Breeding Marans/ Need Help

[tfpets]

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Yeah, I like them! One of these pullets has feathers on her legs, one doesnt. Now I have to see what their eggs are like?? I love dark eggs, thats what originally caught my interest in the Marans!

I have some lighter ones too - ones that I swear are going to be girls - and they have feathers on their legs also. They are from my unknown strain, but I can still ask Tina C. since she breeds them?

I understand that typically the roosters are lighter than the hens, but some lines of hens are a light as the roosters in other lines. Thats where I am afraid that the "indiscriminate" breeding may be affecting the coloration and make them not meet the standards. Have you checked out the French Marans website? It has alot of information and the specifics about breed defaults (the french variety of Marans have feather legs).

 

[steelshot]

I have just read the french standard and think I will be reading it many more times to fully understand it. I don't consider myself a dummy but there sure is alot of info as far as standards go. My head already hurts from trying to take in all there is to learn about standards and genetics.

 

[steelshot]

I think I had better go talk to my father-in-law. He is French and a college professor in gentics. OH ain't I a lucky hick.

 

[ginasmarans]

I think breeding any good line of purebreeds in alot of work and time consuming,but it is worth it. My first cuckoo marans were hatchery stock and I've spent the last 3 years breeding and culling to get birds closer to the standard. I did get some feather shank chicks from a breeder in Georgia and he told me they were Cratty/Fitch lines. This year I hatched some more feather shank chicks from Cratty lines and I'm going to get eggs from Iona Mccormick in a couple of months. Even with good lines,you still have to cull to get birds close to standard. I am working on the comb and tail standard in my breeding roos now. Most people just want dark eggs,but there is so much more. I have hens consitently laying eggs in the 5-7 range,but I want those eggs to produce chicks which match the standard. I'm in year 4 and I am beginning to see improvement.

 

[steelshot]

I agree totally! I can already see this is going to be a long venture. I have been raising gamebirds mostly and will continue to due so. When I got started in that over 8 years ago when I was in my 20's I would have never thought I would be where I am today. Most of my business comes from people wanting good stock. Most of my customers were just sick of getting poorly breed birds from some hatchery that didn't care if thier birds we interbreed or sickly.
Don't get me wrong I like those dark eggs too but I think it is possible to have both dark eggs and birds within standards. I have some of what I call good lines and I can tell there is room for improvement in them. I will just have to figure out the best way to do it. I appreciate all the encouragement and advice you all here at BYC have offered. Please keep the info coming I still have alot to learn yet. Thanks

 

[Krys109uk]

Hello Steelshot,
Sounds like your cuckoo birds might be British type. Personally I am of the opinion that breeds ought to conform, where possible, to the standards of the country of origin, so in this case French.
Presuming your copper blacks & copper blues are from proper French stock there have been quite a few French type brought into US, from UK, to my knowledge) then you ought to be able to sort your dark cuckoos without much trouble. By dark cuckoos I'm refering to your cuckoos which are not gold or silver in the hackles. If you like, you ought to be able to make some decent gold & silver cuckoos.
Contrary to popular belief, if done properly, breeding can be very successful from a restricted gene pool, but one really has to be ruthless about culling for any weakness not just to standard. I'm sure your dad will agree. My eldest son did genetics MPhil. University of London.
Due to the rapid escalation in their popularity, Marans were vastly exploited by people this side of the pond (not that people didn't do some pretty strange stuff in Britain) &, from what I've seen, looking into their genetics, in some cases, is like opening a can of worms.
To move towards French standards with the cuckoos, may I suggest for the first cross selecting the cuckoo Marans cockerel most closely resembling the French standard & cross him onto your best copper black hens.
You said your birds originated from Bev's birds in Florida (she's British too

). Why not email & ask her about the lines. I can't imagine that she'd mind.
Best wishes
Krys

 

[klf73]

steelshot- join the yahoo group. There is a breeder that has Kelly Cratty Feather leg Cuckoo Marans. I spoke with her in e-mail. If you get on there you can ask, of course after you introduce yourself

. I have too many other breeds, so I am sticking to the blue and black coppers, although the cuckoos are pretty

Krista

 

[steelshot]

Thanks Krista,
Yeah that is a very good idea. Bev is a very nice lady. I recon I kinda felt like she probably gets a ton of questions about Marans and I am on her waiting list for more eggs. I just didn't want to feel as if I was pestering her. But I won't know unless I ask. Will I?
My black coppers are still very young but that is maybe the way to inmprove my cuckoo line. I also really like my blue coppers. I see a ton of potenial in them. Just as all proud parents do.
I just registered in the yahoo group. Just waiting approval from the the director.
I understand exactly what you me about culling. People would be amazed how many of my gamebird I cull to get my breeder stock. It also doesn't take much bad stock to ruin alot of hard work either. Thanks for the advise. oh yeah what do you go by on the yahoo marans group? I will look you up once I figure my way around. Thanks Tony

 

[Solsken Farm]

I just hatched some lovely cuckoos and Black Coppers. All the BCs hatched with feathered legs. One chick is gorgeous. Half the cuckoos hatched were feathered and the other half clean legged.

I have some Blue Copper eggs coming in about a month and am very excited to get them.

Sounds like your FIL will be a huge help!

 

[klf73]

Ah Jen, you getting blue coppers too!!!! I have only found one source so far, other than Bev (on her list too). I can't resist blue of any breed

Krista