Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans Discussion Thread

[Debbi]

Quote:
Cheryl ~ Hang in there! I've had a few that took over 30 hours from pip to pop. What is the humidity level at? Are the two that are out dry yet? Just me, but I take the chicks out once dry so they don't injure the ones still pipping. It can look like a bowling alley gone amuck in there! As long as the pipper still looks strong and the humidity is still good, he should come out in a bit. Look at the shell and membrane to see if it looks shrink wrapped, the membrane will look yellowish if it is.

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
Cheryl ~ Hang in there! I've had a few that took over 30 hours from pip to pop. What is the humidity level at? Are the two that are out dry yet? Just me, but I take the chicks out once dry so they don't injure the ones still pipping. It can look like a bowling alley gone amuck in there! As long as the pipper still looks strong and the humidity is still good, he should come out in a bit. Look at the shell and membrane to see if it looks shrink wrapped, the membrane will look yellowish if it is.

not shrinkwrapped, humidity perfect and I hatch in egg cartons so they don't roll around (best thing I ever did was switch to this method-hatch rates increased) Yes they are dry but since the hole is so large any drastic change in humidity can cause shrinkwrapping. I don't want to "help" it out because these are the beginning of my program...patience LOL

 

[Debbi]

Don ~ Good deal, that sounds like the way to go. Of course when dealing with genetics, there is never a guarantee. Now, get to work on that theory so I can just buy a roo from you!

I don't have the room to do a roo breeding program, so I'll just have to have a good one from the get go. I've already got 5 cockerels here in the black copper, sure don't want to start collecting roosters, but it may be an inevitable thing?

I'm quite sure there will be some Blue Copper roos to deal with too when this hatch is over!

 

[Mahonri]

I'm getting eggs from Illia to hatch today or tomorrow!

I'm hoping the PO treats them right, her BW roo is just GORGEOUS!

 

[fowlman01]

Most people believe that when fluff shows, it is the fault of the tail coverts....not the undercolor. Fluff showing through is not just a Marans problem, it is pretty common in some breeds. Mostly the tight feathered breeds. As an example I occasionally have white Leghorn bantams with that problem. I don't have any pictures of my birds with that because they are long gone, but there is no question that it is fluff as it looks like someone glued a cotton ball at the base of the tail. Anyone would be abler to tell even at a distance that they had fluff. I still maintain that those pictures are not good enough to tell for sure if that is fluff or white feathers at the base of the tail. White at the base of colored tail feathers is just as common as fluff showing and neither is a good thing. I believe Don is correct in describing his birds as having fluff because he has the luxury of seeing them up close.

Don is correct.......the SOP calls for a perfect bird and a perfect bird does not exist.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
I can see white in some of the pics and I can see what appears to be white in some of the pics, but they are just not good enough to be so certain about what it really is. There is no question that the Wheatens have this fluff problem, I'm just saying that the pictures are not good enough to make an absolute determination. As a judge I have seen a lot of white at the base of colored birds tails and because of that I know that it is not always fluff.

My bottom line is: The pics are not good enough to determine anything for sure. I believe tail fluff is a problem, but so is white in the tail and that white in the tail is not always at the tip of the tail. Sometimes it is at the base. I have a graphics background at the university level and I know that pictures are not always accurate as there are photographic effects caused by sheen in feathers that make things appear white. I am only trying to let people know that what they see in a pic is not always what they think it is. The ONLY way to tell for sure is to have a close up pic or see the bird in person. Fluff is a cut not a DQ, but a bird with fluff will never win anything in a real show.

BTW: I personally hate to see fluff and will cull one of my birds if it shows fluff at the tail no matter how good it is in any other way.

Walt

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Walt, I went out and caught up my wheaten males and the fluff cotton tail is coming from the tail Covert being white 1/2 way up the feather and being fluffy. Now the hackle on these males is white 1/2 way up also. The undercolor on these males is also mostly white. Glad you are looking in on this thread, we need all the help we can get with these birds. Thanks, Don

 

[Debbi]

I just went to check the proposed color SOP, and noticed now it is worded: "Undercolor: Light slate. Very light in hackle and saddle"
Before, I thought I remembered it just being slate? So does Light slate translate to a dingey white? Also, in the phrase "very light in hackle and saddle", does that mean very light in color, or quantity of the fluff?

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Debbi, yes it means very light in color, I hope the MCCUSA will start working on the proposed standard as the show will be next October, I wonder if there is a good Marans male out there in any color ? Don

 

[Debbi]

Thanks Don. 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, and a very limited experience at that, but why is it just the boys??