dwarf marans

[deltasmom]

I hatched some french black marans 5 months ago. One of the females is only about 1/4 the size of the others. She was normal size at hatch and for the first several weeks. She seems healthy just super small. What is going on? Are there dwarf marans? I've never had this happen before so I am puzzled.

 

[3riverschick]

if this is a true bantam Marans, then it is a valuable bird. They are rare and to have a bantam show up out of the blue is a very good thing. Contact other bantam Marans breeders and talk to them. I think, if this is the real thing, you have a valuable piece of genetics in this tiny bird. The strains of bantam Marans are very limited. if this is a true bantam out of possibly unrelated genetics to the other bantam Marans that exist, it could be very valuable in adding biodiversity to the bantam Marans gene pool. Check with the national Marans Clubs and find other bantam Marans breeders. send pics of your bird to them and have them evaluate it for you. Then decide to sell or breed it to one of their birds. This is not bird which should be taken lightly.
Excited for you,
Karen
Former Director of Archives
Marans of America Club

 

[Tiegrsi]

I am interested in hearing more about this, too. I have a roo with short legs who is a bit disproportionate...I was wondering if he carried a dwarfism gene...I would love to make bantam Marans!

 

[AustralorpsAU]

I hatched some french black marans 5 months ago. One of the females is only about 1/4 the size of the others. She was normal size at hatch and for the first several weeks. She seems healthy just super small. What is going on? Are there dwarf marans? I've never had this happen before so I am puzzled.

She could be a bantam maran! Dwarf = bantam

 

[deltasmom]

Her parents and all other hatch mates are normal size.

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Her parents and all other hatch mates are normal size.

Oh. Is she getting nourished? Do the other chicks let her eat and drink?

 

[deltasmom]

Yes - she eats and drinks well. She is not picked on by the others at all.

 

[ShellyBear]

Unless you really wanted pure maran I think as long as it is healthy you should just watch it and see how It grows.

 

[Kev]

Any pictures?

I have heard of dwarfism showing up in marans before. If I recall correctly, they also had short legs or something else off about them too.. is that how your bird looks?

It appeared to be something recessive as it would pop out of normal parents. If you want to test and see if it's genetic, breed her with the father. Assuming it is a single and recessive gene then half of the offspring would be dwarfed and the other normal.

 

[deltasmom]

This is a photo of her standing between her brother and


sisters that hatched in the same hatch with her.


Please ignore this ramshackle pen - had to get her out of good pen because I was afraid she would get trampled! She gets a brand new pen this weekend. For now she must be content with yucky pen just to save her life.