Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Runawaylobster]

@Runawaylobster

Pretty birds!

Good luck.
Watch him grow
Enjoy it

Thanks all!! Oh Yeah!!! i will have fun. I have BTB hatching eggs on my wish list and thanks to the awesome people here i might just get some help with it!!! I just have to be careful i think i am getting Chicken ADD (lots of projects).. is there a pill for that???

 

[8isenuff]

OK, my BCM and BCM crosses have mostly hatched and I have some breeding/standard/sexing/etc questions for you experts:

Note: These are supposed to be French Standard Black Copper Marans whose flock originated from the Bev Davis line. Roo is feather legged, mom is not

1) Most are the typical pic I see of a black chick with white wing tips and white chest. However, there is one with a white patch on it's head...I'm pretty sure this is one of the Barred Rock crosses...unless Marans can have white splotches on their heads...
2) There are a few that have no or very little white tips at wings and the faces and some of beak are a really pretty chocolate brown. Is this a typical coloration in BCM chicks? If so, I'm assuming the adults will look different than the black and white maran chicks? They seem to be slightly larger than the others...at least one definitely is...came from a HUGE egg....which was lighter in color...but one came from a Maran colored egg....There were supposed to be some BCM/RIR crosses in there...could these be those? They also seem much more attentive than the others...will look at you when you look at them, they notice you are there, concentrate on you...
3) Most all of the chicks have feathered legs. Is this any determining factor in sex? BTW: The only ones that are NOT feather legged are one of the brown faced and a Buff Orp cross. Even the one with the white spot has feathered legs..
4) Is there aaaannnnyyyy way to tell sex at this young age?
5) The Buff Orp mix....I'm assuming is a Buff Orp mix...guess it could be a RIR mix? I have never had either breed though..

THANKS!!!!

 

[Kaylish]

Just discovered this breed by chance, so pretty I might have to get a few. Can anyone comment as to personalities? I'm really just getting started and, other than lurking on BYC I don't have much experience.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

OK, my BCM and BCM crosses have mostly hatched and I have some breeding/standard/sexing/etc questions for you experts:

Note: These are supposed to be French Standard Black Copper Marans whose flock originated from the Bev Davis line. Roo is feather legged, mom is not

1) Most are the typical pic I see of a black chick with white wing tips and white chest. However, there is one with a white patch on it's head...I'm pretty sure this is one of the Barred Rock crosses...unless Marans can have white splotches on their heads...
2) There are a few that have no or very little white tips at wings and the faces and some of beak are a really pretty chocolate brown. Is this a typical coloration in BCM chicks? If so, I'm assuming the adults will look different than the black and white maran chicks? They seem to be slightly larger than the others...at least one definitely is...came from a HUGE egg....which was lighter in color...but one came from a Maran colored egg....There were supposed to be some BCM/RIR crosses in there...could these be those? They also seem much more attentive than the others...will look at you when you look at them, they notice you are there, concentrate on you...
3) Most all of the chicks have feathered legs. Is this any determining factor in sex? BTW: The only ones that are NOT feather legged are one of the brown faced and a Buff Orp cross. Even the one with the white spot has feathered legs..
4) Is there aaaannnnyyyy way to tell sex at this young age?
5) The Buff Orp mix....I'm assuming is a Buff Orp mix...guess it could be a RIR mix? I have never had either breed though..

THANKS!!!!

1. White head spot is the BCM X BR and it is a cockerel. If you hatched these all together, you may have some pullets of this mix in with the bunch and it's VERY difficult to tell them from the pure BCM if you didn't separate the eggs while hatching! The ones I hatched seemed
"blacker" than the standard BCM but it's a fine line. I've heard they make good meat birds.

APA is the same as French standard and it makes me nuts when people say "French Black Copper Marans" as if they are different, or better, or worth more. Also, to say Bev Davis line is misleading unless the birds came DIRECTLY from that breeder. As soon as you or anyone else makes the breeding decisions, they are that person's line. Period. I know you said "originally" but that is truly irrelevant after a generation or two IMO.

2. BCM are never brown/chocolate/reddish. Those are likely the RIR X as you suspect.

3. BCM standard is for feathered shanks and outer toe. Those that do not have feathered shanks/toes are still BCM, just not to standard. It is an easy fix (as you see with your chicks from the clean-legged hen that hatched out feathered). Feathering has nothing to do with sex.

4. No. *L*

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Just discovered this breed by chance, so pretty I might have to get a few. Can anyone comment as to personalities? I'm really just getting started and, other than lurking on BYC I don't have much experience.

Individual birds will vary. I chose Marans because of the cock/erel's reputation for gentleness. We have found our Marans to be very mellow birds, stately and friendly. When having chicks/juveniles of other breeds in with the Marans, they are VERY tolerant and perhaps sometimes too much so. My busy little Isbars are always pecking at the beaks of the Marans, but they just stand there and take it. Eventually they stand up taller and "look down" on the Isbars like, "OK. Enough." I've not seen any of the Marans peck back or chase or pounce on the others for this behavior.

 

[8isenuff]

1. White head spot is the BCM X BR and it is a cockerel. If you hatched these all together, you may have some pullets of this mix in with the bunch and it's VERY difficult to tell them from the pure BCM if you didn't separate the eggs while hatching! The ones I hatched seemed
"blacker" than the standard BCM but it's a fine line. I've heard they make good meat birds.

APA is the same as French standard and it makes me nuts when people say "French Black Copper Marans" as if they are different, or better, or worth more. Also, to say Bev Davis line is misleading unless the birds came DIRECTLY from that breeder. As soon as you or anyone else makes the breeding decisions, they are that person's line. Period. I know you said "originally" but that is truly irrelevant after a generation or two IMO.

2. BCM are never brown/chocolate/reddish. Those are likely the RIR X as you suspect.

3. BCM standard is for feathered shanks and outer toe. Those that do not have feathered shanks/toes are still BCM, just not to standard. It is an easy fix (as you see with your chicks from the clean-legged hen that hatched out feathered). Feathering has nothing to do with sex.

4. No. *L*

Thanks for all of the great info!! I'll leave Bev Davis out of it! ;-) I did separate the eggs but some were a "light Marans" egg or a dark other breed egg so those were iffy...

Thanks!!!

 

[babowman3]

I'm getting some blue copper maran chicks this weekend from a breeder!!!! Love those dark brown eggs. Can't wait!

 

[BCMaraniac]

I'm getting some blue copper maran chicks this weekend from a breeder!!!! Love those dark brown eggs. Can't wait!

Congratulations! My hubby and I LOVE those eggs! Hubby swears they are richer, especially if the chickens are free ranging.

They make terrific meat birds, too. I make capons out of my extra roos.

 

[babowman3]

I would love to eat them.....but I just can't. They are pets to me. If someone else did the butchering I'd be fine lol. They definitely are richer when free ranging!

 

[shyned421]

Looking to get Marans in or around Dade City Fl. Anyone around? I don't really care what kind but I am looking for the darker eggs.