Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Mike10]

If you are new to chickens, first thing you should probably do is find and read the SOP(Standard of Perfection)  of the birds you have or want. Will give you a lot of information about the birds you have. The color type etc. Then when somebody gives you information on color etc you'll understand why they are giving it to you. It's all based off the SOP for that line. And PURE is probably not the best word to use since no chicken is PURE. They are all crossed with something to get that particular breed. Probably why it's so hard to keep the colors and type right. You will find that you will never have the perfect bird. You can only get close. But then again that's the fun of breeding chickens. Trying to get that special one. 

Yea you are right. Just wondering why it is some say its bad for it to have gold. But thanks and I will try breeding my chickens. I want to see little ones again. Lol

 

[NestingHillsSC]

There great. But can be a pain too. LOL. And not sure about on the color of yous. I'm new to Marans too.

 

[Kaylish]

Yes they will be black in color but a black chick from BBS breeding is NOT a BCM. They are fine to use in a BBS program but not to breed into BCM strains.

That's good to know, Thank you!

Can you (or anyone else) explain further as to the "why"? Or the genetic difference between a black BBS and a BCM? Always trying to learn more!

 

[lawatt]

Who knows..... it could have been breed with something else that gave the gold. It is just a hard thing to remove. It is not a sex link trait and can be passed on randomly. It can even pop up in off spring from parents that don't express it. The red in a birchen would not scream not pure I would look for other things that would tell me that...... leg color would be first. I would test to make sure there is no hidden genes you don't want.

I have some Silver Penciled Wyandotte Bantams. I have been fighting the gold leaking from a recent cross with partridge to improve type..... you can't get rid of it without having at least one bird without the red leaking preferable a cockerel. I just got one this week end to see that improves my SPW..... if not this is my last season with them.

an interesting note re: gold in birchens' feathers -- my older birchen rooster (now 1.5 yrs), who's feathers have always looked too yellowy to me, finally went through his first real molt this summer, and many of his neck & saddle feathers are growing in much less yellow/much more silver than before! has anyone else seen this kind of "fading" occur over time?

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

I got my first egg from my Blue Copper Marans, Croquembouche:

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Just needed to pop in and let everyone know. Unfortunately we lost our little wheaten chick somehow both babies fell out of the nest and the rest of the flock got her. Thankfully, I happened to get out there in time to rescue the little black one. I had to take the risk and move mamma Cookie, her two unhatched (but peeping and pipped) eggs and the little baby. She's settled down in a small dog carrier, still covering her eggs and baby. I threw together a broody coop tonight but it's not done yet so they'll have to stay in that carrier for at least another day. Hoping I can get the coop and run at tomorrow. I divided it into 2 sections since my other broody is due to hatch hers on Thursday.

 

[Mike10]

Anyone know what age you can butcher a birchen maran. Are thy good for meat.?

 

[jbkirk]

an interesting note re: gold in birchens' feathers -- my older birchen rooster (now 1.5 yrs), who's feathers have always looked too yellowy to me, finally went through his first real molt this summer, and many of his neck & saddle feathers are growing in much less yellow/much more silver than before! has anyone else seen this kind of "fading" occur over time?

from what I've read a slight change in color is common

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I will give you the best example I heard. Birds that are blue should have nice edging or lacing on the feathers. So if you breed blues with that it will also be in your black birds..... they are genetically different. People cross them all the time but it messes up your blues if you use a bird from a black pen and vice versa. Also blues tend to be silver based (it just makes the best blues) and black birds tend to be gold based. Those are just some examples.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
Because the standards would be for the bird to be SILVER not GOLD. Silver leaking on a gold birds is bad too but it is easier to remove than gold. Silver or Gold leaking in a bird that should not have those colors is also bad. It would be a DQ like a Marans with clean legs.... just not a good thing.