Wheaten and splash marans

[hockeymom]

Hi I'm new to this forum and to breeding Marans chickens. I have hatched some wheatens and splash chicks and I am wondering, do they need to be kept in separate pens?

 

[bellfarm]

I think they can all run together if you are just having them for fun. If you plan to breed them then
best to have them separate so you can breed the Wheatens and the splash separately that is if you have different bloodlines to mate them as they mature. For now they can all grow up together just fine.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If you're not breeding for pure colors, run them all together, they won't mind

The way blue (splash, which is 2 copies of blue) works is it dilutes black. Bred together, your wheatens and splash should produce blue wheatens, which I'm not sure is a recognized color in Marans, but the pictures I've seen of them have been beautiful!

 

[hockeymom]

Thank you, I am hoping to breed them so I think I'll keep them seperate. Although maybe I will run some of the wheatens and the splash together just to see what I get

 

[hockeymom]

Different bloodlines, ok more info I didn't know but apparently I should. Thank you

 

[One Chick Two]

Since you plan on breeding them, I would definitely separate them. If they are still young, you can run them together until the pullets begin to lay.

Even though Marans males are more docile than most breeds, if you have more than one rooster, you will have to separate them in different areas, or there will be fights. Marans are very paternal, family oriented flock leaders. They will fight over the ladies but take great care with them. I have one rooster who had to check out the new nesting boxes and told all the girls that they were good before they laid eggs. lol

There are many details that have to be considered when breeding marans for sale. I would recommend checking out these threads before setting up your breeding program:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/383387/marans-thread-breed-discussion-pictures-are-welcome

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/426622/wheaten-and-blue-wheaten-marans-discussion-thread

This one is important if you want to get into Show quality birds:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/517113/marans-sop-discussion-thread

Best of luck!

 

[hockeymom]

Thank you ! I will be looking into all those links. I don't plan on becoming big into breeding but I would like to do it as a hobby. I thought maybe my son could enter them in some if the farm shows around our area. One quick question, do you breed your roos and pullets from the same hatch? Or should I be looking elsewhere. I was planning on ordering more eggs but now I'm thinking I might have to find a new place to order from.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you want your son to show, you might talk to your county extension agent to see if there is a 4-H club that shows chickens. See what categories there are. Each area is different. If there is a local club, you may get some local expert help. It depends on who is running the club.

Every breed that has been developed and every grand champion at a show was developed by inbreeding. There can be some issues with inbreeding but maybe some of those threads One Chick Two gave you will discuss them. There are techniques breeders use to minimize the inbreeding problems, spiral breeding for example though there are others. Serious breeding for show is serious. The people that win championships are passionate about what they do. Some of those folks are real helpful to people starting out but some are not. They are people just like people everywhere. That's kind of why I mention 4-H. That may be a gentler introduction, though if you run into the right person at a show that will help you out, you have a tremendously good resource. Some really want to recruit new people to the "fancy". Some are afraid of the competition. Still, going to the local shows is almost required if you are going to get into breeding, even if you don't show. You need to see what you should be aiming for.

If you do show hopefully you will get a judge that points out the flaws in your chickens. They are usually not being mean, though some judges can be blunt. They are trying to tell you what you need to work on so you can do better at shows. If you are thin-skinned you can get your feelings hurt, but if you listen to what they say without getting defensive, you can learn a lot.

If you are going to get into breeding you need to start with the best stock you can find. Another reason for going to shows, see what's available and what you should be looking for. But at your stage, I would not worry too much about inbreeding. Only breed the chicks that have the traits and characteristics you want in your flock and don't let the others breed.

 

[hockeymom]

Thank you very much for your time. You have some great suggestions. I don't have a thin skin, thankfully. 4-H club here I come

 

[One Chick Two]

If you want your son to show, you might talk to your county extension agent to see if there is a 4-H club that shows chickens. See what categories there are. Each area is different. If there is a local club, you may get some local expert help. It depends on who is running the club.

Every breed that has been developed and every grand champion at a show was developed by inbreeding. There can be some issues with inbreeding but maybe some of those threads One Chick Two gave you will discuss them. There are techniques breeders use to minimize the inbreeding problems, spiral breeding for example though there are others. Serious breeding for show is serious. The people that win championships are passionate about what they do. Some of those folks are real helpful to people starting out but some are not. They are people just like people everywhere. That's kind of why I mention 4-H. That may be a gentler introduction, though if you run into the right person at a show that will help you out, you have a tremendously good resource. Some really want to recruit new people to the "fancy". Some are afraid of the competition. Still, going to the local shows is almost required if you are going to get into breeding, even if you don't show. You need to see what you should be aiming for.

If you do show hopefully you will get a judge that points out the flaws in your chickens. They are usually not being mean, though some judges can be blunt. They are trying to tell you what you need to work on so you can do better at shows. If you are thin-skinned you can get your feelings hurt, but if you listen to what they say without getting defensive, you can learn a lot.

If you are going to get into breeding you need to start with the best stock you can find. Another reason for going to shows, see what's available and what you should be looking for. But at your stage, I would not worry too much about inbreeding. Only breed the chicks that have the traits and characteristics you want in your flock and don't let the others breed.

X2 This is all fantastic advice. I've highlighted a few things to never forget.

I have Black Coppers, and I read the whole Black Copper Marans thread- people's experiences helped me so much. 900 pages took about a month of reading a few hours a day, but- the education was worth every minute.

Avoid breeding brothers and sisters, or half siblings. You want to breed Mother/son/grandsons, or, father/daughter/granddaughters. In your case, sounds like you might need some other unrelated stock to breed these together. You will need to tag different lines so you won't become confused later.

One other thing- these birds are never "perfect," but it's all about breeding for "type" and back conformation, which you will learn all about. That said, Marans are all about balancing traits. Say your rooster has a short back, a breeder would compensate with a hen that has a long back, etc. Dark eggs will also have to be at least a 4 on the Marans scale at some time in their cycle. You will learn all about this, and other things if you go to 4H. If you can get someone knowledgeable to mentor you, that will be wonderful- mentors are the best!!!

This breed is challenging! But, I believe Marans are truly worthy. They "have it all..." Great beauty, ability to be shown, silky feathers, lovely disposition, pretty eggs, quality good-sized carcasses, plus the roos are normally very sweet.