Marans - are they known to be flighty?

[DottieMarie]

I have 6 black copper marans, about 3 weeks old. They are the most unfriendly, flighty birds I've ever had. Is this typical of the breed?

 

[Tala]

Mine are too. They just freak out and go crazy smashing into the wall or fence trying to get away from me. I dare say that they are worse than my white Leghorns were.

However, even the Leghorn ladies are fairly tame thesedays.....in general I find that even my wildest birds get a lot tamer about a month after they come into laying and after they are used to me bringing them BOSS in the mornings.
I don't worry much about flighty chicks, I think they'll tame in time. Even the ones I handled the least last fall now come up and peck me curiously and I can pet them now. I don't really want lap chickens anyway so curiously-friendly is good enough for me.

 

[Illia]

So I'm not the only one. . . I've got like 3 differently aged batches of Black Copper and Wheaten Marans, and amongst them are Ameraucanas and Araucanas. . . Whom the Araucanas had a traumatizing trip here all the way from SC, and guess who's still the most shy? . . . The Marans.

They'll get better with age, at least mine did/are but they're still not as friendly as my Ameraucanas and/or Araucanas.

I do want "lap chickens" though. . . And my 2 mo. old Ameraucana boys already are.

I just don't tolerate unfriendly chickens because I'm not all in it for the eggs. . . I'm in it for everything, socialization with "mommy" included.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Wow my Cuckoo Marans are the bravest out of my Delaware and Partridge Rocks. All but 1 hen are very tame the Delawares are calm too but I like my Marans the best. I just hatched out some Black Coppers and they are very friendly too. My flightiest ones by far are the Partridge Rocks. How old are yours and did you buy chicks or hatch them? Mine are 7weeks now outside finally and learning how to be real chickens very entertaining I still have to put them to bed they are not smart enough to get in their house well 5 of them went to bed without help.....

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Most Black Coppers are hatched.

I have one batch I bought as day olds from a local breeder, another I hatched, another I bought as 4 week olds from a breeder, and another I hatched. The only ones that would be severely influenced by the manner of purchase are the 4 week olds, and indeed they are. The Black Copper is fine, the Wheaten pullets are quiet and timid, but the Blue Wheaten boys have some work to do. . . They're pretty flighty and shy. But, I've only had those ones for a week so far. . .

 

[chickenlove13]

My Cuckoo Maran has always been the least friendly out of the batch of 5. Even after holding her ever day, she still screams and sprints away with all her power and when I finally manage to catch her she flaps her wings and kicks until I let her go. I am hoping she will tame with age, she is 6 weeks old now

 

[Lotsapaints]

the local feedstore had black coppers clean legged ones sold them out fast too. I'm incubating some blue coppers and want to have golden cuckoos I really like my marans and they are big robust birds too. I have heard they taste very good so that way I'll cull good and hard I want to raise some great birds. I'm into dual purpose I've raised enough smaller birds I used to have Polish culling those was not my favorite thing lots of work for little reward I guess they make all other birds seem calm

nothing like a coop full of almost blind flighty birds but they were beautiful and won lots of prizes and laid many eggs and you didn't have to worry about them setting

 

[Lotsapaints]

Quote:
I know the feeling just have it with my PR's but my Cuckoo Roos just come up and stand there so you can pet them and I already have 2 hens that follow me around. I knew the Dellies would be friendly but so far the CM's have them beat but there is the one hen she sprints around but lets me catch her I think she's been hanging out with the PR's

she's not that big either mine are 7 weeks just learning about the great outdoors. I did clip their wings because they are going out in temp. fencing that is only 3 ft high as soon as they learn how to go to bed I still have to help them right now. They sure can run though they have races with each other pretty cute.

 

[Gypsy07]

I have seven adults - Shavers and Black Rocks - that I got at POL. They let me pet them and pick them up without too much fuss, and whenever they see me carrying a cup they run up to me for treats and peck corn from my hand. And I have four Marans chicks at 12 weeks old that I incubated myself and hand reared and handled as much as possible for the first eight weeks, and they're nervous and flighty as anything. They zoom away from me if I even get within three feet of them and if I pick them up they flap and kick like mad. I'm hoping they'll calm down as they mature...

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Me too! I have three French Copper Marans and five Ameraucanas. Even when they were teeny babies, they would literally smash into the side of the cage to escape me. They have never gotten any better. They always make me feel like a murderer. My cochins and silkies, however, just look at me when I come around like, Hey! I'm hoping I get some wonderful eggs from these guys because they are not very friendly!