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

[geebs]

TGNICOLE About the pink legs... If you go to a past post by res... he explains the optimal leg color according to his vast understanding of genetics. The french favor the pink over slate/black for the males. The americans are leaning toward the opposite. Resolution has something to say on the subject... Can't remember where the post is... maybe someone can help out... It is very pertinent for breeding goals.

 

[drom]

Quote:
I there,
I'm guessing that maybe your browser settings in your security software may view any site not ending with a U.S. domain (.com or .net for instance) as a possible unsafe site.
Marans Club of France, has URLs ending in .eu and .fr because the domain is hosted and administered in France.

It is safe site

Oh, FYI, you might be able to fix that if you are using Explorer by clicking on the Tools tab, selecting Internet Options from the drop down, clicking on the Security tab, clicking on the Trusted Sites button and them adding the URL to your Trusted Sites by cutting and pasting it in to the box provided.

Although the warning you are getting sounds more like a Norton thing than an Microsoft Explorer thing.

But you might want to try it.

 

[drom]

Quote:
He mentioned that the French favor birds with very reddish pink reticulate scales because they believe these birds carry the genes for dark eggs.

And, totally agree with you Geebs, it's seems like there is a difference of opinion on the leg color of the BCM roosters with the French and US breeders

The translation for the "Tarsi" in the French Standard states that the legs should be "white or lightly pink coloured for all the varieties except for the BLACK, BROWN-RED and BIRCHEN Marans where grey or dark grey is permitted, although not preferred, for both sexes".


I think that some US breeders would probably say that if your BCM roosters legs are whitish-pink, you may have Wheaten genes in your BCMs.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I posted pictures of my new hatch of Wheatons on post # 5143, and at 1 week old on post # 5269 .... maybe that would help?

 

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
I posted pictures of my new hatch of Wheatons on post # 5143, and at 1 week old on post # 5269 .... maybe that would help?

Thanks I will look at those too. I will post pictures of them once they are all out and fluffy.

ETA: Checked out the week old pictures. The two that are out are all blonde like one of yours and the other has some of that golden chipmunk striping on his back. He is very tall and the only one with feathered shanks so far.

 

[drom]

I should add on the scales thing, that Pink Chick posted a really good picture of a ER bird that had very dark grayish slate legs that still had very reddish pink reticulate scales.
My mature BCMs have light legs.

and very red reticulate scales.

But Pink chick illustrated that an ER bird with very gray legs can have the red reticulate scales which is probably more correct for the BCM and other ER varities color standards.

 

[pasofinofarm]

Quote:
Didn't they stop for winter?? That will effect egg color. You don't keep lights on them do you?
Will they go broody if you let them?



Most people say that egg color is for the most part completely genetic, however they will also say there a few are other factors which effect it:

Stress ( for a variety of reasons)
Crowding
Heat-this really effects my birds. They didn't like the heat in July and laid lighter
Laying through the winter-have they been laying through the winter? it sounds like it
Being kept under lights in the winter
Also Resolution mentioned a diet; and it is in this thread and another thread of his that he believes helps egg color
I think he also recommends keeping small groups of birds

You can also maybe try taking a very small group of your hens that have the strongest egg color and start a new line just to cultivate egg color. Perhaps bring one Rooster from your group or maybe even better from another line that comes from the darkest egg possible.
It would be a long term project, but you could follow Resolution's 8 generation formula for cultivating egg color.

Thanks Drom. At least I know I am not doing any of the easy things 'wrong'. They have very spacious housing, get to free range at least 3x a week, eat great since we have a farm where there is always extra dairy and produce plus they get a very good layer pellet. I don't think it is a genetics issue as they started out so dark and the roo is from an 8 egg on the Marans chart. I don't keep lights on them but we are in Southeast Texas and have very short and mild winters and yes, they have laid right through even when everyone else quit. The Black Coppers turned off for about 4 weeks and came back with 7-8 eggs.. but the GC just keep laying. Also they have better production than the BC... so I am thinking that getting an egg a day from most of my hens is a problem too?

I have talked with a few folks at the Marans Chicken Club who have thrown in the towel on them because they can not maintain egg color. And yes we are up for improvements and long term projects. We keep birds that fit into our farm situation and Marans are very versatile for eggs and meat so are everything we love in a bird... If you could see the size of the cockerel that is boiling away in the pot and about to be dumpling dinner... Wowza! And as I said before, while these eggs are light they are BEAUTIFUL in every other way.

I was really just hoping that someone knows a way to MAKE them turn off for a while before Spring sets in and they really go nuts!

 

[aussieheelr]

I'm so happy I finally get to post here! I've been lerking off and on for a while now... I set 8 BCMs Thursday 2/11!!!!! I'm hoping for at least a trio and hope to set a second batch afterwords.

 

[Zgoatlady]

ok
I had a lady tell me that when you check BCM that and Blue when they are chicks that they are true only when they get get the wing tip feather that its white. Ive never heard of that, have you?

 

[drom]

Quote:
hmmm

I haven't heard anyone say that.

You mean she was saying that the white wing tips are a way of confirming they are genetically pure (true) ER/ER birds? If that is what she meant, then, no I have never heard that.