Breed Question: Marans or not?

[groominginla]

I can't post pics or urls yet. But i have 2 roos. I was told they are a Blue Copper Marans and a Birchens Marans. If anyone can email me, i will send pics. Would love to know if they are marans. [email protected]

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
WELCOME TO BYC

If you want to email pics to me at [email protected], I can give you my opinion on them. But Nifty Chicken ( the administrator) said that if you new members are active and participate on the forum for a few days, and after the system determines you are a legit member, you should be able to post pics then but there is a short waiting period now for new members becuase of spammers.

 

[groominginla]

Thanks Clint!
you are a wealth of information!!!! I will probably pick your brain again soon!

 

[ChickenWisperer]

Here are the pics.

I think the birchen looks very "gold-ish". I'll wait for someone more knowledgeable about the birchen color to say. His type looks like a maran to me.

I would say yes on the second, but his type looks strange for a maran to me. Doesn't look "meaty" enough, tail is very large - so is the comb.



Beautiful, beautiful birds.

 

[groominginla]

Thanks for posting them, I appreciate it a bunch!

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
No problem And Chicken Whisper did bring up a few points that I kinda noticed to but didnt thing much of, but the birchen roo kinda does have a goldish tint coming through so he may be split for Silver and Gold like I was explaining for the offspring in the emails. But if he is and you bred him to BCM hens, you would still get half birchen pullets and the other half would be black coppers. And the cockerels would be half split silver/gold birchen and half black copper.

And I did notice the "strangness" of the tail and carriage too but the colors are still right on as far what they should be, I would just get some nicely typed hens to breed with him and it should be fine.

 

[groominginla]

Thanks A Bunch! I am learning so much. This is my first time owning chickens since I was a kid. I'm so enjoying this forum. I love the way everyone pulls together and help each other.
Jennifer

 

[ChickenWisperer]

Quote:
No problem And Chicken Whisper did bring up a few points that I kinda noticed to but didnt thing much of, but the birchen roo kinda does have a goldish tint coming through so he may be split for Silver and Gold like I was explaining for the offspring in the emails. But if he is and you bred him to BCM hens, you would still get half birchen pullets and the other half would be black coppers. And the cockerels would be half split silver/gold birchen and half black copper.

And I did notice the "strangness" of the tail and carriage too but the colors are still right on as far what they should be, I would just get some nicely typed hens to breed with him and it should be fine.

I was wondering if maybe he was split.

 

[Casey76]

Personally I wouldn't use either for breeding

To breed decent birchens you should be free of all gold or autosomal red leakage. The white in the tail is a fault too, and the tail it'self is too "loose."

The copper blue... the comb is too flyaway, the copper is not consistent in the colour from cape to saddle, and the tail is... rather spectacular! Marans don't have long tail sickles.

Given that bothe are clean leggs, they certainly aren't "French" Marans.

Now that I seem to have shredded your birds to bits (sorry!) They are lovely looking brids, they are clean and look healthy (which is the important thing), and I'd be quite happy to have them in the yard, I just wouldn't use them in a Marans breeding program.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Get yourself some nice blue or green laying EEs or ameraucanas and make some olive eggers. I have a french (feather-leeged) blue copper that looks just like yours, and I'm keeping him just for that reason. Pretty boys