Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Updated pic of our marans girl! HA! Here he is again. His name is copper and he's my daughters favorite. Don't really want to tell her we will be giving copper to the neighbors!





what gave it away to me was the copper tips of the wing feathers. i read somewhere on here that hens only have copper on their necks. I am not sure you can actually see the copper tips to well in this pic. Anyone want to tell me...that its a she??

Sorry, still a roo!

At least if he is going to the neighbor, they may let her visit? Get some more, she'll get over him.

 

[flgardengirl]

YIPEE...can't wait to see what you will get! I should be pretty well set up for the silvers with this shipment of chicks. I can't wait!

One silver guy is out. He is all wet but looks both yellow and grayish, kinda hard to tell yet lol. The feathers on his toe look yellow. There are 2 more Silver Marans eggs with pips and one of the Cuckoo Marans has a pip.

 

[Debbi]

Ok new question though I am afraid I know the answer. We are new to Marans, we are building several flocks. Silver or Black Birchen, Blue Birchen, Wheaten, Blue Wheaten, and Splash. We actually got the splash first and have the most of those. Silver Birchens have just been laying a short while. The latest hen to start laying is laying the most round egg and it is the darkest. The other two hens are laying larger less round and much lighter eggs, no where near the six required for Marans. The splash lay the darkest eggs and they are rounded. For the Birchen that are laying the large oval shaped, like other eggs, color 5 or less, do we continue to breed them? What if they are the only hens showing silver in the hackles? If their type and color is good and we continue to breed them can the egg color of their chicks improve much? So far we only have purchased roos so we do not know the egg color of the roosters. I know these are questions only we can answer but wonder what others would do. Thanks, Mike

Breed your best birds to your best birds to get or maintain conformational quality first! Egg color can come later by only hatching the darkest eggs. It may take awhile to get them where you want them to be; birds and eggs. The required egg color for a Marans is a 4 , but that is pretty pale. 5s and 6s are pretty much an average color, so you can improve from there. It sure won't happen over night, but it will come in time with judicial culling.

 

[flgardengirl]

Is there such a thing as a black maran cockerel without the copper? I have this one chick that was very funny looking, but is starting to look really cute. He is black with white on his chest and neck. I can't figure out if he is marans or a marans mixed, and if mixed, with what. If he is mixed, his daddy is a Wheaten Maran. My kids think he looks like Orville Reddenbacher lol

Yes there are Black Marans. Here is one.

 

[Debbi]

One silver guy is out. He is all wet but looks both yellow and grayish, kinda hard to tell yet lol. The feathers on his toe look yellow. There are 2 more Silver Marans eggs with pips and one of the Cuckoo Marans has a pip.

Yeah!!! Watch the ones for yellow feathering and let me know if they lose them as they mature. I've had chicks born with lots of yellow fuzz on shanks at hatch, only to have them mature as clean legged. Keep us posted!

 

[Debbi]

Is there such a thing as a black maran cockerel without the copper? I have this one chick that was very funny looking, but is starting to look really cute. He is black with white on his chest and neck. I can't figure out if he is marans or a marans mixed, and if mixed, with what. If he is mixed, his daddy is a Wheaten Maran. My kids think he looks like Orville Reddenbacher lol

Coop, he is still young yet, he still has chick down on him. Wait a few weeks, and you should see some copper coming into his hackles. True pure Blacks are few and far between! And tell your kids, he does look like Orville!

Oh, and even if he were a Wheaten mix, he would still get the copper in his hackle and saddle feathers.

 

[flgardengirl]

Yeah!!! Watch the ones for yellow feathering and let me know if they lose them as they mature. I've had chicks born with lots of yellow fuzz on shanks at hatch, only to have them mature as clean legged. Keep us posted!

OH great don't tell me that now I have one more thing to obsess over lol !

 

[Debbi]

OH great don't tell me that now I have one more thing to obsess over lol !

It just keeps on gettin' better, doesn't it?? I had asked that question a long time ago, and never had anyone reply to it. So I would be interested to see what you find happens with the yellow shank/toe feathering.

 

[Coop de Grille]

Quote:
Those pics are about two weeks old. I will get new ones tomorrow. He is getting very pretty, his feathers have a greenish purple-ish color in the light.

I have another question. Can a Wheaten Marans have Splash Maran offspring if they are mated to a Black or Blue Marans? I have one that I think is a splash color, but she has green legs so I'm thinking her mother might be the Ameracauna. The father would definitely be a Wheaten Marans.

 

[Debbi]

Those pics are about two weeks old. I will get new ones tomorrow. He is getting very pretty, his feathers have a greenish purple-ish color in the light.

I have another question. Can a Wheaten Marans have Splash Maran offspring if they are mated to a Black or Blue Marans? I have one that I think is a splash color, but she has green legs so I'm thinking her mother might be the Ameracauna. The father would definitely be a Wheaten Marans.

I would say she is a cross. Green legs is not a Marans thing.