Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[CountryFriedChicken]

I got them from Heaven Sent Ranch. I agree about a work in progress but I love their young body types and the cockerels have excellent medium to dark slate legs and nice shank/toe feathering. We will see   I am hoping for no white under fluff although I hear that is not likely with this line???

Cool! I didn't see any white under fluff in mine and i went through them carefully. Debi is very nice! I am getting more in the spring.

But remember this line got it start from cuckoos.

How big are your birds at this age? How does their breasts and back compare to others?

 

[Connie Marie]

Cool! I didn't see any white under fluff in mine and i went through them carefully. Debi is very nice! I am getting more in the spring.
But remember this line got it start from cuckoos.
How big are your birds at this age? How does their breasts and back compare to others?

Debi is great! I am happy to hear your luck with the under fluff!! My birds are 8 weeks old and are on average larger than most of the birds I have had at this point. Their backs are a little too slender for my liking but the cockerels' breasts are excellent in width! Almost out of balance to the rest of them.

 

[Ullie]

Cool! I didn't see any white under fluff in mine and i went through them carefully. Debi is very nice! I am getting more in the spring.
But remember this line got it start from cuckoos.
How big are your birds at this age? How does their breasts and back compare to others?

I'm a newbie so I will just apologize up front

for asking maybe a stupid or obvious question.

I thought I understood that the Black and Blue Marans where Cuckoo Marans, but because it's such a long word people here were just dropping the Cuckoo, so when you said this can you explain or is it some kind of breeder insider joke.

Thanks again

 

[gilavina]

I'm a newbie so I will just apologize up front

for asking maybe a stupid or obvious question.

I thought I understood that the Black and Blue Marans where Cuckoo Marans, but because it's such a long word people here were just dropping the Cuckoo, so when you said this can you explain or is it some kind of breeder insider joke.

Thanks again

Cuckoos are a color pattern and that color pattern can come in black or blue, black being most common and either described as just cuckoo or silver cuckoos. Marans also come in black and blue which are solid colors, but are incredibly rare. The most common color of Marans are Black and Blue coppers. Hope this helps

 

[desertmarcy]

I am getting anxious to start my third generation of Marans, and one of my Black Copper pullets is laying a very large nice dark egg, so I put my #1 cockerel in the pen with her and the others yesterday. Well he is much more interested in pecking around the pen and has displayed NO interest in breeding with any of them (there are 6 pullets in the pen with him). The one laying the nice egg squats for me, so I know she is ready. Is this normal for a first time, never been bred, young male? He is around 7-8 months old. Or does it just take a little time for him to adjust to the new situation? The same thing happened when I put an older Orloff cock in with some pullets yesterday. I have seen no breeding attempts yet! Is it just the time of year when hormones aren't running high?

 

[Ullie]

Cuckoos are a color pattern and that color pattern can come in black or blue, black being most common and either described as just cuckoo or silver cuckoos. Marans also come in black and blue which are solid colors, but are incredibly rare. The most common color of Marans are Black and Blue coppers. Hope this helps

Ok thanks for this,

I am interested in learning more about this breed and the different types. I am not interested in becoming a breeder just a lay person that finds this rather fascinating.
I bought some chickens (my first) that where listed as black and blue copper marans. Although from my understanding here they may not be, as a couple of them have little tufts of fuzz kinda where their cheeks would be.

Thanks

 

[gilavina]

Ok thanks for this,

I am interested in learning more about this breed and the different types. I am not interested in becoming a breeder just a lay person that finds this rather fascinating.
I bought some chickens (my first) that where listed as black and blue copper marans. Although from my understanding here they may not be, as a couple of them have little tufts of fuzz kinda where their cheeks would be.

Thanks

sounds like maybe they are mixed with Ameraucanas. Do you have any photos?

 

[Ullie]

sounds like maybe they are mixed with Ameraucanas. Do you have any photos?

Not the best photos, but the best my phone camera does.
One of them just started laying eggs

 

[gilavina]

Not the best photos, but the best my phone camera does.
One of them just started laying eggs

congrats on the egg!
Does look like tufts indeed peeking thru on at least the one in the front in the second photo

 

[DMRippy]

I am getting anxious to start my third generation of Marans, and one of my Black Copper pullets is laying a very large nice dark egg, so I put my #1 cockerel in the pen with her and the others yesterday. Well he is much more interested in pecking around the pen and has displayed NO interest in breeding with any of them (there are 6 pullets in the pen with him). The one laying the nice egg squats for me, so I know she is ready. Is this normal for a first time, never been bred, young male? He is around 7-8 months old. Or does it just take a little time for him to adjust to the new situation? The same thing happened when I put an older Orloff cock in with some pullets yesterday. I have seen no breeding attempts yet! Is it just the time of year when hormones aren't running high?

My GSBR roo was the same way, never mated the hens he was with. I took him out put him in his own pen. THEN I added a pullet and he was right after here. I think it is because I put the roo in the HENS PEN and not the other way around. I could be wrong but that fixed my roo.