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

[geebs]

Hathor It truely depends on the line.....and the breeder of that line... My experience is that Bev birds mature quicker... Probably due to her selective breeding and long standing breeding program. The others that are not as easy would include Jesse Bryant's Wade birds...I have had a few off of that line that I though were roos up till POL ... 8 months... So it truley depends on bird and breeder... It makes sense that Wades are not that far along on a lot of the lines due to the simple fact that they haven't been in this country very long... only 2007 I believe is what I read... That only allows for maybe 5 or 6 generations at the very best.... and you are looking for 8 to have good breeding stock...or 5 years give or take if I were to quote bev.. That is what it takes to develop a line... So every time someone got their birds you have to look backward to see how many generations they have bred or have been bred before... And all of this has to be a deliberate action of cull and backbreed.. So essentially w/o any background information Hathor you are at ground zero. This is why I say buy a parent.. It saves you 6 or 7 months... One whole generation.

 

[berkeleysprings]

my davis line of wheaten marans took almost 11 months to lay
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[marquisella]

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There are other ways to tell a roo, pointy hackle & sickle feathers before 7 months of age. I've never had a cockerel, that didn't show at least 1 copper feather on wings or back, by 4 months of age. Even on the cockerels that showed copper late, I could tell it was a boy by the other signs.

But, that is my birds. Everyone has to figure this out for themselves.

I'm not sure what you mean by "rooster feathered hens". A pullet shouldn't have any copper feathers other than on the hackles.

Sue.

 

[geebs]

No there isn't on a rooster-feathered hen.... That is what I am saying... I have had it happen more than once...they have pointy rooster feathers and are easily mistaken because of the combs and pointy feathers for rooster.... No joke!!!

You will see along in this thread many times where ppl claim they only hatched roos... The odds of that are very slim... I surmise that they didn't wait long enought to see the developement... Had I not decided to keep ever male and female till the end of time on this line... I would not have made this discovery... It was the fact that I didn't cull anything that stumbled me onto this.. I am simply sharing the information with the ppl on this forum so they will not make the same culling error.

There are other ways to tell a roo, pointy hackle & sickle feathers before 7 months of age

= rooster feathered.​

 

[marquisella]

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= rooster feathered.

That would be odd, & since I haven't had that happen it seems strange. But, then, I usually run on all my birds anyhow. You never know when that ugly cockerel will turn into a swan, err, I mean a good looking rooster! LOL

The thing I do cull early for though, is too much light copper early on, so far that is a good indicater that the boys will have too light & too much copper color.

Sue

 

[geebs]

Ya... I was really a shock... I was dumbfounded... I had heard about it but I thought I had the world's ugliest long necked rooster thing.. with pointy feathers and all... It just failed to develop a saddle but since I had late bloomers before... REALLLLLY late I figured it was another case of the same... I couldn't believe it turned into the most correct hen I have.... EVERYTHING on her is all I could ask for.... She is an example of the breed... Since she was soooo ugly I never dreamed she was a girl... She developed a comb and pick wattles like a rooster early on... much different from her cluchmates.. I have had two incidences like this and both from two different lines.... I will take a picture of her tomarrow... She is a real swan alright.

Oh and ya on the early copper... It doesn't usually turn out well.... I am with ya there!!!

 

[haTHOR]

i had read the early copper is one thing often considered a problem but is more common in the jeane line and not a problem in those birds. maybe b/c those birds tend to have more color?

thoughts?

 

[pinkchick]

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11 months really????? WoW! Thats a long time!

My stock originated from Davis lines as well but all started to lay spot on at 5.5 mos. Even the 2nd generations that I have been working with since getting my original stock have all started at 5.5 months. I have several more 3rd generation 5.5 month olds that are very ready to lay....I expect to be getting eggs anyday from them.

 

[geebs]

All it takes is to keep one rooster from a late maturing line or one hen and voila... there is it.... I have thought about this and have yet to hatch any eggs though quite nice from this beautiful hen.... Her offspring would indeed have to be marked... (wink wink)... then if they mature normally due to the roosters influence then one could possibly consider keeping the animal in their reproduction line..

 

[littledel]

I have some marans eggs hatching in the bator. The roo is a French Blue splash over blue splash hens and blue copper hens. They were due to hatch today and so far I have one that is obviously blue, another that is really dark, but still looks blue to me and two that are a light buff color. My question is are the buff colored chicks going to be splashes, if not where did that come from. Still waiting on 7 eggs to hatch.