Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Foster's Freehold]

Thanks. Just got them this week. Hens are laying, but eggs are way too light. I'm going to get some known very dark layer BCM's and try to darken them up.

They've already become the top of the flock, but then the BLRW's I have are still juvies. Poor Jr. roo, he thought he had it all wrapped up but even the marans hens are atop him.

 

[LilJoe]

What’s SOP?

Standard Of Perfection

 

[Minky]

Can i pop in to ask a hypothetical question-- if you are looking at a box of 40 BCM /mixed chicks- and you get to pick out only 4 of them to keep- what do you look for. Lets say chicks are 7 days old.
do you just go with "healthy and cute?" "large"? what attributes do you want (can you tell in a 7 day old chick) and which are NOT desirable?
thanks

 

[Bantambird]

That's so young to cull so hard!

Heres some of this year's hatch for my birchen and blue birchen French marans. Notice the wide stance, chunky build, the feathering on the outside toe.
Other people have said it, and I agree, culling so young is really hard!
Down markings are indicative of birchen or black/blue copper, in my case they will be birchen.
That's all I can think of. Others might have ideas, but if possible, wait !

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Why would you have to cull so young? Or are you just picking out chicks to get?

 

[Foster's Freehold]

That's so young to cull so hard! View attachment 1298055 View attachment 1298056 View attachment 1298058
Heres some of this year's hatch for my birchen and blue birchen French marans. Notice the wide stance, chunky build, the feathering on the outside toe.
Other people have said it, and I agree, culling so young is really hard!
Down markings are indicative of birchen or black/blue copper, in my case they will be birchen.
That's all I can think of. Others might have ideas, but if possible, wait !

I like that first one. Bet it's a roo lol.

 

[Ayla_noemi]

Hello all,

So my husband and I were not on the same page earlier this year. I had preordered a group of 15 black copper marans for January and he purchased an assortment or rare breed eggs on top of some mutts he decided to hatch for the freezer. These BCM chicks are the first I’ve ever laid eyes on besides the internet and books. My big problem is most birds lost the bands we were using to ID them and my husband can’t seem to find the paperwork that tells him how many chicks of what breed he got with his egg order. I was able to easily ID 13 out of my 15 BCM as well as the Ayam Cemanis in his order. There is at least 1 Icelandic chick in the group but I think there may be two. The gold spangled appenzellers I was also able to ID from his eggs. I’m looking at the rest of the chicks and I’m sure he had some type of marran in his egg order because there are a few chicks that almost look like mine but I see no copper on the bird. Some have heavy leg feathering and some have none. At what age would I be able to distinguish black copper marans from any other rare breed or a
mutt and what should I look for? I am the ultimate noob, I know, but I figured there was nobody better to help me ID my birds then the members of this group. I can take pictures tomorrow if anyone would like to have a look themselves. Thank you for your help in advance!

 

[Minky]

Why would you have to cull so young? Or are you just picking out chicks to get?

No, no!!! Just picking chicks!!! No ones culling anything, geez-I said-pick out 4 to keep. I've heard of chicken math --- sometimes you have to pick!!!
so
1.chunky
2.wide stance

is that about all you can tell at that age?

thanks

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Hello all,

So my husband and I were not on the same page earlier this year. I had preordered a group of 15 black copper marans for January and he purchased an assortment or rare breed eggs on top of some mutts he decided to hatch for the freezer. These BCM chicks are the first I’ve ever laid eyes on besides the internet and books. My big problem is most birds lost the bands we were using to ID them and my husband can’t seem to find the paperwork that tells him how many chicks of what breed he got with his egg order. I was able to easily ID 13 out of my 15 BCM as well as the Ayam Cemanis in his order. There is at least 1 Icelandic chick in the group but I think there may be two. The gold spangled appenzellers I was also able to ID from his eggs. I’m looking at the rest of the chicks and I’m sure he had some type of marran in his egg order because there are a few chicks that almost look like mine but I see no copper on the bird. Some have heavy leg feathering and some have none. At what age would I be able to distinguish black copper marans from any other rare breed or a
mutt and what should I look for? I am the ultimate noob, I know, but I figured there was nobody better to help me ID my birds then the members of this group. I can take pictures tomorrow if anyone would like to have a look themselves. Thank you for your help in advance!

Hi Ayla, welcome to Chicken Math lol. Yeah, pics are gonna be necessary. And their ages. So many chicks look alike young that it may not be until they are feathered out that they can be ID'ed. Shoot some pics, make a post with them in the ID my bird forum and you'll get lots of help.

 

[Ayla_noemi]

T

Hi Ayla, welcome to Chicken Math lol. Yeah, pics are gonna be necessary. And their ages. So many chicks look alike young that it may not be until they are feathered out that they can be ID'ed. Shoot some pics, make a post with them in the ID my bird forum and you'll get lots of help.

Thank you will do!