Marans? What am I?!

[MaransGuy]

The black chick is not a copper black as they have white faces and bellies. The eggs are dark, not really great color, but better than hatchery stock. The two chicks are certainly not the same color marans. What did the seller tell you they were?

Richard

 

[antheat]

Hi Richard,

my friend bought the eggs at auction as "marans eggs" thats it - she was thinking they would be cuckoo but they certainly don't seem to be by the pictures we have been looking at

She has decided to sell 10 and keep 10 to see how they turn out - I'll try to remember to post pics of them when she takes some more to see what colour they turn out to be.

thanks

Anthea

 

[okcarla]

Hi Anthea,

I agree, the black chick could be a black marans. I've bought several varieties of marans eggs from Ray Valentine in Florida, and some black marans eggs, and my chicks are solid black like your black chick.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen a brown marans chick like you have in the picture. It's possible the person selling the eggs has mixed colors of marans in the same pen or ... I know that some of the sellers of eggs at that auction also have other varieties of dark brown egg layers that lay about the same color of egg. At that auction I have seen pendescena eggs and wellsummer eggs that are about the same color as the marans eggs. You might want to see if anyone thinks this could be a pendescena or wellsummer chick. Oh, and if I remember correctly, someone had some black pendescena eggs for sale there a few weeks ago. Perhaps these eggs were mis-labeled?

 

[AussieSharon]

It's not a welsummer chick

 

[Heidi]

I just hatched out 9 marans that I bought from Ray Valentine and they were listed as blue marans - 3 hatched out reddish like the pic you have on page 1. 2 hatched out black and the remaining hatched out creamy white (splash). I sent Ray pics and he swears they are marans.......

 

[MaransGuy]

I'm not trying to start anything here but a blue chick is not going to hatch with reddish brown down. When you are breeding blues your chicks will come out, depending on if they are black, blue or splash, black, grey, or pale silver/white, respectively. I have never dealt with Ray, nor have I ever heard any feedback, positive or negative, about him so cannot speak from experience. I do know that he was asking for someone to explain how blue genetics work on another marans group last winter. He might be a great guy - I am not saying he is or is not. I just know that a blue bird cannot have red/brown down.

Richard

 

[Heidi]

Yes, I'm aware of that and just slightly ticked, but what's a person to do? If this same person bought eggs from the same person I did then perhaps the breeder should check and see what rooster is jumping over the fence. I have no clue as to what I have at the moment.

 

[MaransGuy]

It could be the genetic background of one or more of his birds as well. He may have what visually appear to what he is trying to produce, however these chicks popping up should be enough to indicate a problem. Hopefully this can be sorted out soon.

Richard

 

[antheat]

To add an interesting twist - the black chicks my friend hatched out are feathering in GOLDEN BROWN! They are getting lighter on their tummies and now one has white all around its face. She hasn't checked to see what the 3 brown ones are feathering out as - as soon as she gets me pics, I'll post them (or attempt to!)

Anthea

 

[antheat]

anyone had any black marans chicks feather out brown?

Anthea