Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans Discussion Thread

[nivtup]

And while we are at it...............

Can someone steer me in the right direction on saddle color?

In the picture that I posted, if you look at the roos, there is one with a lighter saddle, and one with a darker saddle, which is most correct?

 

[pinkchick]

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Debbi, I have found that in most any breed of chicken it is harder to get a good male than it is female, just the opposite with people.

Don~ I told you one day you would use a smilie.

WhoooooooWhooooooOOOT!!!

 

[berkeleysprings]

i cant tell in the picture light or dark but the standard to date is mahogany red........ wings covers are darker (strong mahogany red )
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[snowbird]

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I haven't entered or attended poultry shows so.... If a hen or rooster is docked points for fluff and other defects can the bird still win best of breed or is there a cut off at say 80 points. Below 80 point and the best the bird could attain is second place.
Also, if the fluff is plucked, does it grow back white or the proper color?
Joe

I will try and answer your question as Walt is gone to the APA national show . Most all of the USA shows I know of use the Comparison method of judging. Aslong as a bird does not have a DQ the bird can be best of breed. Walt brought up the idea that the fluff is from the Tail Coverts being partially white and looking like a cotton ball. I looked at my wheaten males and he is entirely correct as their Coverts were 1/2 white and causing the cotton ball look..These Coverts cover the entire base of the tail feathers so would be several feathers to pull out. I believe they would come back the same.

The main thing is this is all new for most of us and it will be a many year process to correct these faults.

Just so everyone knows Walt will be one of the committee members that will decide if the Marans are accepted or not into the APA. Don

 

[snowbird]

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Can you see any difference in the amount of tail white cotton on the two males. does one show more white than the other. The male I hatched from your eggs seems to have a nice slate undercolor, how is the undercolor on your males. Thanks, Don

 

[knjinnm]

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Hi Don,

(Debbi wrote:
Why is it that all of these color flaws are only seen in the males? I've yet to see a fluff problem in the hens, or for that matter, white or light fluff in the hackle area of hens. I'm speaking only from BCM experience, why is it just the boys??)

To Debbi's point could there be a gene/allele the majority of hens have that will keep producing white fluff on males? So what other bird can be crossed with a wheaten hen to flush out the gene/allele or at least identify hens with the defect?

Joe

 

[cherylcohen]

Don't we want to breed to a lighter hen overall?

 

[snowbird]

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We want the end product to be a lighter colored female, but at times you will have to breed to some of the darker wheaten females. If you just breed the real light female pretty soon the males will be too light. I will double mate my Marans this year, what I have left. Don

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Hi Don,

(Debbi wrote:
Why is it that all of these color flaws are only seen in the males? I've yet to see a fluff problem in the hens, or for that matter, white or light fluff in the hackle area of hens. I'm speaking only from BCM experience, why is it just the boys??)

To Debbi's point could there be a gene/allele the majority of hens have that will keep producing white fluff on males? So what other bird can be crossed with a wheaten hen to flush out the gene/allele or at least identify hens with the defect?

Joe

Hi Joe, I really can't answer your question as I am not a genetics kind of person, Maybe David or someone else can comment on this . Don

 

[pinkchick]

Cheryl~ We need a hatch update!!!!!!!! C'mon Wheatens!!!!!!!