MARANS - proposed standards - - FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES

[math ace]

This was posted by another BYC member in the marans thread that is almost 50 pages long.
I thought I would start a new thread dealing with the standard only - - - as a QUICK reference - - - for marans fans.
I am working my way through the marans - - chat - - thread - - -. As I find info pertaining to the proposed standards - - -I will copy it here.

I don't want to compete with the other thread - - - I just want to put together a quick reference for marans information.
I will keep updating it as new information comes along....

Currently, the SOP for marans missed the printing in the 2010 APA SOP book because the standard for marans ( as indicated below) was approved AFTER the 2010 book was published.
When the next book comes out with the complete and correct SOP for marans in it.... I will do no more updating to the standard.

I will not be including the standard for any other colors. This is only for the Black Copper Marans. I believe the standard for the wheaten marans was approved in 2011.
The next publishing of the APA SOP book should include at least the Black Copper and Wheaten marans. Maybe more colors will be approved between now and then.

THIS thread is not for chatting.... There is another thread called Marans - SOP discussion thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=517113&p=1

At the Marans - SOP discussion thread, you can post and get answers to your questions about the SOP.



MARANS - -
General Description (approved 7/26/10)

The Marans breed originated in France, in marshy areas close to the Atlantic coast. The breed is named after the historic port town of Marans. Evolution of the Marans type bird is said to have begun as early as the 13th century, with crosses between the local marsh hens and various gamecocks brought in to the port on ships. Gradual development of the breed then continued through the centuries, including the introduction of Brahma and Langshan blood during the late 1800s. Marans in their modern form first began appearing in French poultry shows in 1914. The Marans Club of France was organized in 1929, and that club established the first standard for Marans in 1931.

Marans have been imported to the USA in small numbers for many years now, probably beginning around the time that soldiers returned to the States after World War II. Over the years, birds and eggs have been brought in not only from France but also from countries such as England, Canada, Australia, and possibly Belgium and Switzerland. Importations of "English type" clean-legged Marans have led to the establishment of many clean-legged flocks in this country, especially in the cuckoo variety; nonetheless, the American standard adheres to the French standard calling for lightly feathered shanks and toes.

Marans are best known for their large, russet brown eggs. This is a defining characteristic of the Marans breed, so selection for egg color and size should never be neglected. Physically the Marans is a medium-sized bird with the character of a rustic farm hen, giving an impression of solidity and strength without being coarse. The legs are lightly feathered, but leg feathering should never be excessively heavy. Eye color is bright and clear in all varieties, never darkening into brown nor paling into yellow or pearl.

Economic Qualities (approved 7/26/10)

The Marans is a general purpose fowl for production of both meat and eggs. The breed is most famous for its large, dark chocolate-russet eggs, but it is also known for the fine flavor of its meat. Color of skin, white; color of egg shells, very dark reddish brown.

Disqualifications (approved 7/26/10)

Yellow on shanks or toes. White ear lobes. Pearl or black eyes. Absence of feathers on shanks. (See General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects.)

Standard Weights (approved 6/11/10)

Cock….…..8 lbs Hen……6 1/2 lbs
Cockerel….7lbs Pullet…..5 1/2 lbs

Shape—Male (approved 6/11/10)

COMB: Single, moderately large, straight, upright, evenly serrated with five points; the blade not touching the neck.
BEAK: Long, stout and well curved.
FACE: Smooth, skin fine and soft in texture.
EYES: Large and prominent.
WATTLES: Medium in size, oval, skin fine in texture.
EAR-LOBES: Average in size, long.
HEAD: Moderate in size, slightly flattened on top, and long.
NECK: Moderately long and full, arched. Hackle abundant, flowing well over the shoulders.
BACK: Wide at the shoulders, long, flat, slightly tilted to the rear. Slightly more inclined than that of the female.
Saddle feathers -- abundant, saddle large and slightly raised.
TAIL: Full, rather short, carried at an angle of 45 degrees above horizontal.
Main tail feathers -- broad and overlapping, shorter than average.
Sickles -- shorter than average.
WINGS: Short, held close to the body, carriage nearly horizontal.
Primaries and secondaries: broad and overlapping in natural order when wing is folded.
BREAST: Strong, broad, and full. Well rounded when viewed from both the front and side.
BODY AND FLUFF: Body -- deep, long and broad, especially through the shoulders which are carried high. Overall, rectangular in shape.
Fluff -- medium in length.
LEGS and TOES: Legs set well apart and straight when viewed from the front.
Lower thighs -- strong and well feathered.
Shanks -- medium length, stout, and straight; lightly feathered down the outer sides.
Toes -- four long and well-separated toes on each foot. Outer toes lightly feathered, middle toes free from feathers.
PLUMAGE: Moderately tight and smooth textured.



Shape—Female (approved 7/09/10)

COMB: Single, smaller than that of the male; straight and upright, evenly serrated with five points, and fine in texture. No female in or near production with the rear portion of the comb lopped should be discriminated against.
BEAK: Long, stout and well curved.
FACE: Smooth, skin fine and soft in texture.
EYES: Large and prominent.
WATTLES: Medium in size, oval.
EAR-LOBES: Average in size, long.
HEAD: Moderate in size, slightly flattened on top, and long.
BACK: Wide at the shoulders, long, flat, and slightly tilted to the rear. Slightly less inclined that that of the male.
NECK: Moderately long and full, arched.
TAIL: Full, rather short, carried at an angle of 45 degrees above horizontal.
Main tail feathers -- broad and overlapping, shorter than average.
WINGS: Short, held close to the body, carriage nearly horizontal.
Primaries and secondaries: broad and overlapping in natural order when wing is folded.
BREAST: Strong, broad, and full. Well rounded when viewed from both the front and side.
BODY AND FLUFF: Body -- deep, long and broad, especially through the shoulders which are carried high. Should be more rounded than the male.
Fluff -- medium in length.
LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart, straight when viewed from the front.
Lower Thighs -- strong and well feathered.
Shanks -- medium length, stout, and straight; lightly feathered down the outer sides.
Toes -- four long and well-separated toes on each foot. Outer toes lightly feathered, middle toes free from feathers..
PLUMAGE: Moderately tight and smooth textured.

 

[math ace]

Once again, I borrowed this from another BYC member on the marans thread. FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES only !

For those interested in showing, here is the point system French Black Coppers will be judged on:

Symmetry 4
Weight or size 4
Condition & vigor 10
Comb 5
Beak 3
Skull & face 4
Eyes 4
Wattles 2
Earlobes 4
Neck 6
Back 12
Tail 8
Wings 8
Breast 10
Body & fluff 8
Legs & toes 8



There are several tail point cuts that can be found in the SOP.

Pinched or gamy tail 1/2-2 pts. (but in reality you can't win with this condition).

Tail feathers missing where a foreign color would DQ. 1/2-1 pt.

Less than 1/4 developed 3 points.

I can't find the tail angle point cuts right now, but I'm guessing it is 1/2-3 and a DQ above 90 degrees.

 

[blackdotte]

It should be noted this is a proposed Standard for the USA only.

 

[snowbird]

Everyone showing at an APA approved show will be using this Standard when approved. The other standards from other Countrys will have no berring on an APA SHOW.

 

[math ace]

Quote:

 

[math ace]

Here is the Black Copper COLOR standard:

COLOR -- MALE
DISQUALIFICATION: Brown wing bay. (See General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects.)
COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR-LOBES: Bright red.
BEAK: Horn, black shading permitted.
EYES: Reddish bay.
HEAD: Lustrous deep copper, neither yellow nor mahogany.

NECK:
Hackle -- Lustrous deep copper, neither yellow nor mahogany. Some feathers, especially in the lower hackle, may include a narrow dark stripe through the middle of each feather, terminating in a point near its lower extremity.
Front of neck -- Black with markings of deep copper.

BACK: Lustrous deep copper.
Saddle -- Same as hackle.

TAIL:
Main Tail -- Black with slight luster.
Sickles and Coverts -- Lustrous black.

WINGS:
Shoulders -- Black.
Fronts -- Black.
Bows -- Deep russet red.
Coverts -- Lustrous black.
Primaries -- Black.
Secondaries -- Black, exposed portion forming black wing bay.

BREAST: Solid black or with a few copper spots. Not laced.

BODY AND STERN: Black.

LEGS AND TOES:
Lower Thighs -- Black.
Shanks and Toes -- Shanks and toes light to mid-slate, showing pink between the scales. Bottoms of feet pinkish white.
Shank and Toe Feathers -- Black.

COLOR -- FEMALE

DISQUALIFICATIONS: Brown spotting on the body.

COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR-LOBES: Bright red.

BEAK: Dark horn.

EYES: Reddish bay.

HEAD: Lustrous copper.

NECK:
Hackle -- Copper, with a narrow dark stripe through the middle of each feather, terminating to a point near its lower extremity.
Front of Neck – Black with markings of copper.

BACK: Black.

TAIL: Black.

WINGS: Black.

BREAST: Solid black, or with a few copper spots. Not laced.

BODY AND STERN: Black.

LEGS AND TOES:
Lower Thighs -- Black.
Shanks and Toes -- Dark slate, bottoms of feet pinkish white.
Shank and Toe Feathers -- Black.

 

[math ace]

Updating this post to list all the Disqualifications and Faults the Marans will be judged on. Pictures will follow. As a reminder.... THIS thread is not for chatting. It is simply as place you can go and QUICKLY find information about the Standard of Perfection for Marans.

Faults and DQs on the Marans head.

DQs on the head

Comb foreign to breed

Carnation comb

Comb sprig

Split comb

FULLY lopped comb ( female with a Slightly lopped straight comb that is near or in production shall NOT be penalized)

Beak crossed

Irregular pupil indicating leucosis

White ear lobe

Pearl or black eyes

Blind in Both eyes





FAULTS OF THE HEAD !!!!!!!!

Twisted comb

Thumbprint comb

Irregular Serration of points on comb

Wrinkled wattles

Loose fitting ear lobe

Rear part of comb turning sideways

Wrong amount of points (5 points on single comb)

Comb laying on neck

Ear tufts wrong color

Eye color other than reddish Bay ( but not Pearl or black eyes which are DQs)

Crow head (* * Severe Defect = heavy point deduction)

Eyes not matching in color

Blind one eye





DQ's for other parts of the body . . .

Roach back

Twisted Wing Feather

Brown wing bay on BC male

White wing OR tail feather

Split wing

Slipped wing

Squirrel tail

Wry tail

Split tail

Specimens lacking in breed characteristics

Shank and Toe Foreign color ( standard calls for "light to mid-slate, showing pink between the scales. Bottoms of feet pinkish white.")

Web Feet

Duck Feet

Fused Toes

Vulture Hocks

Stubs

Shanks not feathered down outer sides

Bow Leg

Knock Knee

Brown spotting on the Female BCM body.




Faults for other parts of the body...

Crooked keel-Breast

White under color

Feather shafting

Yellow straw color on hackles / neck on BC

Pinched tail

Crooked toe

Spur on female

Missing toe nail

Missing part of a toe

Feathered middle toe

White in Shank & Toe feathering is a fault as long as it is less than one half inch of positive white. ONLY one appearance of more than one half inch of positive white is allowed.
SOP states that more than one appearance of more than one half inch of positive white in any section of the Plumage is a DQ in any section of the Plumage is a DQ

 

[ChooksChick]

Great thread idea- thx!

 

[math ace]

Updating post to show pics of DQ's and faults of head . . ..

Wrong ear tuft color - Fault
Ear Tufts should be the color of the hackles - Lustrous deep copper, neither yellow nor mahogany

DQ - Side Sprig

DQ - Side Sprig

DQ - Carnation Comb (Pink)
3 week old Black Copper male with the beginnings of the Carnation comb.

Carnation comb on a 4-6 week old Blue Copper male

Same Blue Copper Male as above but at 5 mos. of age.

DQ - Carnation Comb (Debbi)
Here are a few pics of a 7 1/2 month old cockerel, pics taken 6 days ago.
(Black Copper on the left in the first pic) This one has what I refer to as a "double dose" of the carnation genes. It ain't pretty!

Here is a lesser version of the carnation comb. It may be hard to see in the pic as it is fuzzy. Look at the end of the comb, see the little "crown"??

Different pic angle, same cock

JUST INCASE you haven't seen enough of the nasty carnation comb - DQ
Here is one more set. If you know what to look for, it is CLEAR that this DQ can be spotted EARLY!

Twisted Comb - Fault

Thumb print Comb - Fault

Comb foreign to Breed - DQ
This is an easy indicator that the bird is not PURE marans.
Most common is a pea comb. These usually occur when folks are trying to make Olive eggers

Rear part of the blade turning sideways - Fault

Fully Flopped Comb - DQ

 

[math ace]

Updating post to show pics of DQs and faults of back and tail

DQ - White in the tail feathers.

DQ - Wry tail
Black Copper cockerel, 5 mos.

Fault - Pinched Tail

DQ - Squirrel tail