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

[tfpets]

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Why are you under that chair? Those are pretty! It looks to me like they are pushing up to a four not bad from a hatchery bird - and the speckles are awesome! You know - my Cuckoo Marans started doing that once, and it was like their inkjets were clogged, then the dye straightened out and the whole egg got darker??? Do yours always lay a speckled egg? I just love not knowing what's coming out.
Right now it's a HUGE disappointment - the eggs are so light they're like a regular egg...it's seriously the end of their laying cycle, and these girls were laying really dark eggs before?? Whats up with that? So you should be proud!!!! If they stay speckledy, what a nice basket!!

What are your plans for your girls? I mean, I give my eggs to people for the cost of shipping. I sure hope the people I give them to NEVER try to represent them as anything but backyard birds? They only come from eggs around a 4 on the Marans color scale? Some touch a 5?? I dont think my "lines" are appropriate for breeding as "Cuckoo Marans" stock for future generations of dark eggs layers unless someone knows genetically how to improve egg color? NOT ME!!

Love your eggs!!

Tina

 

[pbjmaker]

Color question here: Are the black feathers on the back supposed to shimmer green like the tail? How about pullets? Do they ever get that green sheen or do they maintain that soft black color?

ETA: I just looked at onthespot's website and I see her roo, Goody, does have the green shimmer on the wings.

 

[redhen]

Thanks Tina, yes, they are usually speckled like that...the flash washed out some color also...i just ordered some black coppers and golden cuckoos also...i cant wait to get them!

When you say that yours are at the end of their laying cycle...what do you mean? they are older birds? so, the color will change as they get older?

 

[ninjapoodles]

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I don't know if they're "supposed" to or not, but my hens' black feathers definitely do have that superdark metallic green sheen to them. Right or wrong, it's gorgeous!

I hope that someone who knows what they're talking about will answer this question.

 

[onthespot]

i remember reading somewhere that the hens are not supposed to be shiny green. I have two hens that are not shiny green, and one that is a soft, muted shiny green and lays TERRIFIC eggs, so you can bet I will not be culling her just because she has satin finish shine to her back feathers!

 

[pbjmaker]

My guy is a rooster so we're good to go. He just started getting some copper color in his feathers and the "shimmer". But he's only about 10 weeks now.

 

[ninjapoodles]

It's an iridescent sheen...subtle, but there for sure.

 

[onthespot]

sounds same as mine. I say there are worse faults to worry about. Plus, I hatched seven pullets from her and most are not shiny green. I think two are. Not shiny shiny, sort of satin finish like her.

 

[ninjapoodles]

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With our dogs, we have to differentiate between a "fault of function" and a "fault of fashion," and weight them accordingly. No animal is perfect. In our case, with our poodles, we've accepted the occasional "gay" tail (carried too far over the back), which is considered a "serious fault" in the standard, because along with it seems to come many of the traits that give the dog phenomenal structure and movement (actually, it makes sense, because a function of a shorter back, which is desirable in the breed, IS higher tail carriage--just like with Arabian horses). OTOH, a very straight shoulder, while not named as a fault in the standard (and all too often rewarded by judges who don't know any better, because it gives a flashy profile), is something we won't keep in the gene pool.

With chickens, it's more difficult, because unless you've been in on a breed's development since the beginning, or for a really long time, you may not know what the "function" of a given trait may have been. It's harder for me to identify "faults of function" as opposed to "faults of fashion."

For example, I know that "squirrel" tails are a fault in Marans, and yet, I've seen precious few birds who exhibit the desired 45 degree-angle tailset.

Chickens are way harder, and more challenging and rewarding, than I would ever have predicted!

 

[pbjmaker]

I have a long way to go in learning myself. I figure I will take it one part of the standard at a time.