Shopping for Marans eggs? Start here before you buy....

[JR]

I am also less than a hour from Mr.Jesse.I really enjoyed going out seeing his birds and those eggs!!!!!! Meeting his family was also alsome.Now if someone with Wheaten marans live so close I would be set.

 

[drom]

Quote:
Be patient and give the birds a chance is what Bev Davis said when I emailed her about white in the plumage. She was 100% correct. I felt like a heel for jumping off the deep end. Black Copper King has some beautiful birds and now I have some beautiful birds, too. I will buy more Marans from him. The white on the roo's feet has only recently disappeared completely at 22 weeks. Big as he is, it's hard to remember he's still just a baby.

I totally agree with this. I had one chick with white. And boy did she ever have white; she had 5 or 6 white wing feathers on each wing-white from shaft to tip. Donna told me not worry about it. So, I was hoping maybe they would drop off and get replaced by black feathers. What ended up happening is they turned from light gray to dark gray to black. Only one remained that was black with about an 8th inch left of white at the tip and that one fell out. That was about a month ago and she has all black wing feathers now.

Here's baby Dave:

and here's 18 month old Dave:

Yes I know, Dave is a very silly name for a pullet.

 

[hcammack]

Thank you for posting this a few of my chicks have white on them and I was wondering if this made them bad for breeding. Oh well I am getting rid of my baby roosters anyway

Henry

 

[drom]

Quote:
Oh, that's too bad, but you've got plenty of time ahead of you, so you will have your chance to breed them down the road if you want to. Maybe if you end up going to an Ag school you can make a project of them. It seems like it would be great if someone in one of the universities could do some research on the genetics behind Marans egg color or some such thing.

 

[hcammack]

That would be great I could be the best at Marans. I am thinking about Cornell so we will see

Yes I really get good enough grades and go to good enough school to go their BTW

I may have to keep one of these but we will see if I can sneak one past my mom. The pullets are dreams but the baby roos are already getting attidtudes which is just cute for now cause they each way about a lb

they defend their girls already !!!

 

[Solsken Farm]

Drom! That is the best picture of baby Dave and then grown up! I have had babies with white before, but they always fell out very early. Drom, they are gorgeous!

Henry!!!!!!!!! What were you doing up so late on a school night? Or did vacation already start for you?

 

[Promiselandfarm]

With so many people buying chicks do you think they will continue on an upward swing in popularity due to their egg color or do you think the cost will come down? If everyone woould keep their prices at $12 per chick and $10 per egg it woud preserve the value of the breed. Willie

 

[drom]

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Thank you Jennifer. I couldn't be happier with their development, confirmation, temperament, etc. Onthespot believes they are an F1 cross between Ron Presley and Wade Jeane lines, so I don't know what to expect with the egg color, but they are from two very good lines, so hopefully I will get something I am happy with. I only have 3 pullets though, so only 3 chances to get a very dark egg layer.

 

[Solsken Farm]

I wanted to bump this up for folks who might be considering Marans eggs this hatching season. There are alot of breeders selling wonderful stock and eggs. Sometimes there is a waitlist so get on one now.

One thing I forgot to recommend is ask for a sample of eggshell to be sent. Post it here if you want feedback.

Buying expensive Marans will not be worth it for you if the eggs are not at least a 4 on the egg chart. The birds are not considered Marans if the eggs are not at least a 4.

Do your research and ask around. There is a ton of information out there.

I think there will be ALOT of great eggs and chicks available this spring for reasonable prices, so don't just buy from a glitzy website or even from someone here at BYC without doing your homework.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
I think so, too, Jennifer! I also truly believe that the more egregious of the outrageous prices will self-correct within the next few months, due to rapidly increased supply. It should be interesting, to say the least.