Marans

[BCMaraniac]

If possible post photos of what you have.

I snapped these photos today with my camera. Sorry for the quality:

 

[omas biddies]

I was told a wynette is a maran I can't find a picture
A lady said they can lay 4 different color eggs

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Quote:
What does all this e+, eWH and ER stuff mean???

 

[3riverschick]

What does all this e+, eWH and ER stuff mean???

In a birds plumage there are a bunch of factors which determine the color and pattern. We can write them out in longhand using words... or we can use symbols and abbreviations ot do it. Words mean different things when translated in different languages. This makes it hard to explain to someone in Europe or Japan what color your birds are. Photos can be very deceiving. So researchers devised a language of symbols to explain the colors. When we use the symbols, everyone is on the same page despite photo color distortion and language barriers. It is always good to take time to understand these symbols so you can explain yourself when asking for breeding advice or clarification on a topic.
It helps to think of poultry plumage with painting as a metaphor. We have a basic canvas called the E locus. ( I don't know why they picked the letter E).
Then we have genes which are painted on the canvas and other genes which change(modify ) these color genes. Still other genes which make patterns on on the plumage and even more which shove color back and forth across the body of the bird's plumage.. These different kinds of genes can express different colors depending on which genes are combined with which. Like blending colors on a painting.
Often the chick down will tell you on what locus the bird's plumage is based. Take the e+ locus for instance. If the chick has a clearly defined dorsal head stripe with crisp clean edges, then it is e+ based. But if the chick has a brown helmet in the chick down, then it is eb locus based. Often folk make color crosses or are developing new breed and need to know what color the babies will be. For that reason there are chicken color calculators on the Internet. But they all use the symbols. So you need to understand them to use the calculators.
There is a great book out there which explains all this in easy to understand fashion and has a pictorial color encyclopedia in it. The pictures of the colors are captioned by the genetic formula for that color. It is here. http://www.chickencolours.com/ I have a copy and love it. A very worthy volume.
If you just want to study the subject, here are 3 websites with great information .
Poultry Genetics ; http://chickengenetics.edelras.nl/
Chicken Calculator : http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html ;
Poultry Genetics for the Nonprofessional http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl/page0.html
Chicken Genes of Common Interest http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl/page3.html
( Get familiar with this chart first. Everything else will make a lot more sense.
Start with color genes only. You can learn the rest later.)
Here is another great little book for beginners. Download for only $9.99 USD.
I have a copy. Very interesting.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/65612748/An-Introduction-to-Color-Forms-of-the-Domestic-Fowl
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[omas biddies]

Thank you