Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Sorry for the repeats, but I'm going to post pics again of my remaining 6 Black Copper Marans cockerels for critique. I took new pics of them the other day when it was actually in the 70's---such a welcome break from the heat---so they weren't all hot and panting and holding their wings funny. Here is BCM cockerel #11. Don didn't like his tail carriage and comb before---honestly, I am not seeing the problem with his comb. His tail set is a bit high, but doesn't look completely like a squirrel tail to me. His wing carriage was off before, I think from the heat--I think it looks okay now. I like his color and overall size. I don't like his tail carriage and white foot feather(s).

I think Don may have been referring to what looks like a split in the blade of his comb.

His tail in one photo does look rather high. Does he carry it this way all the time?

Also, does he have feather stubs in between his toes?

 

[pinkchick]

Here is BCM cockerel #12. Again I like his color and pretty much everything about him except the way his comb flops a bit. Is the comb a deal breaker for this guy? Is that bad enough to be a DQ? Also, would that comb be considered 3 or 4 points? Does the one small point in the front count?

Yes the small point at the front of the comb counts as a point, so this bird has 4 points on the comb. The comb flopping over is considered a DQ.

 

[pinkchick]

Here is BCM cockerel #17. This one is lower on the pecking order and has no tail to evaluate. He is younger than the others. I am not keen on his two-toned hackle feathers, and I think he needs to color up overall more, so I could give him some time. He also has just a few stray brownish feathers on his breast, not bad, but I'd rather see none. Keep, cull, or watch?

I don't know what to say about this one except that his 2 toned hackles wouldn't cause me any worry. I rather like his coloring, though he will still change and hopefully continue to get more color in wing/shoulder area. I wish he was a bit older and had a tail so that we could see how he will look when all dressed up in his finest. but alas I know what it is like to have a younger roo at the bottom of the order.

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you Wynette--a lot to learn. Perhaps there are some good books out there--I'm going to look. Thanks again for responding.
Kathy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Kathy,
I love the classic lit. Was reading a goodie last night. By the author of the classic ABC's of Poultry Culture.
Just a short book, but chock full of classic poultry breeding wisdom. Davis succinctly summarizes the difference between
the Art and the Science of breeding at a time when the two were in the midst of beginning to meld. The Science
of breeding had only really been brought to that era's modern stage by Bakewell some 40 years before. Tho genetic
hybridizers work had gained attention , it would be 1902 before Mendel's work was rediscovered and the modern
science of genetics was born. So here we have a renowned poultry man both sharing the Art and foreseeing the impact
of the Science of breeding upon the animal breeding world. As we see ,we cannot have Science without Art or
Art without Science because Art is both the prequel and result of Science.
"The Art Of Poultry Breeding"
A Discussion of Out-Crossing, In-Breeding,
Breeding to Feather, and Cross-Breeding for Market Purposes.
by J.H. Davis, 1896, 46 pages.
http://tinyurl.com/d4vmj53

Best Regards,
Karen

 

[pinkchick]

Here are some more photos. He is very wary, so hard to get the shots you want. Do these show what you want to see?

Thank you for more photos of him Marcy.

From these photos and the first ones that you posted...IMO, he appears to be a narrow and slender bodied bird. He also looks to be knock-knee'd or he does not have the correct distance between his legs, this is just what it looks like to me. He also looks as though he may have a thumbprint in his comb.

Hopefully others will comment on him for you too and share what they see.

 

[desertmarcy]

I think Don may have been referring to what looks like a split in the blade of his comb.

His tail in one photo does look rather high. Does he carry it this way all the time?

Pinkchick, I honestly am not sure. It has been hard with the heat this summer to stand out there and watch them, but looking at some of the pics, I don't think so.

Also, does he have feather stubs in between his toes?

Yes, I think they all do. I am aware of that fault in these birds, but am overlooking it at the moment as I have bigger issues to deal with.

Is that small amount of split in the blade considered a DQ? What about the blade on this blue copper boy? I posted pics of his comb earlier but did not get any response:

 

[pinkchick]

Marcy~ Do you happen to have a closer shot of that BCM's comb?


Also, this Blue Copper roo's comb type will breed forward. What I mean is, is that you will see this type of blade on some of his offspring. Also the tiny un-even serration on the very front point will breed forward to some of his offspring as well.

Pick and choose your battles and what faults you can work with. I have seen many worse comb faults than this being worked with. If the rest of the bird is nice...it can't hurt to do some test mating and see what happens.

 

[desertmarcy]

Marcy~ Do you happen to have a closer shot of that BCM's comb?


Now I'm getting confused, which one, #21?

 

[pinkchick]

The split blade, #11.

 

[desertmarcy]

The split blade, #11.

Oh that one---I will get some pics and be right back....