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

[onthespot]

lol. and a shameless plug for the "other crazy 24 hour auction place, pm me for details. That is too good to shut down. It MUST go on! The season is just starting!!!!

 

[nivtup]

The girls are starting up again

 

[flgardengirl]

Hi all I have a question: I hatched out some Blue Marans (BBS) and 3 of them are black. Now I understand about the genetics, color% and all, having had plenty in college and can relate what I've learned on the site about chicken genetics. What I want to know is what is the proper way to say I have a black Marans. Yes they are black but since they have blue genes would I say (like in conversation or whatever), "I have a BBS Black Marans", or does it matter? It isn't a true black so it seems decieving to say, "It is a Black Marans". This is bugging me for some reason, Please set me straight lol! So what is the proper terminology? Thanks

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
Those ARE true black. There is no difference between them and any other black Marans. Your black birds do NOT have any blue genes -- that's why they're black.

 

[flgardengirl]

Ok great. So black x black will be 100% black! I guess I was confused because I had read somewhere that someone was working on a line of True Black Marans and so figured the ones derived from the blues must have some blue genes in there somewhere. Thanks I'm glad I asked

So next question: If you wanted to develop lavender these would be the birds to use? Say a Lav Orp over a black Marans and then would have to breed out the Orp genes. How long would that take or would it work?

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
When people talk about "true black" Marans, they mean Marans that are based on the E allele (extended black) rather than birds that have the ER (birchen) allele with extra melanizing genes to make them *look* black. If none of your birds have any red markings anywhere on them, then they are most likely "true" black (based on E) already.

 

[flgardengirl]

Time will tell on the red markings, none now but they haven't got much in the way of real feathers yet. Thank you that certainly cleared things up.

 

[Byrdj]

Quote:
Fantastic looking eggs! What line did they come from?

 

[Byrdj]

Quote:
If your birds are solid black then they don't have any blue genes in them. If they did, they would be blue instead of black. As Amazondoc stated, a black marans should be extended black (E/E). A birchen (ER/ER) aka black copper that looks black has too many melanizers in it and can't be considered a black. A (ER/E) bird could look black also. If black birds have any copper showing through (usually in the neck feathers) they aren't (E/E) true black. Sometimes the copper color doesn't show up until they get their adult plumage.

Blue and Lavender are two completely different genes. I think it would be a bad idea to introduce a lavender orpington to black marans. It would take years to get the marans back up to standard. The standard colors of marans need so much work now, why create another mess?

 

[nivtup]

Quote:
Fantastic looking eggs! What line did they come from?

Wade Jeanne lines.