Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Wynette,

Seems I read somewhere that they had to lay at least a 4, somewhere within the laying cycle to qualify as Marans. Sounded kind of vague to me then, and it really does now.

 

[Wynette]

gosh, I was just so sure about never laying lighter than a 4.....I could be wrong - anyone else have feedback on this? My girls don't ever lay lighter than a 4-5, but begin darker. I've had a few in the past that laid lighter than a 4, just prior to molt, and they were put in my layer pen.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Wynette, It is hard to tell from a picture but the male appears to be short in back and legs, he appears to be a Mahogany color and not Copper. From my little experience I believe when the back shortens it will bring the tail angle up. I have no proof on this , it is just something that I believe.

For the egg color I do not really know where the #4 egg color came from but believe I have read it on the french site. The eggs I set this year will be a six or better. The egg color might be something to ask Bev Davis.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
Wynette, It is hard to tell from a picture but the male appears to be short in back and legs, he appears to be a Mahogany color and not Copper. From my little experience I believe when the back shortens it will bring the tail angle up. I have no proof on this , it is just something that I believe.

For the egg color I do not really know where the #4 egg color came from but believe I have read it on the french site. The eggs I set this year will be a six or better. The egg color might be something to ask Bev Davis.

Don - short in LEGS? Oh - that is something I have completely missed in this thread & elsewhere. Is there some sort of measurement, or is this just an "eyeball" of the overall conformation, making sure the bird is well balanced?

I see what you mean about mahogany and not copper. That is where my preferences shade what I am looking at, as I like that mahogany coloring better than the copper, but you are right. He would be a good one to cross on a hen that's got too much copper in her hackles, yes(?)

 

[snowbird]

Just a little side note on the Egg color chart, there is really no one to say that the eggs are not Marans if they are not a #4 on the egg chart. I see a lot of eggs on ebay that are way under a #4 and I have bought some myself and did not set them. I have set my color as at least a #6 and that is plenty dark for me as I will never be showing eggs.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Wynette, It is hard to tell from a picture but the male appears to be short in back and legs, he appears to be a Mahogany color and not Copper. From my little experience I believe when the back shortens it will bring the tail angle up. I have no proof on this , it is just something that I believe.

For the egg color I do not really know where the #4 egg color came from but believe I have read it on the french site. The eggs I set this year will be a six or better. The egg color might be something to ask Bev Davis.

Don - short in LEGS? Oh - that is something I have completely missed in this thread & elsewhere. Is there some sort of measurement, or is this just an "eyeball" of the overall conformation, making sure the bird is well balanced?

I see what you mean about mahogany and not copper. That is where my preferences shade what I am looking at, as I like that mahogany coloring better than the copper, but you are right. He would be a good one to cross on a hen that's got too much copper in her hackles, yes(?)

Wynette, I have made the Mahogany male and light neck female mating and really like the coloring of the off spring, If the legs get too short it will throw off the entire balance like you see in this male. I agree I like the Mahogany color best myself. If you picture the box that the Marans are supposed to look like it will expose some of the type faults. If you put the rectangular outline on this male he would not fit in .

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Don,

I remember reading that the egg color MUST be at least a 4 for them to be considered a true Marans. Just went to two of the US Marans sites, and now that is nowhere in either one. That always puzzled me when it came to showing the hens. If indeed, the egg color was pertinent to the standard, would that mean you had to show an egg along with the hen? Then, if you brought a nice dark egg and put it with the hen, how would one know that that particular egg came from that hen? Unless she laid one in the show cage, that would not be true proof to me. So, maybe that is why the info on egg color is not showing up any more???

 

[pinkchick]

Wynette~

Question on egg darkess: I was told that a hen MUST lay at LEAST a 4, never any lighter...i.e., if he lays a 7 at the beginning and then lightens to a 4, that's acceptable, but if she lays less than a 4, even at the end of her lay cycle, she should be culled. Feedback on that?

I would judge her by what she laid during her peak lay cycle until molt and the duration of which she laid an acceptable egg consistantly.

I guage them by the color of their 1st 24 eggs and how long they will lay one color consistantly until molt, but it has to be a 4 or better. I have even set and incubated some of the lighter pathetic eggs that they have given me toward the end of their lay cycle, those birds are now laying (Bills dtr) and I am not at all unhappy with the results. I will not use a hen that will lay lighter than a 4- PERIOD! I dont' like setting the lighter eggs but if I have a good bird and I have crossed her with a nice dark egg gened rooster I am more than willing to give it a try.

As Debbi said......they have to lay at least a 4 to even be considered a MARANS. So, in my mind.........there is NO wrong egg color to be found between the numbers of 4-9.

 

[chasehope]

We entered a few of our marans at a fair show, and the judge wouldnt judge them because they didnt have eggs with them. the rooster will never lay an egg, and the pullet hadnt started laying! I believe that it is the judges job to judge the physical appearance and it is the breeders job to be sure that the egg color is up to par. Other colored egg laying breeds are not judged on their eggs at shows, so I dont feel that the marans should be either!

 

[Debbi]

Oh lawdy! I was just thinking the other day, that I was missing my indoor alarm clock (Pip), and his morning crow. Just now, getting ready to go take the SIX WEEK OLD chicks out, one of the little guys just let out a sorry, little girl-type crow!

Be careful what you ask for...and I've got THREE cockerels in here!

Six week crowing??? I thought the other two were early at 8 weeks...sheesh