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

[Solsken Farm]

Welcome to the newbies and congrats on your BCs. I think Drom, Tina and Onthespot had some great info and agree completely. Just to add, that as a buyer, I would not want stock that isn't pure.

Hey Duckett5. You didn't say what you are going to do about your first batch of eggs that resulted in clean legged lines. Are you planning on keeping them separate from the second hatch? I am assuming you are (that is what I would do). Mixing lines can result in a reduction in the darkness of the egg color.

Well night 2 for my babies living in the barn in their new home. It was down to 10 last night and it is toasty warm in their little igloo. I keep putting off going away to our ski cabin because I am afraid to leave them.

The things we do for our critters.

 

[onthespot]

if he is getting both clean legged and feather legged from a line, it is already mixed. Separating them by leg type will not improve egg color at this point. He should just pick the eggs and the feathering or color type he likes best and keep on keeping on, or scrap the whole flock if it ends up inconsistent to a degree that he finds unworkable for him, and start over.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Wait, I thought his second group were all feather legged and a decent line? I agree on the first group. Ah, I just went back and read, I meant the third hatching, as the first 2 were from the same breeder.

 

[onthespot]

I just re-read too, and you are right. If I were Duckett I would completely scrap/sell/cull/donate/unload the first batch that had mixed colors and no leg feathering. Beep! outta here! I don't waste time on birds I don't like. The day I decide I don't need them, they are gone. There is a lady on my block that sells all kinds of farm animals and she will take any bird, any day (unless it is too hot or raining) and I just give them to her, rather than sell. She sells them and keeps all the money. Good deal for her, and good deal for me. With that option, I find culling to be a quick, painless process with no hand wringing, no regrets. It makes it easy to keep a tight, gorgeous flock of only my very best birds, or some waiting to prove themselves. The day they prove themselves mediocre, adios! I consider myself lucky to be able to give away any bird any day. Not worth running an ad and meeting people to come see a bird, because I keep my chickens ten miles away from my house!

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Monster and the girls are almost ready to start producing!

I have been counting the days!

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
Beauitful boy

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Quote:
Beauitful boy

Thank you! I like him

He has a great personality as well as being pretty. His 7 gorls should be very close to laying now so I am very excited to see what shade of egg I get.

 

[tfpets]

Whew, I went to bed and this place got all exciting...shiver me timbers! such stimulating conversation! No, really!

I was digging in my brain cells, and something did strike me...in your conversations, about the mixing genetics stuff...right on! Its not about a full wheaten or BC just popping up here and there when you have introduced a Wheaten to the lines....the strain you have will not be pure...I have read somewhere that the line will carry the signs of the wheaten in the Black Copper feathering, often seen in the underfeathers in a shade of light that is an undesireable characteristic and is difficult to breed out once it is established in the line...the bird may even look all Black Copper, but still have Wheaten characteristics, and you may not know it....also, this is where our little Sports come from, isnt it? When you have Marans but not true to their variety or Standard....Mixed up Marans...hey...if I ever get one, I'm gonna name it "Mums"....
I wish I could keep better track of my reading/research...its right there on the tip of my brain cells....

I prefer to keep the lines clean, you should get what you are expecting to get....if you want to mix them up YOURSELF, and do, thats up to you...if someone is going to be selling their birds, and they have been mixed at some point in the line, they need to divulge that - These birds are Black Copper Marans with Wheaten genes introduced somewhere...so a buyer knows that?? I like to be able to make an informed decision now?? When someone says PURE, its should be....then again....what label really tells the truth? What does PURE, REAL, 100%, mean?? Good luck with that!

PumpkinPup, that is a beautiful Boy!!

SolskenFarm - Isnt it hard to let go when it's cold outside? But my teens that are now 11 weeks old, and that have grown up outside in the cold are by far the hardiest of my chicks yet! They are fatter and faster than any chicks I have EVER had! I fully support cool weather growth, makes em tough! I hope they can handle the heat though!

Take it easy!
Tina/tfpets

 

[klf73]

Quote:
Ugh, I wish I could unload that easy, I have some gorgeous roos I can't give away (ameraucana, araucana, etc), I just hatched way too many roos

.
The 3 I hatched from Richard's eggs are already getting copper, faster than any of the others I have hatched, and it looks like I was wrong about them being 3 roos. I have 1 definite roo with one other looking like a pullet, the third is questionable

Lets cross fingers for another pullet

 

[tfpets]

Quote:
Way cool on the Pullet! Hope the other one is too! A trio would be nice!
Tina/tfpets