Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[shelleyb1969]

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I'll take a look at my little ones tomorrow and see what I've got. Thanks TMC! We'll see if it works for mine.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

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I'll take a look at my little ones tomorrow and see what I've got. Thanks TMC! We'll see if it works for mine.

I remember that post now! I forgot about it! Thanks!!!!

 

[geebs]

Well here is my take thePoint

My opinion is based on this being from my experience breeding not showing... If you are planning on showing then you may want to arrange the selection based on fault demerits looking at what is before you.. This being said number one would be an automatic DQ based on lack of feather, however for breeding purposes this is easily solved.

Number one:

Merits would be general overall shape, ear coverts appear to be fairly good, leg coloring is optimal (present standard using french) Tail set is optimal... Length of back good, Eye color good, amount of greenish tinge on feathers good, matte undercoated feathers good, color of horn good. He appears to be a late bloomer in the color department which my personal experience is that is good. Others may have a different experience. I would play the wait and see game. He has the best overall color balance to date IMHO, however the lack of leg feathering is an automatic DQ. (but I think I said that already)


Number two Number two also has a good color balance and overall structure... I would like to see another picture or two of this bird as I like his general overall appearance currently over the other two, barring that he is standing a bit off... Length of back is good, tail set... Could be better unless it is the way he stands. I do like the general appearance of this bird and how the color is balanced on him from the eyes to the shanks... He also has the leg feathering... though sparse may improve with age... Again, more time... This bird would bear watching for either the ring or breeding pen.


Number three Number 3 does have merit in the fact that the leg feathering is more correct, however for me, the color balance include the current french standard prizing the lighter shank. Since the standard has not been set for showing again this point is up for debate. I am not keen on either his back though his tail is the nicest of the three, I am not keen on his comb either. A better picture may make me like this bird better, as I cannot get a true look at the ear coverts eye color etc. My choice currently would be either one or two depending on maturity and use, of course pending the outcom of the APA findings... I still may choose to exclude number 3 based on the overall impression of the bird and shank color.

This is just my opinion and what I like to see. Take it as you find it... You know what you like to see and interpret them as it suits your needs. Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts... I may add more later as I think upon it.


In general I would wait and see what they look like at 5 month or even 6 months... I have a feeling that number 1 may surprise us all. I wait to see what it is like when they are all there. Yes the feathering needs some addressing, however that may well be met by the hens as well though not 100 percent of the time. If the hens are absolutely correct then the most correct color balance is apex. Especially if try to make a nicer rooster from the recipe. I apologize if any part of this is redundant.

 

[ruth]

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It was meant as a compliment - you sure seemed to know what you were talking about.

 

[kathyinmo]

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Do you hatch out many that start out with the brown? How common is it? Do you find it more in one line than another?

 

[Germaine_11.20]

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Ahhhh now that is perfect! Another point of view and concise! Geebs you made some very valid points! I being a newbie did not consider either showing or breeding and yet I must have swayed toward showing!

Length of back, green tinge, horn color and on and on. Points I didn't know to look for. Wow.

So number two's tail isn't as great as I thought and you prefer 3. I will have to study that. I will have to go study them all again. Thank for pointing out things I would never have looked at.

Question--because no shank color has been chosen, what is the easiet color to correct if the other color is picked? Can it be corrected?

 

[The Point]

Here is my opinion on the my 3 cockerels...
1. bad comb, he is much taller but not as heavily built as the other 2, not one single feather on his legs. oh and that tail!
2. bad comb, he is the smallest of the three but has the most bulk to him. not enough leg feathering.
3. I like this one best of the group. (pic isn't very good) He has the best comb, but it isn't great. Nice leg feathering, good tail and good color but he also has fused toes. I seperated the right foot when he was a day old. Oh and the hens from that hatch were very mossy.

All three are headed to the freezer! But I thought they would be fun to look at since most people are posting nicer birds.

 

[ruth]

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I didn't post my nicest bird. I posted a Learning Bird (one we could all learn from) an older bird that was already part of the flock I acquired last year. I know I've learned a lot already. Didn't know about the white down/undercoat being a disqualifier, in fact, didn't know there was such a thing, and learned, as I already knew, that everyone seems to have a different idea of what the various colors (red, mahogany, copper, gold, straw) should look like. For example - if you go back to the first pics of the bird I posted, post #245 and look again - Don said it was a nice copper color whereas Wynette said it was mahogany.

Just pointing out why it's important that some of the same people do the critiquing on the various birds. I think of it as pretend judges in this little learning game we are playing but certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. Just meant what one person calls copper another calls mahogany, what one sees as a fault, the other may not and it helps to get two unbiased opinions if we are trying to learn what to look for.

I have a question about the leg color standard - The bird I posted a pic of has the light pink with a tinge of grey legs (French standard) but did anyone ever explain why the long-standing standard is being revised to "dark slate" - a color that was "not preferred" by the French. Who is proposing that change and why?

 

[kathyinmo]

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I agree, Germaine, geebs made some great points there! We need to hear as many opinions as possible, to see all points of view, and then make our own decisions.

 

[ruth]

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I agree, Germaine, geebs made some great points there! We need to hear as many opinions as possible, to see all points of view, and then make our own decisions.

I agree.