Birchen Marans Thread

[lawatt]

So far all of my Marans roos have been very sweet. I have had many breeds throughout my life and have found no connection between breed and aggressiveness of the roos. I've had sweet game roos and nasty barred rocks. I would say my Marans roo is one of the sweetest boys I've ever had. The roos I've gotten from him are as well. Could it be genetics I wonder? Are all of your mean Marans roos from the same mean father?

my experience is the same, all of my birchen marans roosters/cockerels have been huge sweethearts, very mellow and easy-going.

 

[pwood220]

Does anyone sell/ship hatching eggs for Birchen Marans? I got a rooster from Greenfire when I ordered a mixed batch of eggs. He is the sweetest, most friendly rooster I have ever owned - climbs in our laps when we sit down & will let you pick him up (we took some pics one afternoon and he sat in my husbands arms for about 20 minutes, never trying to get down). I would love to get some girls so I can breed him. We live south of Dallas in Texas. I've been searching around here and can't find anyone who breeds them. Thanks so much!!

 

[Olive Oil]

Does anyone sell/ship hatching eggs for Birchen Marans? I got a rooster from Greenfire when I ordered a mixed batch of eggs. He is the sweetest, most friendly rooster I have ever owned - climbs in our laps when we sit down & will let you pick him up (we took some pics one afternoon and he sat in my husbands arms for about 20 minutes, never trying to get down). I would love to get some girls so I can breed him. We live south of Dallas in Texas. I've been searching around here and can't find anyone who breeds them. Thanks so much!!

I hope to start next spring. I have a nice roo also and my pullets are nearing maturity now. Unfortunately their mothers are older hens who just don't lay often enough to keep them for shipping. I'm not exactly sure on what the laws are for shipping from CA to Texas, but I am in the process of joining the NPIP which I know is required to ship into many states. Here are some pics of mine! I love them too. Wanted Black Coppers originally, but I love the silver. Good luck! I have also noticed they are tough to find.

Sebastion, my Birchen Marans Rooster

Egg on right is from the mother of my pullets
Birchen Marans pullet

Birchen Marans pullet

 

[pwood220]

I would be very interested when you have some available. I started with blue/black/splash copper Marans. However, mine were not very friendly and I don't think they were the best stock. Then I hatched the Birchen Marans rooster and just love him. I was going to get rid of him because I had no hens of his breed, but he is my favorite rooster and decided instead to move from the black copper to birchen b/c I like his personality a lot better!
Portia

 

[Olive Oil]

I would be very interested when you have some available. I started with blue/black/splash copper Marans. However, mine were not very friendly and I don't think they were the best stock. Then I hatched the Birchen Marans rooster and just love him. I was going to get rid of him because I had no hens of his breed, but he is my favorite rooster and decided instead to move from the black copper to birchen b/c I like his personality a lot better!
Portia

Great! I am keeping a list of people interested. I will contact you on BYC when I start getting some eggs from them, maybe early spring.

 

[magdelaine]

I'm joining this thread as we just hatched out three Silver Birchen chicks that look promising...I'm thinking a cockerel and two pullets. We also got some black and blue coppers from a different breeder but all of them have a shorter/defective third toe so are out as far as breeding is concerned...which is disappointing.

I'd like to know what to look for to exclude/include our Silvers for breeding as they get older.

 

[magdelaine]

Talk to me about feathered legs. The chicks we got come from English stock, which means they are bare legged. Do most of you out there have bare legged or feathered legged Birchens? If Birchen breeders are requesting recognition by the APA, will the proposed breed standard include feathered legs or not?

 

[Olive Oil]

Talk to me about feathered legs. The chicks we got come from English stock, which means they are bare legged. Do most of you out there have bare legged or feathered legged Birchens? If Birchen breeders are requesting recognition by the APA, will the proposed breed standard include feathered legs or not?

Mine are feathered, although a couple of the pullets came out bare. I didn't realize that English stock was bare, thought all Marans were supposed to have feathered legs. I have been selecting for the feathered legs, good silver lacing, lack of white spots, and dark egg color. I would be interested to know this also. I do like the feathered look though, just different. I have 2 pullets and a roo that I just want to frame pictures of! I hope that if I keep selecting the best, most will come out like them.

 

[magdelaine]

Mine are feathered, although a couple of the pullets came out bare. I didn't realize that English stock was bare, thought all Marans were supposed to have feathered legs. I have been selecting for the feathered legs, good silver lacing, lack of white spots, and dark egg color. I would be interested to know this also. I do like the feathered look though, just different. I have 2 pullets and a roo that I just want to frame pictures of! I hope that if I keep selecting the best, most will come out like them.

Can you post the pics?

Apparently the English bred the feathers off the legs, being practical like that, lol. I like the feathered look too. I just wonder if it matters for showing since it's not an official variety yet. Logically since the French standard is what has been accepted for other varieties, it probably means feathered legs for the US SOP for BMs if/when that happens. Just for fun, here is a link to the British Marans' club. Look at all those bare legs!

http://www.themaransclub.co.uk/

When can you tell if your Birchens are cockerels or pullets? I have three that I swore were two pullets and a cockerel but now I think I've got two cockerels and a pullet. They are three weeks old.

 

[Olive Oil]

Talk to me about feathered legs. The chicks we got come from English stock, which means they are bare legged. Do most of you out there have bare legged or feathered legged Birchens? If Birchen breeders are requesting recognition by the APA, will the proposed breed standard include feathered legs or not?

Mine are feathered, although a couple of the pullets came out bare. I didn't realize that English stock was bare, thought all Marans were supposed to have feathered legs. I have been selecting for the feathered legs, good silver lacing, lack of white spots, and dark egg color. I would be interested to know this also. I do like the feathered look though, just different. I have 2 pullets and a roo that I just want to frame pictures of! I hope that if I keep selecting the best, most will come out like them.

Can you post the pics?

Apparently the English bred the feathers off the legs, being practical like that, lol. I like the feathered look too. I just wonder if it matters for showing since it's not an official variety yet. Logically since the French standard is what has been accepted for other varieties, it probably means feathered legs for the US SOP for BMs if/when that happens. Just for fun, here is a link to the British Marans' club. Look at all those bare legs!

http://www.themaransclub.co.uk/

When can you tell if your Birchens are cockerels or pullets? I have three that I swore were two pullets and a cockerel but now I think I've got two cockerels and a pullet. They are three weeks old.

Thanks for the link, I'll check that out! I just took some pics of them today. Here's a few! Some are older pics. I just love them. I haven't really marked the chicks that I guessed were pullets, but I can usually tell the roos right away. My Marans roos have huge combs! I don't like to assume they're roo's because I have a couple of hens with good sized combs. But so far my chicks with large combs have been boys. They also take on a very masculine physique right away I've noticed. Like within the first couple of weeks! Much easier to sex than my Ameracaunas!
I'd love to see some of yours!

Sebastion (my roo) and my first 2 hens
not sure how old Sebastion is, but his legs seem to be losing some feathering the older he gets. Maybe some will grow back?


A young roo from Sebastion and one of the 2 hens above. Look at those legs! If I could have kept another roo it would have been this guy. 2 Olive-Egger pullets to the right.


Olive-Egger pullet L, Birchen Marans hen R


Birchen Marans pullet