Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Cadeau]

Yes. That's it!! SO back to basics. THe marans is a black based chicken, but this other one has a black sexlink parent ( RIR x plymouth rock) and a partridge colored EE mother. HOw do they look exactly alike? Are they the same for the color genetics? Or is the genes different but the expression looks the same?
Good prices, often better than I can get locally. I'm hoping with the decrease in gas prices to see hay come down in price. ANd grain. But if grain belt is low in production this year, we will experience grain increases. Of course so much of our grain is shipped overseas.

Our grain production is subsidized to keep it cheap and we sell it over seas to drive up prices at home.

We're very lucky to make our own hay, corn silage, and cracked corn.
I WISH we could do oats, but we don't have the equipment to harvest and no one else in the area does either....

I feed a ration balancer to the horses, so use oats for calories and the birds love oats, as well...

 

[Cadeau]

I finally have a Splash Copper Marans pullet with copper on her!!!!!!!!!!

Only one hackle feather is copper and a smidge above her eye.......but I'm taking it!

Congrats!!

 

[kowgurl62]

Here's a couple of my favorite roo's. I haven't been on here in a while, so I've got some reading to do.
I love the colors on the blue copper.

 

[mendocinosunris]

My wife is getting some Black Copper Marans, She is supposed to be getting chicks from two seperate blood lines,
Our question is what is the difference between the lines and what should she look for out of the offspring to continue the standards of each line?
The two lines she is acquiring are the Bev Davis line and the Wade Jeane line.
She is getting straight run so it is not a gaurentee she will get a pair of either but she hopes to get 2 pair one from each line.

Hi, and welcome!

that is a great question, and I have no idea what the answer is.

I do know that those are both great lines - I'm planning to get some Davis birds this fall.

Are you thinking about keeping each line separate, or combining them?
whatever the differences are between the lines, you should probably focus on breeding towards the SOP. Do you have a current copy of the Standard of Perfection?

That's just my 2 cents, and I know nothing.
Anybody else want to chime in with a few more cents? Mebbe a nickel?

 

[varanisblack]

Hi, and welcome!

that is a great question, and I have no idea what the answer is.

I do know that those are both great lines - I'm planning to get some Davis birds this fall.

Are you thinking about keeping each line separate, or combining them?
whatever the differences are between the lines, you should probably focus on breeding towards the SOP. Do you have a current copy of the Standard of Perfection?

That's just my 2 cents, and I know nothing.
Anybody else want to chime in with a few more cents? Mebbe a nickel?

She wants to keep them seperate I know that, but also wondered if the lines were of closely related animals if so should an occasional outcrossing be done?
I have never really dealt with domestic animals much I worked mostly exotics and some wild life rehabilitation and relocation so these are quite a new thing for me.
These would be the 1st birds she has that have any lineage with or are for anything other than family eggs or pets, and we do not have a SOP and not sure what it is as of yet.
The Black Copper Marans are one of two birds she wants to breed the other being the White Face Black Spanish " she is still doing research on them"

I know from when I dealt with exotics "nothing for show animals per say" when refining or breeding for a trait or a group of traits it is best to focus on one thing "I.E. coloration and pattern, then once satisfied go to another, say tail feather shape Ect.
Is this the standard practice with birds or is it more along the lines of this one has 3 traits in the area we want where that only has two so go with the more combined traits?

Sorry if I am rambling mary is not usualy on the computer so I am the relay LOL 8)

 

[mendocinosunris]

She wants to keep them seperate I know that, but also wondered if the lines were of closely related animals if so should an occasional outcrossing be done?
I have never really dealt with domestic animals much I worked mostly exotics and some wild life rehabilitation and relocation so these are quite a new thing for me.
These would be the 1st birds she has that have any lineage with or are for anything other than family eggs or pets, and we do not have a SOP and not sure what it is as of yet.
The Black Copper Marans are one of two birds she wants to breed the other being the White Face Black Spanish " she is still doing research on them"

I know from when I dealt with exotics "nothing for show animals per say" when refining or breeding for a trait or a group of traits it is best to focus on one thing "I.E. coloration and pattern, then once satisfied go to another, say tail feather shape Ect.
Is this the standard practice with birds or is it more along the lines of this one has 3 traits in the area we want where that only has two so go with the more combined traits?

Sorry if I am rambling mary is not usualy on the computer so I am the relay LOL 8)

Hah! And a good relay you are. Well, tell Mary hi.

The Standard of Perfection is a book published by the APA (American Poultry Association). It contains illustrated descriptions of all the recognized breeds in the US. Since the BC Marans was just recenntly added, you'll want the most recent version. Lotsa good info in that book.
I'm not an experienced breeder, but I'd say you're spot on as far as breeding goes - focus on one or two traits at a time. Most good breeders say to "build the barn first" (I know - worlds most overused quote) - focus on body shape & type first, then color.
And chicken genetics is basically thesame as other genetics, but more complex. There are several good threads here on byc that go into real detail on the genetics. It can be brain-melting.

 

[Wynette]

The Standard of Perfection is a book published by the APA (American Poultry Association). It contains illustrated descriptions of all the recognized breeds in the US. Since the BC Marans was just recenntly added, you'll want the most recent version. (the most recent version does not have the BC Marans SOP in it, by the way - you'll need to get that from the Marans Chicken Club USA website - it's posted there).
Lotsa good info in that book.
I'm not an experienced breeder, but I'd say you're spot on as far as breeding goes - focus on one or two traits at a time. Most good breeders say to "build the barn first" (I know - worlds most overused quote) - focus on body shape & type first, then color.
And chicken genetics is basically thesame as other genetics, but more complex. There are several good threads here on byc that go into real detail on the genetics. It can be brain-melting.

Yup, yup! Build the barn first!

 

[varanisblack]

Hah! And a good relay you are. Well, tell Mary hi.
The Standard of Perfection is a book published by the APA (American Poultry Association). It contains illustrated descriptions of all the recognized breeds in the US. Since the BC Marans was just recenntly added, you'll want the most recent version. Lotsa good info in that book.
I'm not an experienced breeder, but I'd say you're spot on as far as breeding goes - focus on one or two traits at a time. Most good breeders say to "build the barn first" (I know - worlds most overused quote) - focus on body shape & type first, then color.
And chicken genetics is basically the same as other genetics, but more complex. There are several good threads here on byc that go into real detail on the genetics. It can be brain-melting.

OK now where would be the best place to acquire the SOP on its most recent publication?

With genetics and traits being brought up it again refreshes out question on which direction each line is directed and the differences between the two lines that make each a distinguishable from the other as to better define the direction we would take with each as an individual?

OK Mary asks how are they different and why, "she said I was to technicle

 

[varanisblack]

OK can we get a link to the Marans Chicken Club USA if it is not too much to ask please

 

[mendocinosunris]

Quote:

Lotsa good info in that book.
I'm not an experienced breeder, but I'd say you're spot on as far as breeding goes - focus on one or two traits at a time. Most good breeders say to "build the barn first" (I know - worlds most overused quote) - focus on body shape & type first, then color.
And chicken genetics is basically thesame as other genetics, but more complex. There are several good threads here on byc that go into real detail on the genetics. It can be brain-melting.

Yup, yup! Build the barn first!

Woops! Thanks for catching that, Wynette - I appreciate it!