chickie piccies

[Gro-Bag]

Hi all - 5 copperblack marans eggs hatched under one very happy cream legbar broody. (5 out of 6 - not bad for first timers I reckon). They are so sweet, running about quite the thing. Got some pictures for as I know you like them: )

[Gro-Bag]

And a few more...

[Nicos]

Sooooo pretty!!!

well done that mom!

[MrsC]

How lovely, congrats!!!!

[Glutton4...]

Awwww - soooo sweeet! Thanks for sharing.

[RichmondHens]

Great pics!

[Jardiniere]

i want some!

[Suechooks]

Lovely! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

[julesapple]

Very cute, and not a head spot in sight - so looks like they're all female so far. Not sure if the spots can appear after a few days, but I think I'm right. Eggcellent hatch - Lucky you!

Jules

[Gro-Bag]

Thanks

The headspots - could you tell me more...the poultry farmer did say how I could tell male from females but I didn't quite take it in - I think he said copper crowns start to show on the males and I think it was at 3 or 4 days - but then again it might have been 3 or 4 weeks

For now I'm just enjoying having five little hairy-footed Pingus, but it would be nice to know. I think I can see a hint of brownish-red on a couple of them, around the head, but not head-spots as such.

[sheena]

Aww they are gorgeous... i can't wait til mine hatch, in 18 days, oh god the pain is killing me.

Well done on hatch rate

[julesapple]

To get my facts right, I've spent this morning confuddling myself (again) with genetics.

The chap we got some of our eggs from, and the breeder where we got our Wheaten Marans, said that in Marans, at hatching males have light spots on the tops of their heads.

It turns out, as far as I can see, that this is only applicable in Cuckoo Marans. Our only Cuckoo turned out to be a boy. It's more apparent in breeds with 'bar' in their names such as the Cream Legbar.

Apologies for any confusion. It might be worth you researching the Coppers and seeing if you can find anything relating to your breeders advice as I've been advised wrongly by two different breeders.

Jules

[Nicos]

My copper Marans didn't have headspots- (there's a piccie on one of my threads somewhere)
What I did notice was that the boys got much longer wing feathers quicker.
I think they coppered up at about 4 weeks- although the gal(s) are coppering up now too, but less so.

What I can't get over is the size of their feet
My adult bantams have twiglet legs and teeny feet in comparison

[Nicos]

Here ya go...

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ns-eggs-3.html

post#76 shows them at 2 weeks old- the female is on the right- her wings are much shorter aren't they?

Mine have a bit of white on them as they are not pure coppers- the farmer had white Marans flocks in the same field as the copper blacks- and I think the guys 'played away' from time to time!

[jessmorris]

What I can't get over is the size of their feet
My adult bantams have twiglet legs and teeny feet in comparison

Yup - I agree - those marans have HUGE feet, and legs, and everything! Compared to their banty ma, they are MONSTERS!!