Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[snowbird]

Debbi, the young BC and blue copper I saw today had real nice size and looked to have plenty of bulk. If I get the location will let you and Vicki know what I find.

 

[Debbi]

Thanks Don!

 

[gilavina]

I have to interject: at what point do we get back to focusing on type and get off all this colour nonsense? It seems to me we still have such a long way to go with type, at least that's what I'm seeing at the shows. Seems to me this thread focuses WAY too much on the minor details like colour and combs and shank feathering and not nearly enough on the stuff that is really important like building the bird first.

(Ok, Enough sour grapes from me. Crawling back under my rock and focusing on my Silkies that are hatching this weekend .... )

I gotta say, I wholeheartedly disagree, discussing finer details is not nonsense. As a public forum and thread, this is a place where people interested in breeding marans are welcome to discuss things on their mind and things they are working on in their own stock. There are people at so many different stages of grow and development with their birds and breeding programs, that it is natural for there to be discussion towards things such as color and is virtually impossible to be 100% relevant in terms of every post being able to cover right where someone might be in their stage of their program. I've worked very hard on my birds in terms of type and size and am at the place where it is time to be thinking of next steps and begin incorporating them into the work done on the birds and will continue to do. I would like to think that we can all pull out the things relevant to the stage we are in and to move past what might not be. I would hate for people to think that open discussion is not welcome and that they have to go off thread for things specifically related to Marans.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I am showing - just not Marans! My complaint is, the Marans I'm seeing are all over the map in terms of type and yet we spend so much time here arguing about the paint when the barn really, truly, hasn't even been built. (Funky combs, colour, and shank feathering have NOTHING to do with type, nothing whatsoever ....

)

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I would just like to know where I can go to see all these fine Marans that have type to the point where we just need to fuss on the fine details of comb, colour, etc.

I don't disagree that we are free to discuss whatever we want here but I'm not sure we are doing Marans fanciers in general a favour but leading them to believe we are at the point where we should be fussing on the fine points of combs and leg colour when we haven't even built the bird.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Don, I would ask YOU the same question. Where would you suggest I go to find Marans with the proper type and breed shape?

Then maybe we can argue about how I should paint my barn. With or without help from Mendel.

 

[snowbird]

I gotta say, I wholeheartedly disagree, discussing finer details is not nonsense. As a public forum and thread, this is a place where people interested in breeding marans are welcome to discuss things on their mind and things they are working on in their own stock. There are people at so many different stages of grow and development with their birds and breeding programs, that it is natural for there to be discussion towards things such as color and is virtually impossible to be 100% relevant in terms of every post being able to cover right where someone might be in their stage of their program. I've worked very hard on my birds in terms of type and size and am at the place where it is time to be thinking of next steps and begin incorporating them into the work done on the birds and will continue to do. I would like to think that we can all pull out the things relevant to the stage we are in and to move past what might not be. I would hate for people to think that open discussion is not welcome and that they have to go off thread for things specifically related to Marans.

Vicki, Good post and I agree 100% for a thread to be successful there has to be something for all. I thought the thread was on the right track for a change.

 

[Debbi]

Barb ~ I have to extrapilate on the last post. For type, read the SOP for the breed. That describes the basic bird in it's form, and what type of comb, shank feathering, eye color it should have, and what the DQs are. These are the basics for the BREED. Now, go to the variety you want to breed. The colors, of shanks, toes, and feathers may be different. For example, a Wheaten hen with black legs, would be a DQ, if not genetically impossible. Red breasted BCM hens would be a DQ. Any color with white feathers is a DQ. So the little stuff does matter. Egg color is stated as "must be a 4 or better somtime within the laying cycle". So if all the other faults are present in the bird laying that great colored egg, does it meet the criteria of being a Marans?? In my opinion, NO. It must meet the SOP and the variety criteria, and then meet the minimal egg color criteria as well. That is what makes this breed such a challenge! The problems that we are seeing now within the different varieites, is because of people interjecting different breeds into the mix to try to darken the egg color artificially! That is exactly why the minor points like combs and colors, are so crucial to retaining the qualities of what the breed as a whole, and the different varieties should be strived for. Maybe that is just my line of thinking, I don't know; but if we have Carnation combed, Leghorn bodied birds, who may lay a #8 egg; that to me is NOT a Marans! JMO

 

[gilavina]

I would just like to know where I can go to see all these fine Marans that have type to the point where we just need to fuss on the fine details of comb, colour, etc.

I don't disagree that we are free to discuss whatever we want here but I'm not sure we are doing Marans fanciers in general a favour but leading them to believe we are at the point where we should be fussing on the fine points of combs and leg colour when we haven't even built the bird.

I can't speak for other people, only my own stock. The work I have done is evident and honestly they are the only birds I can be held responsible for. I might be young to some of the breeders that have been in it for years, but having been raised by an old time breeder, I am an old schooler myself. I don't believe things such as combs, leg color, or the like can be ignored as one moves forward with type. Leg color, eye color, color pattern, type, size and etc are all genetic material and it is a delicate balancing act of give and take when working towards the best the marans can be.

 

[Debbi]

We must've all been typing at the same time!