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

[amazondoc]

Quote:
Absolutely. It actually takes BOTH parents to determine the egg color. If it were simple, everyone would have black eggs by now.

 

[CHICKEN little 1]

klf73 wrote:
I thought both parents contributed? If not then when a marans roo is bred to an ameraucana wouldn't the resultant offspring lay brown and not olive?

amazondoc wrote:
Absolutely. It actually takes BOTH parents to determine the egg color. If it were simple, everyone would have black eggs by now.


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Good points.

So what you all are saying is keep the chicks from the darkest eggs. Then keep hatching the darkest eggs from there on.

O.K. I have some Blue Coppers that came from not real dark eggs. Would it be a good idea to maybe introduce some Black Coppers from dark eggs to boost the Blue Coppers egg color. I'am not having too much luck in finding dark hatching eggs from Blue Coppers. I don't think it would compromise the blue feathering since the Black Coppers carry the blue gene.

What do you think?

 

[onthespot]

both parents contribute to egg color. Otherwise you could just cross a marans roo on a bunch of legorns and get unlimited dark brown eggs. The genes for egg color are not well understood, but I have never read anywhere that egg color was a sex-linked trait. I think that it is very important to use a roo that came from proven dark laying lines or you my risk lightening the egg color of the next generation by introducing unknown (and possibly inferior egg color) genes.
I have come to believe that rooster selection is at least as important as hen selection, not because they control the egg color exclusively, but because their genetic influence is so pervasive, one roo affects the entire flock, whereas a hen only a fraction of the total eggs and future genetics.

 

[onthespot]

Blacks do not carry blue. You need a blue to get a blue. Cross your darkest laying blues on the blacks from the darkest eggs.

 

[littlepeddler]

Chicken, I'm sorry your question was about the Roo, not about the hen contributions. I answered on the roo

Quote:
Layer= hen.

I would think that would mean both.

.

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
Right. But it can get much more complicated than that, depending on how dedicated you are. For instance there are methods of testing the roo's potential, but those take a good amount of time and birds to test out!

I have some Blue Coppers that came from not real dark eggs. Would it be a good idea to maybe introduce some Black Coppers from dark eggs to boost the Blue Coppers egg color. I'am not having too much luck in finding dark hatching eggs from Blue Coppers. I don't think it would compromise the blue feathering since the Black Coppers carry the blue gene.

As Onthespot mentioned, blacks don't carry "blue". What we call "blue" is actually a dilution factor. It dilutes black. Blacks are not diluted, because they have no dilution gene. Blues are somewhat diluted, because they have one dilution gene. Splashes are very diluted, because they have two dilution genes.

But yes, your general idea can work. I just got a batch of blue birchen eggs, and some day I may do the same thing -- breeding blue birchen to "black" birchen in order to improve egg color. I also have wheatens and blue wheatens, but their egg color is already pretty good.

 

[CHICKEN little 1]

amazondoc wrote:
But yes, your general idea can work. I just got a batch of blue birchen eggs, and some day I may do the same thing -- breeding blue birchen to "black" birchen in order to improve egg color. I also have wheatens and blue wheatens, but their egg color is already pretty good.


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I have soooo much to learn. You guys are really helpful. I'am new to Marans,but I'am not giving up!

Never heard of Blue Wheatens. amazondoc could you please post some pics of the Blue Wheatens,and their eggs? How did they come about?

I know really dumb questions

Should I start a Marans for dummies link.

Just kidding. I'll just stay right here!

 

[CHICKEN little 1]

Yet another question! Does the Blue gene that the Blue Copper Marans carry come from the Blue Andalusian breed as for most Blues in other breeds? Just wondering?

 

[klf73]

Quote:
Right. But it can get much more complicated than that, depending on how dedicated you are. For instance there are methods of testing the roo's potential, but those take a good amount of time and birds to test out!

I have some Blue Coppers that came from not real dark eggs. Would it be a good idea to maybe introduce some Black Coppers from dark eggs to boost the Blue Coppers egg color. I'am not having too much luck in finding dark hatching eggs from Blue Coppers. I don't think it would compromise the blue feathering since the Black Coppers carry the blue gene.

As Onthespot mentioned, blacks don't carry "blue". What we call "blue" is actually a dilution factor. It dilutes black. Blacks are not diluted, because they have no dilution gene. Blues are somewhat diluted, because they have one dilution gene. Splashes are very diluted, because they have two dilution genes.

But yes, your general idea can work. I just got a batch of blue birchen eggs, and some day I may do the same thing -- breeding blue birchen to "black" birchen in order to improve egg color. I also have wheatens and blue wheatens, but their egg color is already pretty good.

Ione- since you mentioned blue birchen.......
I hatched out a blue birchen cockeral in October. The breeder I got my first bc marans from told me some other colors she had and I told her to surprise me. I ended up with 1 blue pullet and 1 blue birchen cockeral (along with my bc). Do I put the blue pullet with the blue birchen? If I can't put the 2 together then I will need to sell them because I can't add anymore pens

I just didn't think about it when I got the eggs, who really knows what will hatch......
any help on what to do with him is appreciated

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
The eggs they came out of are the ones I posted yesterday. As for pics, the kids are due for new update pics -- maybe after the weekend!

And I don't know where they originally came from. Probably a mutation somewhere along the line.