attn: marans people!

post #11 of 26

10/19/11 at 3:09am

onthespot
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I wouldn't count him out yet. He still has down all on his neck still!

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post #12 of 26

10/19/11 at 5:51am

fshinggrl

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Quote:

Originally Posted by kari_dawn

Quote:

Originally Posted by fshinggrl

It might help if you post some pictures! smile

Ha ha why do I get the feeling that you just wanna see pics? tongue

Me? Want pictures? droolin Cute little cockerel! smile

-Jackie- Mom of twins plus one!
Oh, and not to forget the golden retriever & the tropical fish!
3 Welsummers, 3 EEs, 1 Columbian Wyandotte, 2 Light Brahmas & 1 Barred Rock!

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-Jackie- Mom of twins plus one!
Oh, and not to forget the golden retriever & the tropical fish!
3 Welsummers, 3 EEs, 1 Columbian Wyandotte, 2 Light Brahmas & 1 Barred Rock!

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post #13 of 26

10/20/11 at 1:32am

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kari_dawn

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Cockrel is bad! Suburbia and cockrels don't get along!

Permitted wildlife rehabber, specializing in the North American Bobcat

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Permitted wildlife rehabber, specializing in the North American Bobcat

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post #14 of 26

10/20/11 at 1:34am

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kari_dawn

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Quote:

Originally Posted by justbugged

You have a roo!!! You are right on with your feelings. He is very cute, and he poses very well. I have felling that he is trying to intimated me. lau

So if you bought these chicks from a commercial hatchery, the quality of the chicks is rarely anything you would show. But that doesn't mean that the girls won't lay nice dark eggs. The Wade/Jean/Davis lines is a sales pitch anymore. The 3 names are the original breederssion of French Marans. Those people imported the birds to the USA. So most if not all Marans in the US originate from those lines.

One of the breeders didn't like the feathered feet, and developed the clean legged version of the Marans. The French birds have feathered feet. The lines are so mixed that it's hard to know what you are getting, unless you buy Marans from a show breeder that is obsessive about their breeding lines. I for myself prefer the original French standard for the Marans. I know that others that prefer the US version.

Yes the hens will have like a copper collar around their necks. The Roos are gorgeous, with a lot more color.

I don't know what the term "Mossy" means. It could refer to the color not being very strong, or that the color blends to much.

I don't know what the difference are between the French and US birds are, except for the feathered feet. I do know that they are very closely related, and most of us probably couldn't tell the difference.

Yes the egg color does lighten during the laying cycle. The egg color is added to the shell just before the hen lays it. It is unlike the shell of a Araucana that lays and egg that has color all the way through the shell. The Marans egg is dark on the outside, but still white inside. It is also good to remember that a lot of BC Marans egg pictures are Photoshop'd to show a darker shell, than the eggs really are. I just isn't hard to say that the picture was from earlier in the hens cycle.

I hope this helps some. I am not an expert, but this is as true as I know based on what I have read from many sources.

Thanks for all the great info! I really apprecate it! This is why I love this place...I learn so much here! (as long as everyone remembers to play nice lol)

Permitted wildlife rehabber, specializing in the North American Bobcat

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Permitted wildlife rehabber, specializing in the North American Bobcat

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post #15 of 26

1/23/12 at 6:59pm

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kari_dawn

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...SO, all three have turned out to be girls! They are not at POL yet, but they are definately girls. This one is the only one that really has any copper showing on it's neck, but it's leg feathering is so sparse I am beginning to wonder if it is a mix....kinda reminds me of a black sex link with a couple of feathers on each leg

I will update with pictures soon! (read-daytime when I can see what I am taking pictures of!)

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Permitted wildlife rehabber, specializing in the North American Bobcat

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post #16 of 26

1/23/12 at 7:11pm

they'reHISchickens

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Not all FBCMs have equal feathering on their legs. It varies from heavy to none and I am not quite sure how much is considered "right." Mossiness is brown feathers on the chest where it is supposed to be pure black.

Our hens have anywhere from a little copper necklace to a full ring and shades vary among hens too.

From my reading, consistency is not a hallmark of FBCMs at this point. We are all working at it.

Egg color does fade as laying progresses. Don't count the first few weeks either as some take longer to get their sprayer working right. After a molt or hatching session, the color returns. We just have our first hatchings coming to POL and only a small percentage of the pullets are laying as dark as their mamas. As I said, it's a work in progress.

If I had known a few chickens would make the man THAT happy....
mom & dad,teaching our rescue BRT Bess all about chickens, EE, Orps and now marans! The man says we are switching to orps and marans, and they'reHISchickens!

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If I had known a few chickens would make the man THAT happy....
mom & dad,teaching our rescue BRT Bess all about chickens, EE, Orps and now marans! The man says we are switching to orps and marans, and they'reHISchickens!

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post #17 of 26

1/23/12 at 8:39pm

larsonll

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Oh! Your Marans are too young to make the call. I have Wheaten Marans, and I was worried about their sex for so long since it is hard to tell. Mine did all turn out to be girls but it was really hard to tell early on because they do develop those spiky combs early on. Mine are only 28 weeks old, but their colors are not very striking because they are hens. Black copper Maran hens do not develop a lot of copper. You still have time to tell

5 laying hens: Welsummer, Wheaten Maran, Game Hen, 2 EEs

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5 laying hens: Welsummer, Wheaten Maran, Game Hen, 2 EEs

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post #18 of 26

1/24/12 at 4:35am

turbodog

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Out of 6 FBCM chicks I ended up with two roos and four hens. Nice, robust looking chickens. The roo is a very handsome fella and proving, so far, to be a good roo to his girls. The hens coppering varies from a "hood" of copper on head and neck to just a little in the same area. As far as egg color, none of mine lay the really dark eggs. A darker brown than the usual you see in other breeds but not the "dark chocolate" coloring the Marans breed is famous for. Oh well, they are still beautiful birds and I enjoy them.

If I can't do it, it can't be done!

not be me, anyway....

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If I can't do it, it can't be done!

not be me, anyway....

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post #19 of 26

1/24/12 at 7:19am

ceeceeholt

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I have a cuckoo marans Roo and he started crowing at about 12 weeks and likes to crow pretty much all day. He also can imitate the egg song. He is huge and is only 23 weeks now. He has the biggest legs I have ever seen on a Roo:) and had them as a little guy. I new pretty much at knew at 3 weeks he was a Roo as he too had a big yellow comb unlike his sister who did not and she had very slender dark legs.