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

[KellyHM]

Quote:
Both of the ones that have hatched so far from Backwoods have heavily feathered legs. The eggs were not as dark as I'd have liked, but were pretty good...probably 5-6 also. I got a dozen Wheaten eggs from Bev at one of the poultry shows here and only had 2 hatch...and they both died in a couple of days...and the eggs weren't even shipped! So I kind of gave up on those.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Quote:
He is so cute! And what a lovely story, that makes him so much more precious! My Cuckoo Rooster is such a neat guy too, he wouldnt let the Evil Snowball ever give me any evil business in the pet area, he is so protective, and sweet! I am so happy for your rooster! I wish you were closer, I would give you a couple of my girls! I have a couple of my "regular" girls that I am going to keep, but put in the pet area as just egg layers now that I have the Kelly Cratty lines to add to my breeding pen...they would be wonderful for your guy! Darn! (Not old, just 1.5, and lay a 4-5 on the scale mostly)...but I'll keep em...I just like your story!

Hope you find your pullets and Golden Cuckoos. Nivtup is doing excellent work with his lines, I recommend contacting him or reading that thread at least, and see whats going on.

Tina

Thank you , Tina! I must agree, he is a lovely Roo, so gentle and friendly I've been lucky, raised 16 roos from day old chicks and never had a mean one yet...all but one have moved on to new homes over the last 6 months and I'm able to visit them whenever I want. A Hawk got one of my roos when he was 2 months old and it broke my heart. We now have Big Boy and General (10 month old Roos) 16 Hens(RIR's,Buff Minorca's,Brown Leghorn, and mixtures of all of them LOL) and 2 Guinea Hens.

I don't know who Nivtup is but I'll look them up and find that thread.

Michelle

 

[Solsken Farm]

Quote:
Both of the ones that have hatched so far from Backwoods have heavily feathered legs. The eggs were not as dark as I'd have liked, but were pretty good...probably 5-6 also. I got a dozen Wheaten eggs from Bev at one of the poultry shows here and only had 2 hatch...and they both died in a couple of days...and the eggs weren't even shipped! So I kind of gave up on those.

Buddy is a sweetie and I know they are working on improving the feathered shanks. I clearly didn't get good luck with that, but
I did get 4 pullets and 1 roo. Hatching is such a dang cr@pshoot.

 

[klf73]

Quote:
He is so cute! And what a lovely story, that makes him so much more precious! My Cuckoo Rooster is such a neat guy too, he wouldnt let the Evil Snowball ever give me any evil business in the pet area, he is so protective, and sweet! I am so happy for your rooster! I wish you were closer, I would give you a couple of my girls! I have a couple of my "regular" girls that I am going to keep, but put in the pet area as just egg layers now that I have the Kelly Cratty lines to add to my breeding pen...they would be wonderful for your guy! Darn! (Not old, just 1.5, and lay a 4-5 on the scale mostly)...but I'll keep em...I just like your story!

Hope you find your pullets and Golden Cuckoos. Nivtup is doing excellent work with his lines, I recommend contacting him or reading that thread at least, and see whats going on.

Tina

Thank you , Tina! I must agree, he is a lovely Roo, so gentle and friendly I've been lucky, raised 16 roos from day old chicks and never had a mean one yet...all but one have moved on to new homes over the last 6 months and I'm able to visit them whenever I want. A Hawk got one of my roos when he was 2 months old and it broke my heart. We now have Big Boy and General (10 month old Roos) 16 Hens(RIR's,Buff Minorca's,Brown Leghorn, and mixtures of all of them LOL) and 2 Guinea Hens.

I don't know who Nivtup is but I'll look them up and find that thread.

Michelle

you can find nivtup on page 200 of this thread, just click on the pm link.....or you can do a search of golden cuckoo with nivtup as author...

 

[Solsken Farm]

Some of you might notice Quailhollows post about BC sport chicks. Some folks are making statements that Wade Jeane BCM lines throw wheatens ALOT. Amazondoc cleared something up for me, but I have a question.

Has anyone here hatched out Jeane birds that frequently throw wheatens or clean legged for that matter?

Drom, Bayhorsebonne has Jeane lines, right? Her eggs fetch top dollar prices. I cannot believe if there was a flaw like that, we wouldn't be hearing about it from those that have hatched eggs from her.

I think this is a really important thing, because to me, this is why there is a split in the Marans community. There is mudslinging from one camp or another about the other's bird's flaws. I am Switzerland, and I think some of you folks are too. So, I really am looking for info, not an argument.

Thanks.

 

[amazondoc]

I'll repeat from my comment on the other thread --

Yes, Wade Jeanne birds sometimes throw wheatens. I have seen Wade say so himself.

There is nothing terrible about a BC line throwing wheatens. It's just a recessive gene. We need to be more open about discussion the details of various breeding programs, and less defensive. We can't make much progress under a shroud of secrecy.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Quote:
Yes, I agree and edited my post. I don't like the secrecy and I don't like the divide. I want the honest info. I have lines originating from both, so I have no strong affiliation with either camp.

I plan on hatching many chicks from both my lines, and will be happy to report on how the lines compare and will post pictures from both.

I can say right now, that my Jeane birds all have great copper coloring, both hens and roos. Half the roos have too much copper, but half are perfect. I am greatful for the roos that have too much copper, as there are a few hens that need more copper in their breasts. The eggs coming from this line are amazingly dark and they have only been laying for a few weeks. They are 7s, many of them.

My Davis lines (not directly from Bev, but good breeders like Sterling Sue and Richard (Marans guy) have all popped some black or almost black hens and roos. The eggs from my first line are fairly correct, but the eggs are only a 5-6. They are consistent, but not anything like the Jeane eggs.

I would love feedback from folks' hatching experiences from either line.

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
I wish you would stop trying to create this artificial divide between "camps".

Wade Jeane himself is a member of the Marans Chicken Club USA. I have myself met him when he participated at one of our shows. There is no big hairy "divide" between Bev Davis and Wade Jeane. They are both working towards the same goal.

I myself own birds from both Ron Presley and Bev Davis, as well as from Julie Gabbard. Nobody, in the MCC at least, gets offended or excited about who owns whose birds. So let's stop playing the "us" vs. "them" game, and concentrate on working TOGETHER.

 

[nivtup]

We have birds from a Wade Jeanne line.

No Wheatens as of yet. We started with eggs of good color, all but one bird have feathered shanks.

The cockerels have a range of colors (not terrible, but being hypercritical here) from a dark saddle, to too much copper in the breast. We are actually very please with the coloring, just very critical in selecting breeders.

We also have one cockeral with a squirrel tail that is nice on coloring, but will most likely have to go.

The hens have faint coppering in the neck. We can see room for improvement here.

All in all we are happy with the birds as a point to start. In two generations they will be better I am sure, but not everything set hatches a show quality bird, right?

I think a lot of the negativity seen is based on the scenario where "I bought a dozen eggs and 5 hatched and they are not show quality". This really should be a numbers game. Hatch a lot from the best you have, select and repeat.

Switzerland - I had to re-read that a few times. Wow - in Switzerland, that's cool. Wait - some of us are in Switzerland too? I must have missed out on a Switzerland trip????? Duh, Switzerland - Neutrality.

It is always fun when you brain runs in circles for a bit in the morning.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Yes, I think you are right that when so few birds hatch out, that folks will have a thought about a line that may not be accurate. It is a nubmers game, as with any line. Nivtup, neutralty is what I a referring to.

Doc, I am not up for an argument this morning or any morning. I am trying to clarify some things and get some answers. I have my own opinions based on my own experiences about chickens, people and anything else. I do not need my knuckles rapped for stating an opinion about anything. Have a nice day.