Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

I have a stupid question, but, where can you get a copy of the egg numbering scale? On the SOP it states that they must lay at least a four. And I read numbers on here. Just trying to get the basics down as the chicks grow. I am going to work with birchen marans to the best of my ability. I have five that hatched from really big and dark eggs, which was a surprise to me given what I have read about problems with the birchen marans egg color, and I have seven that came from GFF that are two and three weeks old. I ended up with four boys out of he first batch, one of which is a very pretty blue boy, pretty lacing, and the silver is already starting to come in on saddle and hackles. Too bad I didn't want any blues, lol. So, yeah, where do you get that color chart?

Not a stupid question - you can get them from the MCCUSA - http://www.maranschickenclubusa.com/index.html

 

[Brada Puhi]

Aloha kakou,

From what I have read, Black Copper Marans are Homozygous(BB) for the dominant black gene, Blues are heterozygous(Bb) having both the black and the recessive White gene and the Splash is homozygous(bb) for the white recessive gene. And I guess it's not totally recessive but more of an incomplete dominance(blending of the traits).

Does this sound correct?

So I have "Blues" that appear Black. Are they homozygous for black?

Mahalo for any comments, Puhi

 

[desertmarcy]

yay! Im sure hoping for lots of birchens this year. I forgot to mention I have a broody birchen hen and let her keep her eggs, so should be coming up to hatch day pretty soon as best as I can guess

Ha, Ha, I just got a new group of Black Copper Marans, 1 week old chicks. The breeder told me he thought he might have accidentally set some Birchen eggs along with the Black Coppers. I told him, PLEASE pick out any that look Birchen and do NOT send them! I will be tempted to keep them, and I DO NOT need another breed to work on!!

 

[math ace]

I got some eggs from a backyard breeder and was wondering what color they are. Sorry for the bad quality pic.

You will need to get better pictures before anyone can give you a good opinion. The birds are in the shadows too much to see what they are.

 

[jodavis]

Well the yellow one looks to me like a wheaten, so from that thought process i am wondering if you really have a wheaten roo not a BCM, or maybe the
grand-daddy was wheaten.    Some people have mistaken them in the past because the wheatens do have similar coloring pattern, but you can tell because a wheaten has a brown wing triangle and also has cream colored legs.   the BCM has black wing triangle and slate legs...  you probably know all this but the yellow chick just put that thought in my head...

I'm new to Marans. I didn't know that Wheatens were that similar to BCMs. How exactly do I tell if mine are BCM?

 

[DMRippy]

Pink i know i have read where you said blue is a leaky gene.......but this is for anyone really. When you have a leaky blue do you breed them? Is that a bad thing or does it matter if everything else is correct?

Going to do some hard culling and wanted to know that since that could be a culling point....but i dont know if it is. Btw one of the girls that is leaky is laying a really dark egg.

 

[math ace]

I'm new to Marans. I didn't know that Wheatens were that similar to BCMs. How exactly do I tell if mine are BCM?

Wheaten Marans have two color traits that separate them from Black Copper Marans...

First is white fluff at the base of the wheaten marans tail.




Second color trait is on the wing. The bottom tip of the wing makes a triangle. On a wheaten it is copper / brown whereas on a black copper marans it is BLACK...




There is a world of difference in the chicks and in the hens. Only the roosters have a chance of being confused.

 

[snowbird]

Wheaten Marans have two color traits that separate them from Black Copper Marans...

First is white fluff at the base of the wheaten marans tail.




Second color trait is on the wing. The bottom tip of the wing makes a triangle. On a wheaten it is copper / brown whereas on a black copper marans it is BLACK...




There is a world of difference in the chicks and in the hens. Only the roosters have a chance of being confused.

Lisa, The Wheaten males should not have the white tail coverts at the base of the tail. It is possible to breed this white out of the Wheaten.

 

[pinkchick]

Pink i know i have read where you said blue is a leaky gene.......but this is for anyone really. When you have a leaky blue do you breed them? Is that a bad thing or does it matter if everything else is correct?

Going to do some hard culling and wanted to know that since that could be a culling point....but i dont know if it is. Btw one of the girls that is leaky is laying a really dark egg.

Hi Mrs. Donna!

Yes, I will breed a blue bird that shows some leakage.....and just so we are clear here on the leakage, I am speaking of the few random darker blue feathers that sometimes appear on the body area. I have found no negative effects of breeding them where color is concerned.

Remember........we can perfect/correct colors later.....so if the bird is good, use it!

The really dark egg is the cherry on top!!!

 

[pinkchick]

Aloha kakou,

From what I have read, Black Copper Marans are Homozygous(BB) for the dominant black gene, Blues are heterozygous(Bb) having both the black and the recessive White gene and the Splash is homozygous(bb) for the white recessive gene.  And I guess it's not totally recessive but more of an incomplete dominance(blending of the traits).

Does this sound correct?

So I have "Blues" that appear Black.  Are they homozygous for black?

Mahalo for any comments, Puhi

Hi!

Blue is incompletely dominant, yes.
I am unsure of the recessive white genes, does not sound right.

Black Coppers are homozygous. ER
Blue is heterozygous. bl/bl
Splash is homozygous for blue. Bl/Bl

If you have "blues" that appear black........they are heterozygous blue.