Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

16 out of 18 this time. I think I have about 75 so far over 5 hatches...........

very good!

 

[kristip]

ok...your thoughts. So we have a certain roo in first pic...what do you think of the BCM with the white around face and neck... has a small dark comb at three weeks, whereas the brother is all out! the roo has tons of copper leakage...she has just a few feathers here and there.

 

[SalinasChicken]

Your FWM look so much like mine, How old is she?

Millie is 17 weeks old, we can't wait to get our first Marans egg! Getting closer.....

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Millie is 17 weeks old, we can't wait to get our first Marans egg! Getting closer.....

Mine would be the same age!

but they are showing no noticeable sign of comb or wattle development since we got them.
Lets see who lays first!

 

[snowbird]

Later I will post a post on breeding to the SOp and what it really means. Stay tuned.

 

[gilavina]

Later I will post a post on breeding to the SOp and what it really means. Stay tuned.

Look forward to it Don. Its funny the things I don't even think of that I do because of my dad's teachings, its just how I was taught.
I'm gonna try to get some pics of the chicks now that they are about a week old now. They are growing like weeds! Also started the collection process on eggs for the next batch to go in the incubator. Feels good to be moving forward with hatching season!

 

[snowbird]

Breeding to the SOP.

The SOP for the Marans breed is a mythical point to breed for in the marans. There is no one way to breed to the SOP. On the way to breeding the best Marans possible we have to make deviations along the way to accomplish our goal. It is not where we start but where we finish. The SOP says the Marans should be Medium Station, this in no way mean we can not use low station or high station marans in our breeding pens. I myself like the higher station Marans and will always include some in my breeding program going forward.

You can show a Marans in six different shows against the same Marans and have six different Judges and they will very likely pick different Marans first. Anytime you inject people into the equation you will have differring opinions. This is where you must decide for yourself what you want your Marans to look like.

This is for the New Marans people. If it helps one person it will be worth the effort.

Just breed the very best you have available and be prepared to cull real hard. Please do not pass the culls on to someone that is new.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Breeding to the SOP.

The SOP for the Marans breed is a mythical point to breed for in the marans. There is no one way to breed to the SOP. On the way to breeding the best Marans possible we have to make deviations along the way to accomplish our goal. It is not where we start but where we finish. The SOP says the Marans should be Medium Station, this in no way mean we can not use low station or high station marans in our breeding pens. I myself like the higher station Marans and will always include some in my breeding program going forward.

You can show a Marans in six different shows against the same Marans and have six different Judges and they will very likely pick different Marans first. Anytime you inject people into the equation you will have differring opinions. This is where you must decide for yourself what you want your Marans to look like.

This is for the New Marans people. If it helps one person it will be worth the effort.

Just breed the very best you have available and be prepared to cull real hard. Please do not pass the culls on to someone that is new.

Interesting that you bring this up. The thing I think is my major weakness is that I may have come to prefer the look of a Marans bird that may not necessarily be built to the Standard. It is what I am used to and what I have come to like, right or more probably, wrong. Wynette gets on me about it constantly but it's what I'm used to. I suppose this is the major reason why folks should NOT pass their culls on to someone new - and thus train more eyes to the wrong stuff.

 

[gilavina]

Good words Don. It is a balancing act to be sure and not something that can be bred to in a generation or two. Even breed varieties that have been around for years and years have breeders dedicated to their improvements for many years and even then will still have work to do. It really never ends, but the eye will get sharper and skills will improve as one puts in the time and energy necessary to improve a breed. It's for these reasons that even tho I'm making headway on my stock, that I feel as tho I've just started and haven't gotten to where I can see them being in a few years time. And the funny part, is that when I get there, more than likely the goals will have refined, and maybe some will have changed, but the challenge will be the same. It's what I love about working with poultry that need so much help and work.

 

[Ray from PA]

Breeding to the SOP.

The SOP for the Marans breed is a mythical point to breed for in the marans. There is no one way to breed to the SOP. On the way to breeding the best Marans possible we have to make deviations along the way to accomplish our goal. It is not where we start but where we finish. The SOP says the Marans should be Medium Station, this in no way mean we can not use low station or high station marans in our breeding pens. I myself like the higher station Marans and will always include some in my breeding program going forward.

You can show a Marans in six different shows against the same Marans and have six different Judges and they will very likely pick different Marans first. Anytime you inject people into the equation you will have differring opinions. This is where you must decide for yourself what you want your Marans to look like.

This is for the New Marans people. If it helps one person it will be worth the effort.

Just breed the very best you have available and be prepared to cull real hard. Please do not pass the culls on to someone that is new.

Would someone explain what these terms are referring to ????" Medium Station " vs " Low and High Station " ???