Wheaten and Blue wheaten Marans Discussion Thread

[Debbi]

GO CHERYL!!!!

Give us pics when you can!!

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Randy,

His sickle feathers are getting a bit long. Not a good pic to see the tail set, but if it's good, I wouldn't worry about the straggler feathers too much, just one more thing to work on

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the color on your girls!!!!!

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
I love this part...the pipping and zipping! Congrats!

 

[cherylcohen]

Here are the day old babies so far, and it looks like one last one just pipped. So hopefully I'll have a total of 12

I have a big question, this came up on my last hatch too.

3 of the chicks have light striping and marks on head, the other 8 are perfect blonds. Does anyone have experience with this? I know how to feather sex as they grow but I wonder if these early markings are indicative of something. These will be apart of my breeding stock...first time I've ever hatched hoping I get 3 roos!

I'm going to keep good records on these, I've banded them all.

I've been told by a few breeders that Wheatens will hatch in slightly different colors with markings... seems a bit odd if we are trying to work towards a predictable hatching breed.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I've never hatched any with any striping.....mine have always just been solid colored.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
I've never hatched any with any striping.....mine have always just been solid colored.

I hatched several from the same breeder as Cheryl...and some have the black spot on the back and head (not quite a stripe). I figured it will have nothing to do with how it feathers out...just like in Salmon Faverolle chicks.

 

[cherylcohen]

Jeremy from another local thread just said...I've been told that Wheatens with smutty colored down is indicative of mixed genetics in their background. Not necessarily from their parents, or even the grandparent stock but somewhere another Marans variety may have been crossed in to improve the line for one reason or another.

But I've also been told that Cree Farms flock is pure Bev..I better ask Bev

 

[jeremy]

I also said,

Well, I'm not doubting that they are pure Marans, or their line. All I'm saying is that essentially Marans are project birds still. No one line is perfect and in breeding some of the newer varieties unwanted traits are bound to occur.

Like how some breeders of Black Copper Marans have unexpectedly hatched a yellow chick from what they thought was a line of only Black Coppers.

When any breed is established, especially those with a small pool of genetic diversity, other varieties oftentimes are crossed into the line to increase vigor, fertility, rate of lay (egg color specifically in Marans), etc. in hopes of bettering the original line.

So then you breed and cull for birds that exhibit only desired traits for the specific breed and color, that's just common knowledge.​

 

[berkeleysprings]

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[sewandgrow]

My first Wheaten eggs will go in the incubator next week so I am going by what you all are sharing as to what to expect. I am not sure who it is that is laying but I think it is the lighter pullets I have. The eggs are good sized compared to my BCM pullet eggs but lighter than BCM. I am just playing around with what I have & putting my new incubator to good use......LOL
Cheryl,
I went to Copperopolis this week end to my friend's house that has that cockerel you are interested in (SPPR). Do you have any juvenile pictures of yours?I sent her Wynette recent picture of here's out in the yard & she doesn't think he looks like that. I told her I think he is just still young. Were we at your house in Oct? He is pretty, just young. Neither of us have any experience with that breed or variety though.....LOL