Marans - SOP discussion thread

[edgarmongold]

Quote:
Black is just that black, pearl is more of a white eye.

Around sexual maturity would be a good time to check eye color and leg color.

 

[OHmamma]

I have a large selection of leg feathering around here. From clean legs to a few that are almost cochin like with even the middle toe feathered! I suppose that is both the advantage and disadvatages of having a flock that is comprised of 6 different original bloodlines from 8 different breeders. Some which were breeding for egg color while others show quality birds.

If you are interested, I can take some pics but I will let you all be the judges as to what is too little,just right, or not enough. I may also be able to post the parents to compare the changes I was able to make in the first and second generation. It may take a few days but I am willing to try.

I have not yet shown one but I suppose the whole "sparsely feathered shanks" would be more reliant on the particular judge at the show you were entered.

 

[edgarmongold]

Quote:
That would be nice.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Black is just that black, pearl is more of a white eye.

Around sexual maturity would be a good time to check eye color and leg color.

I disagree with that. If your birds, (Marans), don't have the correct eye color by 6 months, they aren't going to have it. It may slightly deepen in color by a year, but at 6 months, if not before, you should have a "reddish bay" eye color. I liked their (MCCU), previous description of eye color, "pumpkin". Black is black or very dark brown, and pearl constitutes a light greyish color, both of which are DQs. To see the pearl eye color, Google "Cornish" chickens.

ETA: OOPs! I missed the Key word there, "sexual maturity"! Yes, by 6 months, they should have the correct eye and shank color. Shank color usually comes in earlier.

 

[Debbi]

As for the "lightly feathered" shanks/toes, I would like to see a pic or two of what a judge deems ideal. Here at my place, I have what I consider correct, and sparse. To me, correctly feathered looks like my avatar. Full feathers down the outside of the shank, and onto the outside toes. What I consider "lightly" or in my mind looks more like "sparse", is a band of half-like feathers, looking more like a line of fur rather than feathers, that does not extend to the toes. If someone has a pic with the latter type of feathers that extend to the toes, I would surely love to see it! Feathers, to me, means full feathers, not the half-fur like type. Anyone???

 

[Arielle]

Honestly, a picture says a thousand words. I tried the yahoo group--I'm not tech savy and quit before I got to the pics intended; loved the photo of the blue, a lovely, lovely bird! I would like to see a pic of a nearly ideal bird, both male and female.

I have 10 2-week old chicks and do not know what an ideal or almost ideal adult bird looks like; I'm new to marans, and poultry, and find the SOP not very clear due to my lack of experience. A picture says a thousand words. Would like to see leg feathering too. I've seen pics of cochins--very heavy feathering; the feathering on the outside of my chicks' legs looks more like the fringe on a pair of chaps!

Photos??

 

[onthespot]

I will try to take some pics tomorrow of foot feathering. I have sparse, light and heavier foot feathering in my grow out pen.

 

[NYREDS]

The description in the Marans Standard reads very similarly to the Langshan Standard so were I judging a class of Marans I'd expect the Marans' leg to be feathered like a langshan's leg.
That said, I haven't seen many that looked like that. The majority of Marans I've seen had an occasional feather ontheir legs. In fact I've seen hatchery Wyandottes with more feathers on their legs than most of the Marans I've seen.

 

[Arielle]

My young FBCM chicks have what looks like a row of feathers down the outside of the leg, with a few on the toe. Obvously there is some variation bird to bird. This sounds like correct feathering???

Photos anyone?

 

[Wynette]

Well....it's been awfully quiet in this thread!

I believe this is the type of shank/toe feathering we should be breeding for -

Comments? I'll PM edgarmongold & ask him to pop in when he has a sec. Until then - what do we all think of these pics? (These are not my birds, by the way.)