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

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
I know someone with Cuckoo Marans that get eggs that are 5 or 6 on the darkness scale so that wouldnt really be a step backwards on the egg color goals plus they woundnt be a pure color anyway.

A friend of mine has some gorgeous Cuckoos we hatched and they drop 5s and 6s. I aim to get some more hatchin' eggs from the same source pretty soon.

Now, regarding the chickens' coloring...the pullets would be "pure" Blue Marans in phenotype, right? But would their genotype be mixed up or pure? I'm not totally clear on that. The mother hen is not going to pass the barring onto the daughters, right? So the daughters ought to be Blue Marans, no? Of course, the main purpose is simply to create some pretty, sex-linked peeps. But if they didn't have that "mixed breed" stigma, that would be pretty rad.

Funny, the two chickens I've had the hardest time selling were White Leghorns (too boring, I guess?) and F2 BSLs (mutts). Anything else sells like hotcakes. Not that I've ever sold hotcakes myself. I don't even call them "hotcakes".

 

[berkeleysprings]

un-clear in first pic
hen and 2 roo 2nd pic
hen and unknown 3rd pic
hen in front 4th pic
hen in 5th pic


Quote:
You tell me ... can you sex them?

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/...caunas/2-12-10SilkiedAmeraucanasWheaton-5.jpg

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/...caunas/2-12-10SilkiedAmeraucanasWheaton-6.jpg

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/...caunas/2-12-10SilkiedAmeraucanasWheaton-2.jpg

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/...caunas/2-12-10SilkiedAmeraucanasWheaton-3.jpg

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/...caunas/2-12-10SilkiedAmeraucanasWheaton-4.jpg

 

[happyhenslivehere]

Okay, wow! I've read probably 100+ pages back through this thread, and I'm learning SO much! But, my clickin' finger is starting to cramp, so I'm just going to ask some questions. We just hatched out some Black and Blue Coppers. I purchased eggs off of ebay, had a GREAT hatch with my blacks, but not so great out of my blues. However, I ended up with 11 really nice looking Marans chicks, so I'm a happy camper. So, from what I've read, if you breed a blue to a blue you're going to get a ratio of blues, blacks and splashes. (I found the color genetics to be something similar in principal to breeding for chocolate labs, as well as merle Australian shepherds...) I found this to be very interesting, considering I got three different color chicks from my blue eggs.

1.) A darker slate blue.

2.) A very yellow chick, with just a haze of blue.

3.) And a silvery blue with a big ol' yellow spot on its head.

Does this just mean they will be varying shades of blue? I apologize for the simplicity of my questions, I'm just here to learn. Also, I had some Cuckoo's once, and was told it was a general rule of thumb that the roo's would have a very prominent silver spot on the top of their head. Is this also correct with Blue's, or just a coinkydink? That 3rd chick is the only chick out of both my Blues and Blacks with a spot on its head at all.

Now, for my Blacks. Which are absolutely some of the sweetest chicks I've ever handled, I got some with varying color there, too.

4.) Here is a good color demonstration of what I have right now. Some with white tipped wings, some nearly solid black...

5.) Curious as to what give some of them the white flecks around the eyes, and others are solid black?

6.) Any thoughts, or do I just scream newbie?

Regardless, I'm very pleased with what we ended up with. They're sassy and sweet, and I hope to have a few good pullets out of the 11 Marans I ended up with. I was told the Blacks were from the Bev Davis & Wade Jeane line and the Blue's are Krebs. Not really sure what all that means, I bought them on a whim because a friend was firing up their big bator. Anyway, any input, advice, suggestions, education, etc... on my questions? I'm all eyes!

 

[cook_kaka_ook]

I've just received my hatching eggs from Sebrightmom today. They're all in good shape. Nicely packed. I hope everything goes well. They're now resting with the pointy side down and planning to set them up in the bator on Valentine's Day. Perhaps add some of my very own eggs from the flock.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Why are you waiting 2 more days to put them in the bator? The fresher they are, the more likely they will hatch.

 

[pasofinofarm]

I hae a question. If it has already been asked and answered somewhere in these 500+ pages of wonderful information, I apologize in advance.

First a little background... I have a wonderful flock of Golden Cuckoo Marans. I love everything about them... except... they have been laying for over 1 1/2 years straight. Egg color started out a very respectable 6-7 but is now down to washout. I know it can happen, I've seen my Ameraucanas lay white eggs after a good long Indian summer... but this is ridiculous! Is there a way to get them to take a break? I am starting to feel that my only hope of ever seeing dark eggs from them again is to hatch and keep pullets selling off my hens. In every other way the eggs are beautiful, size is huge, they have great shape, are consistent, shiny and just beautiful in general... but pale brown is not the color I want to be seeing. HELP!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Blues can vary in shades. Darker blue and lighter blue.
That little "yellow" chick with just a haze of blue is a Splash and if that is a Welsummer in the 2nd and 3rd photo it is a girl.

Congratulations on your too cute little fuzzies!!!!!!

 

[pinkchick]

10 new little fuzzies came into the world during the night. I don't think that the remaining Marans egg is going to hatch...just a feeling.

4 Blue Coppers and 6 Black Coppers. I'm kinda bummed that I didn't get a Splash this time around but that's okay cuz instead I got a really pretty little very silvery blue future Olive Egger!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
I know someone with Cuckoo Marans that get eggs that are 5 or 6 on the darkness scale so that wouldnt really be a step backwards on the egg color goals plus they woundnt be a pure color anyway.

Now, regarding the chickens' coloring...the pullets would be "pure" Blue Marans in phenotype, right? But would their genotype be mixed up or pure? I'm not totally clear on that. The mother hen is not going to pass the barring onto the daughters, right? So the daughters ought to be Blue Marans, no? Of course, the main purpose is simply to create some pretty, sex-linked peeps. But if they didn't have that "mixed breed" stigma, that would be pretty rad.

hmmm........

I understand that egg color has been lost in some experiences when crossing the Blue and Splash birds with a BCM (I have read this here on BYC and on other Marans forums/groups) and that some Blue and Splash Marans lay a lighter egg to begin with compared to the BCM's. (please feel free to jump in and correct me)
Mine do, but they are still a Marans. I haven't had a Blue or Blue Copper or Splash bird that has produced an egg as dark as my BCM's...yet! This is where most of the fun starts for me, ahh....egg color and then throw in blue on top of that......HEAVEN!!!!!!

Dread~
Correct a Barred hen cannot pass the barred gene on to her female offspring.
It is my understanding that they would not be carrying the barred gene thus being a Blue Marans in which one could use these solid female offspring with a solid male Marans and still have Marans as long as the egg color is acceptable.
It is also my understanding that you could breed the Het. blue cuckoo males from the Splash roo x Cuckoo hen mating back to their mother and then one half of the offspring both male and female would carry the barring gene. The other half of the offspring would be solid blue or black. I also believe that with this Het. Male crossing to a barred hen one would not be able to tell the Het. males from the Het. females. (again, please feel free to jump in and correct me) I do not work with the barred gene but have read alot about it and if no one comes along to correct me it just goes to prove that I spend entirely too much time on BYC!!!!!!

I apologize to all of the genetic guru's out there if I totally messed up. Just

me back to my chair.

Question~ Can a homozygous barred male be produced from the Het. male Het. female crossing?

 

[Sebrightmom]

Quote:
Cook_kaka_ook,

I am so glad they made it ok. I hatched out chicks from these Marans earlier this year. They are so cute. I plan on showing some of the blues I hatched out. Good Luck Hatching!!!