Marans Bloodlines*the strengths & weaknesses *pls share yours

[ninjapoodles]

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I've seen pictures of yours, and think they stand up just fine, FWIW. But what I wanted to say here is that there does seem to be a huge difference in digital pictures and reality.

Case in point: Oblio13 posted some pictures of his eggs from his Davis birds (wheaten and BC) here recently. At exactly that same time, I bought some of his eggs to hatch. When I got them, I was stunned, because in person, they are an order of magnitude darker than those pictures I saw online!

 

[ninjapoodles]

IF what I've been told about the origins of my flock is accurate (and there is some question on that point, because I've gotten different answers when I asked, and either others have been told something different than I was told, or they've just decided to say something different on public forums--no one here, no worries), then what I have are "Grisham/Jeane twice removed." I really do believe that whatever their source, by the time they got to me, they were significantly different from their own roots. The emphasis on these birds does seem to have been on quantity above all...which is fine, since I KNEW that when I got them, but it's just a good thing to know that they didn't come from carefully selected trios or quads which were matched together purposefully.

So yeah, I feel like I've got my work cut out for me if I want to make these guys fit the standard. Although, if I only want nice dark eggs (as was my intention when I first got the chicks, before the dang FEVER got me), then I can pretty much relax for the time being.

Challenges: Squirrel tails, too much color, wrong color (i.e. "straw" in the hackles) of the roosters. The hens, I'm actually pretty happy with, though I notice that proper eye color does not seem to be set very well in the females. I can't figure out anything else that that problem corresponds to yet. It's a process!

I am setting some of Oblio13's (Bev Davis lines, once removed) eggs tonight, for BCs and Wheatens. I'm really hoping for a healthy number of cockerels, so I can try and improve on that count, at least.

Oh, and from an original group of 20, 12 pullets and 8 cockerels, I've culled down to 6 hens and 2 roos (and only one of those roos is really my favorite).

 

[pasofinofarm]

Pictures are a huge issue... not only is there the difference in lighting but also how a picture is recieved on someone elses monitor. I have sat with my eggs and tried to match them with my picture on my screeen only to have my son tell me that is silly as the other person's monitor will not display the same shades... For proof he said go to an electronics store and watch the wall of televisions... all in different shades of color. Hummm....

I also have birds that lay dark... then lighter during sudden temp spikes or when ramped up on gamebird feed or special treats as production picks up.

 

[Solsken Farm]

NP, pictures are an issue, that is why anyone who buys Marans or sells them should use the Marans egg chart. It takes most of the objectivity out of it.

Oblio has beautiful birds!

 

[Wynette]

I have had several hatches, and currently have (all French Copper Blacks):

Ron Presley/Wade Jeane/Bev Davis: Pullets

Bev Davis (Pure) Cocks and pullets

I've had some issues, and I've actually been working with these two lines for quite some time now to get what I want before putting them together. The pure Bev Davis birds, I will say, are truest to type and are the nicest in conformation; however, I've had problems with side springs and white tail feathers in the roos. In the pullets/hens, I've lost several from either some weird mystery disease that only affects these line of pullets and nothing else in my flock, OR...??? Anyway, they seemed to die of general unthriftiness at around 6 months.

The other line has a bit too much cooper for my taste in the hackles, and the cockerels have red feathering in ther chest; I culled them.

I just recently put the pure Bev Davis roos in with the Presley/Jeane pullets, and have high hopes that this will be a good cross.

I wish ALL the best of you the very best of luck with your Marans! They are a wonderful breed.

 

[Solsken Farm]

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Wynette! Bolded by me. I just had a cockerel from Richard die this morning. We don't understand it, they were all fine! He was 4 plus months. I am pretty down, because he was looking really good. It is indeed a mystery......


Edited to add: Good luck mixing your lines and I hope you'll keep updates on how it goes.....

 

[cottagegarden]

So NP..you have worked more with your birds than alot of other people to get them to the point they are now. At a basic assessment would it be an accurate statement to say you added this new line to provide more and different colored Cockerels to offset the over pigmentation issues?
Your eggs are VERY nice now, I assume your hopes arethe new bloodline will darken the color further and I think if one had the opportunity to get Bev's bloodline they would?



Plus,
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[ninjapoodles]

I really haven't done anything with them yet--I apologize if I've given the impression that I have. I only first got them just under a year ago, and have had several cullings, starting at about 4 months, to whittle them down to the main group I have now.

I've only hatched one generation (a brand-new one) so far: chicks that are just a couple months old.

But yeah, I'm hoping to bring some breed type and better conformation in...it's not as simple as it might be, though, because I won't know for at least another year what effect that has on egg color. It's a challenge, for sure, but a fascinating one.

One thing that concerns me is the size issue. The average weights called for on the French Marans Club site is well under what most people here seem to be going for--we're Americans, and bigger is better, right? I may be sensitive to this issue coming from a background in Arabian horses. (Perfect small horse that American breeders insist on breeding bigger and bigger, until many hardly look "Arabian" any more.)

 

[EweSheep]

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I agree with you on the Arabs because back in those days it was common to find 13 to 14.2 hands horses. Now its reaching 15.2 to 16 H and golly, the type went out of the door. I dont see "dryness" or dished heads as much and they are looking more like Saddlebreds. UGH! Bring back the classics!

 

[pasofinofarm]

Quote:
I agree with you on the Arabs because back in those days it was common to find 13 to 14.2 hands horses. Now its reaching 15.2 to 16 H and golly, the type went out of the door. I dont see "dryness" or dished heads as much and they are looking more like Saddlebreds. UGH! Bring back the classics!

We bred Paso Finos for years and found exactly the same thing... although the breed standard calls for a small and sturdy horse everyone it trying to breed them bigger and bigger and even judges will favor a larger horse every time... Same with our Irish Dexter cattle... I have seen time and again where an animal much larger than the breed standard takes it all in the ring because the judge is impressed with the massivness of the animal.

I do think that 8 pounds for a cock and 7 for a hen gives us a pretty good sized chicken already without going much beyond that.