Chicken Breed Focus - Marans

[Red Banks]

Quote: I have no doubt but Sweetman1205 says we are wrong. I don't think I will live long enough to see the egg from this chicken. LOL

 

[chickengr]

I have no doubt but Sweetman1205 says we are wrong. I don't think I will live long enough to see the egg from this chicken. LOL

I can understand @Sweetman1205 . I bought a brahma mix pullet and didn't want to believe it was a cockerel even when he started to crow.

 

[Lizardlicks]

I did get my first egg from my welsummer at around 19 weeks but the marans didn't lay until 22-ish. Either way 15 weeks in way too young for most chickens, but especially larger dual purpose birds like marans to start laying. Seconding the comb and wattles judgement here, that bird is a roo. I've found that my rooster will do the "laid an egg" song right along with my girls if they get going, so that might throw you off thinking he's a cockerel if you have already laying hens!

 

[wornoutmomto3]

This is my Blue Splash Marans hen.

 

[donrae]

I fell into Marans by accident

.

I have a hatchery (Ideal, I think) cuckoo who has been great. She's a good layer, not really dark eggs but dark enough I can tell them from my regular brown eggers. She's also gone broody, which is a good trait in my little world. So, I've had Cocoa since spring 14.

October 15 I answered a CL ad for 10 BCM hens and a rooster. The flock was 3 years old. Honestly, my thought was to keep them for the winter, hatch out some chicks and sell them, and sell off the hens this summer. I wasn't looking for a long term project, and Marans had never really been on my radar as a breed I wanted to focus on. They were intended to be a short term thing.......

Well, the rooster was kind of a dud, I think. He developed a purple comb and died in a few months. Previous owner had never been able to hatch eggs from the flock, so I'm thinking it was him. I put out a wanted ad on CL and got Mel....



Not the greatest specimen, but again I was looking for a short term flock. I did hatch several chicks from Mel and the ladies, but lost Mel. Found another rooster, I'll call him Fatherless here cause the filter won't let me type what I really called him

. He was pretty, but not my friend in any way. Apparently the hens didn't like him either, I have one little chick from him. Still too young to sex.

So, while I was hatching and selling chicks from Mel, I kind of fell in love with these birds. The hens are so calm, no drama, friendly but not pushy, and decent enough layers, especially considering they're 4 years old. The chicks have hatched large and so vigorous, they're some of the healthiest and hardiest chicks I've ever hatched. Plus, pretty eggs, right? So, I decided to keep them as a longer term project. I have two nice blue copper cockerels (Athos and Porthos) and am keeping those original hens over yet another year. I sold off too many chicks, in retrospect, I think I only have 3 or 4 pullets from Mel to work with. Not sure how many eggs I'm going to get from 5 year old hens, but we'll see. Longevity will sure be a plus for a project like this.

Random pics of my ladies....













My first focus will be on egg color, cause face it, that's what folks want Marans for. Next will be leg feathering and correct black or blue copper color, along with nice wide bodies and tails. My hens are much larger than hatchery stock,and I want to continue that nice heft and width.

 

[Sweetman1205]

Hello Donrae!! Love your post!! Your chickens are beautiful!! I have a maran as well she has been called a boy everytime i take a picture but she looks like your girls! And i believe is working on am egg...I'm nervous it got stuck but we'll see tonight.....i also have a cream legbar rooster that is very handsom. So far he has been very quiet but if he start crowing i will have to rehome him....are you looking to sell/trade/buy adult chickens? Or do you do hatchery only?

 

[Sweetman1205]

Yes they do...i tried for a side view..sorta lol

 

[Sweetman1205]

Yes they do...a friend had em tho.....side view..sorta...

 

[JessicaAnn]

My almost 4 month old cucko maran pullet. We have 5 all of the same age.

 

[Nashonii]

I thought I posted a reply but it doesn't show up. If this is a second reply I apologize but I wanted to get in the discussion Moran's and post a picture of my big guy. I've been raising Wheaten Marans for about 5 years now and I think they're the most beautiful breed there is. My cock of the yard is not a purebred I don't believe. Because I've been told the gold collar disqualifies him as a purebred. However I think this makes him more beautiful than his purebred cousin.T his picture doesn't show how brilliantly his feathers shine in the sunshine but I hope you can imagine.