tone shade because the fringe has a stronger color than the rest of the body. The bang color is close to the lancet's. This characteristic is of course correct and this contrast has a vaiable intensity (which is however less important in the strong red-coppery color)."

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
I'm going to need a definition of "fringe," "bang," and "lancet." Help?

 

[drom]

I just added in the rest of section. I think they are saying you should balance the color; not too light and not too dark. I believe they say no lighter than mid-coppery. Of course that may mean different things to different people. And I believe they are saying that it is normal for the fringe of the hackle to be darker than the body of the hackle.
Adding one more thing. Actually I think they are saying it is desirable for the fringe (ends) of the hackle to be darker than the body, but that correct copper color is the most important of all.

 

[drom]

Quote:
I'm going to need a definition of "fringe," "bang," and "lancet." Help?

This comes from their glossary page:

Lancets : long, frayed, poointed feathers which are similar to the hactile feathes. They take shape from the waist. They fall on the thighs and cover very often the wing end. Only for the cocks.

So, all they are saying is that the tips (fringe) of the hackle feathers are a little darker and closer to the same color as the feathers spilling over their back.
All three of mine have just slightly darker copper color on the saddle feathers than the hackle feathers. It's very subtle, but it is the slightest bit darker. Only one of my roosters has two tone hackle feathers. The other two have one solid color from shaft to tip.

 

[KYBOY]

On heavily speckled marans eggs, does the specs come into play on the color chart at all? Im getting a few cuckoo eggs that might make a "4" on the chart but have many, much darker speckles..
Then I have one hen whos ink jets must be broken

The eggs are kinda rough in texture and show a few small patches of color here and there..

 

[Mesa]

tfpets, Sorry your eggs didnt show up. My Marans eggs came in a smashed box and none of them made it.

 

[tfpets]

Quote:
I think while they are speckled but only a four, they are only a four overall, but the total color may eventually become the color of the speckles, at least mine did! The eggs eventually evened out in tone and texture over the laying season, it was awesome...I have never seen a breed of chicken with such a varied color of egg from one hen!! Mine may be suffering from ink jet lag or something, but I love their eggs! Speckles like what you're saying at the start, on the lighter eggs, then darker and darker, then hmmm, lighter and lighter...right now their pretty light, I dont even want to give them away (which I do anyhow) it's just too embarrassing!
Tina