Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

Yeppers, that's the cushion. I have a good example on a BAD quality silver penciled rock gal that I keep because...well, her eggs are tasty!

Here is a much better topline for a Rock - note that there is no cushion:

I'd forgotten about the drawing submitted by the MCCUSA, which shows the profile we are looking for, I see NO cushion:

So, I guess no cushion it ought to be! Sheesh. Sometimes if I just wait long enough, I answer my own questions.

 

[txmel]

hi all i have been a lurker here on this thread for a long time enjoying the banter back and forth between you all! i just went into lockdown on my bcm eggs today and had to share a pic of my broody. she is a first time broody so will have to see how she does with the chicks but has been very determined with her nesting. she is a frizzled serama and she went broody i think before she even layed any eggs!

i could only fit 3 eggs under her so the rest of the eggs are in the incubator in the house

i get some to hatch!
Melanie

 

[Wynette]

Melanie...AWE! What a good girl! BEST of good hatching vibes comin' your way! Thanks for sharing the pic!

 

[txmel]

Quote:
thanks she is sweet. will let me look at the eggs, is rather vocal about it but doesnt peck at me when i lift her!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Hello,

I acquired some Black Copper Marans hatching eggs from a local source early this spring and now have a flock of nearly 5 month old Marans. I have two roosters and only one has the feathered shanks. My hens vary in size greatly: I have one girl that is nearly as big as my roosters and one that is barely larger than the 4 month old Ameraucana's housed with them. For the most part, they are all shaped identically and all but one has feathered legs. One barely has any of the copper on her head, but all the others are about the same.

Here are some photos. If you would be so kind as to educate me to the faults and any good points in these birds, it will help me to know what I am looking at in the future. I tried to get separate photos of them, but hey...they were busy and my photo shoot didn't pay enough. Any of these birds that won't be good for breeding will go to the layer flock or the Oliver Egger flock. Thanks so much for any and all input!

Here are my roosters Tango and Cash with one of the BCM hens between them. I took this this morning.

A close-up of Tango. He doesn't have feathered legs.

Cash, does have lightly feathered legs. Outside today...

Cash in "time-out" rooster jail two weeks ago for unnecessary roughness to a hen (both Roosters were there and have been very good since release)

Two of my hens. The one in the foreground is the only one without feathered legs: She also has the least copper on her head...

One of the girls giving me the chicken eye....

A couple of the hens with their flock

And finally, my favorite most curious BCM hen...Nosey. She looks behind, around, under, and over everything she can. She doesn't have as distinct of a tail as the other girls.

 

[Wynette]

Magoo - both cockerels have some pretty major issues, I'm sorry to say. Unfeathered shanks is a DQ, and the other, Cash, has side sprigs - also a DQ. I would not use either to breed, but that is my personal opinion.

It's hard to judge the hens, as the pics really don't show them in a "conformation" shot (from the side, so we can see their shape), but from what I can see, you have some good hens there.

ETA: I should add that if you're breeding simply for beautiful eggs, nothing I said above means a thing!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Quote:
Wynette,

Thanks for the input on the roosters: I knew Tango's legs were a problem and thought that Cash's tail may be an issue, but what are side sprigs? I'll try to get better shots of the hens. I guess I'll lock the goats up and it would be easier. The second I walk into the pasture it's like Jurassic Park on a much less dangerous scale: I am swamped in seconds with goats and chickens looking for treats...lol.

I already planned on using one of the boys for my Olive Egger project (I sell eggs and can't keep up....I haven't even gotten a full dozen for us to keep in weeks). If the other turned out good, I was going to breed him and get some chicks: If he had too many flaws we had thought he would end up being invited to dinner since they are such good sized birds, but they are too sweet. Cash in particular hangs out with me outside and will let me pick him up whenever I want, so he is safe from freezer camp. I'll just sell the eggs from the ladies that aren't Ameraucanas.

If I decide to breed for chicks, I'll buy a better rooster, and buy some eggs from one of you folks here on this thread to get more bloodlines. Right now I have a husband imposed mandatory hatching prohibition until we have time to build a couple more small coops on different parts of the property. He says after we are done building I can do the chicken math and hatch whatever I want till we run out of room.

Thanks again

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Okay, I went back outside and put the goats away and was able to get some better photos of my hens....here goes...

Three of my Four BCM hens together....Gladys is in the front...she is the one with clean legs.

Nosey...

Bertha.....

Aretha with Prissy my Barnevelder x RIR hen (could not get Prissy to move).

 

[Theeggboxtoo]

 

[Wynette]

Magoo - Nosey appears to be hollow backed (back is "U" shaped when viewed from the side)? Again, hard to really tell in the pics, as they were taken at an angle downward. The very best way to get good conformation pics is to go sit on the ground (ahem....I use a feed sack to avoid "ploppers" as my hubby calls them) so that you are right at their level when you take pics. From what I can see, Bertha looks pretty nice! (don't take my opinion as gospel - I'm by no means an expert!)

Regarding side sprigs - look at the back of the rooster's comb; see the "sprigs" coming out of the sides of the comb? Those are side sprigs. The points should all be in a single row, and the blade part of the comb should be flat & clean.