Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Kim. I finally have my Marans sorted. I only kept 5 from last year's breeding pen. I have another pen with pullets I am testing with another male I bought. not sure he is going to work out. so far I have not seen much exciting from him. I did get a good looking blue copper the otherday that is from Becky's birds. nice color all over.....dark toe nail (my birds don't have that and I want it) his only flaws are he has really dark eyes and a slightly flopped comb but I am going to test mate him to my new layers. my best roo is their brother and I don't want to breed them together. I have some of Beck's birds blood in mine so I don't think it will cause too much of an issue.

let me know when you want some eggs! I have my Birchens penned and thinned down too. not laying right now molting I think.

Whenever you are ready my friend...you just say the word and I will get the 'bator and brooder ready.

I personally like the looks of the white toe nail on the Marans against a dark leg and toe, but I do not worry too much about the dark nail, it just goes hand in hand with melanisers...of which you know I have plenty of.

I am patiently waiting for the Blue Copper pullet and Splash Copper pullet that came to me from Texas to start laying again. They thought they needed an impromptu molt........not cool! Anyway, I would like to put them with Lil' Bill my oldest Blue Copper male and see what they produce. I am looking ahead thinking they will produce very nice sized birds with good egg color. Copper I am going to have to continue to work on unless I get some good coppered pullets out of the eggs from you..that would be fantastic and help out tons.

 

[snowbird]

Kim, Be on the lookout as I will post some pictures of the 1/2 wheaten and 1/2 Black copper this weekend . They have some interesting color going on. They have no white feathers but they do have the brown tinted lower body feathers and really nice shank and foot feathering. They are all three mossy colored .

 

[pinkchick]

Wynette, will try and get a few pictures from the two BC young males still left. It appears they are going to have real good size. The pullets I have not checked the marking to see where they came from.

Don~ I saw that Blue from the White eggs...he looks like he is going to be a very nice sized bird. I like him!

What color is coming in on his shoulders and saddle area? Or is it? The photo on my end makes him look like he has got some color there.

 

[pinkchick]

Kim, Be on the lookout as I will post some pictures of the 1/2 wheaten and 1/2 Black copper this weekend . They have some interesting color going on. They have no white feathers but they do have the brown tinted lower body feathers and really nice shank and foot feathering. They are all three mossy colored .

Will do! Would love to see them!

 

[snowbird]

Quote: Kim, I will get some pictures in the light box this weekend. This male has a faint hint of cuckoo wanting to happen and not as much yellow as it appears in this picture. Will weigh him and let you know with the picture. If there are any serious Marans breeders at the Columbus Show might just give this male away, would have to be someone with a need for something like him.

 

[pinkchick]

Kim, I will get some pictures in the light box this weekend. This male has a faint hint of cuckoo wanting to happen and not as much yellow as it appears in this picture. Will weigh him and let you know with the picture. If there are any serious Marans breeders at the Columbus Show might just give this male away, would have to be someone with a need for something like him.

Wish I was closer to Columbus....just for giggles....I would put this male over a blue of mine to see what happened.

 

[Deb B]

I need advice on the sex of these two birds. I'm pretty sure they are both cockerels as they are both getting pointy saddle feathers coming in. They are Black Marans (not Black Copper) and they are 14 weeks old.

Thanks!

 

[snowbird]

I need advice on the sex of these two birds. I'm pretty sure they are both cockerels as they are both getting pointy saddle feathers coming in. They are Black Marans (not Black Copper) and they are 14 weeks old.

Thanks!

Yes, both are males.

 

[Deb B]

Yes, both are males.

Thanks for the confirmation. I bought 6 straight run chicks in June and they are.............all cockerels.

 

[desertmarcy]

Hi all, I haven't posted in a while. I had hoped to post some photos but BYC is not letting me do that right now for some reason. My mahogany Black Copper Marans cockerel that I posted photos of way back has developed more white in his tail, plus he has the white under fluff everywhere. Don, you said not to use them when they are like that but I can't remember exactly why? I checked his sire, and he has black under fluff. I am down to only 3 cockerels from my own stock hatched this year--and one other one also has white underfluff. The third one does not, his is dark. Maybe later I can post some photos of him. So far, he looks good except his topline is a bit more level than I'd like to see. Now the odd thing to me is, all the pullets have black under fluff. Is the white generally more of a problem in the males?