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

[Wynette]

I'm totally with you on consistency! I love it when I go to a breed pen and it takes me awhile to figure out who is who! Frustrating at first, then I catch myself smiling!!

It's also neat when you get the the point where you can really KNOW who you need to use for what...you know?

 

[geebs]

Yep... and when you get birds generations apart from each other and can't tell them apart... or you can tell a line in a picture by what the bird looks like that is a consistant breeder.

 

[geebs]

If I didn't keep them separate and such... I wouldn't be able to tell what from what else... I have had more than one generation from each of the breeders I mentioned. There are other breeders I have used that I do not use just because of incosistancies at a level that I wasn't wanting to work with. I like to have some idea of what to expect. I think that is a shortcut really. If they are consistent then I can always go back to "ground zero" in the case of a catastrophic loss. I will not have to lose a bunch of ground... It is a comforting thought really. I have only one Cree left from my first Cree batch.. That saddens me but I still have her offspring.. which are WONDERFUL... They are better than herself in shape and feathering and length of back, all while maintaining good color in the eggie.

 

[Ryu]

We just took the bird we liked the best and bred them. I don't think I could tell you now who came from what. Type, feather color, egg color, and of course vitality--we just chose and went. There were 4 original sources, maybe three 'lines' depending on how you define it.

Gen 1 crosses were a little scary, but I've got Gen 2 growing now. I don't know how long I will stick with them, but they are looking pretty good. I don't think I will show them anymore, but I do like the eggs, and they look good in the yard.

I can never leave anything alone, always have to cross it up just to see what shakes out. You can learn a lot about other breeders programs by crossing out their birds.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
SO true!

Nothing wrong whatsoever with just breeding what looks nice and working with what you want to see in your own line, for sure!

 

[geebs]

That is what makes the world go round!!

I started that way and got some pretty wierd stuff... and you are right... I absolutely found out more about them crossing them than I did leaving them alone.. that is what helped me decide what to use!!!! The birds themselves tell the truth about what is in there...

 

[littledel]

Do Marans go through a period of not laying. My dad has 4 blue splash that were laying pretty regular and now for the last 2-3 weeks he is lucky if he gets an egg a day. And they have lightened up a lot from what they were. These are young birds, less than a year old.

 

[geebs]

Possibly the heat... They quit laying when it get's too hot... Always check for parasites etc. (post above mine) Correction.... Littledel

Here is my next year's pullet (non cull)... still waiting on the younger ones to see what qualities they bring to the table. Pride of next year... Haven't picked the roos yet but I have decided on one.

This is the Rooster hen for those that were interested in the what I am talking about in the way of Tricky to sex birds.... This was a roo to me up until it laid a really nice egg.... I was sure this "ugly" rooster was going to crow.... It never happened... It looked very much like the tricky bird that I was looking at a page or so back in the bottom.... I could be very wrong but ya just don't know about this line and what tipped me off initially about your birds Hathor was the parent stock original photo... There was quite a diversity in genetic makeup there. My pen has that also so I keep very careful records of what works and what doesn't.

This picture is for Wynette This is what one can reasonably expect from BHB... None of my pix are retouched... It is hard to get a true rendition of color... This is pretty close, barring the screne etc.

And wow... I need to vacuum and shampoo the floor!!!!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
So true!!! So true!!!
Find out TONS that way, the proof is in the puddin' they say and besides I like the pretty crossed offspring in the laying flock. It's also a very good way to find out if the roos hold the dark egg gene. I like test crossing my Marans roos first before putting them into a breeding pen and like crossing them best with Ameraucana's. I have some single combed AM cross Marans that lay eggs just as dark as my Black and Blue Coppers, I also like having them in the laying flock, this way I get nice dark eggs/or olive eggs for my customers and can keep my pure Marans eggs for myself to choose from for hatching or sell them. At the same time it helps narrow down the roos that won't be used for breeding.

Geebs......how the stars are ya girl??? Your birds look lovely as ever!!!!

 

[berkeleysprings]

just a few random hen pics from 2 breeder line cross first gen ,roos are comeing out fine also but i have no pics
first pic is a older bird butnot laying yet .....my area it takes them 9 months from egg to egg,gen to gen