Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[kowgurl62]

Boy oh boy, buyer beware on Ebay.

 

[gilavina]

Hmm...Light Sussex is the same pattern as Columbian/Ermine, yes? I think if I was considering making a Marans with the pattern, I would be tempted to use a Plymouth Rock in Columbian as the type is more "Marans like" - but then you'd have the yellow legs...it's a beautiful pattern, in my opinion. I have Columbian Rock and they are gorgeous. I've not seen a Sussex in person, are they tightly feathered enough? I'm sure they must be or you wouldn't be considering them.

I raise light sussex and they are a tighter feathered bird. Like Don and I have been discussing, the light pattern is a white under color and is Wheaten based and the Columbian has a slate undercolor, which is brown based...I can't think of the letter combo, but think its eb something. I raise Columbian Wyandotte as well, which are a slate under color and the breeding is done differently. As Don pointed out to me, the Ermine (not sure whether Columbian is fitting or not

) in the Marans do not have a slate undercolor. I believe he is right in considering the Sussex because they would be the closest color pattern wise to the Ermines.
I also started working on an experiment this last year on a Sussex and Marans cross to see if it is a bit quicker growing meat bird and a good broody, and the birds that I raised followed in line with the type more of a Marans when I crossed a Marans male onto a Light Sussex female. I have pictures, but of course, with the weather, my internet connection is not fast enough to load a photo, just keeps giving me an error code.

 

[gilavina]

If you were ready to fight yellow legs I would rather see silver penciled Marans using the pencilled rocks.

I believe the cross for good Ermine would be a Light Sussex x Wheaten Marans that way you would have better egg color to start. I have seen very nice white eggs but killer wheaten eggs!!

Sussex are very handsome looking in person.

Seriously, I'd be all over Silver Penciled Marans. That'd my favorite color pattern onto my favorite breed of bird, talk about heavenly. I love how birds with silver penciled patterning look like they are out roaming around with old tweed suits.

 

[gilavina]

Here ya go Wynette, this is one of the Light Sussex and Marans cross chicks. I used a blue birchen, hence the coloring, but very similar to the Marans.

 

[Raven1]

I would LOVE to find some Ermine Marans! If any of you know of anyone working with this color please let me know!!

 

[OHmamma]

If you breed a bantam rooster with a lf hen would you have all bantams or a mix of bantam and lf of a in the middle chick?

Since you would be making marans bantams you have to start backwards than other breeds unless you aquire a good bantam marans cock. In that case you would scrap the cockerels and keep the pullets and breed them back to their father to get 2 bantam genes,

Otherwise you have to introduce the bantam gene twice using a bantam roo over a LF marans hen. You scrap all the pullets the first time and use a male back over the mother. Then you will have them carrying 2 genes +egg color capability. You will still have to use breed reduction.

The first cross (F1) you get a mix, they are smaller but they can still produce LF. The second (F2) cross are similar in size but still a little big.

Either way it is a time consuming process. Breeders that have introduced the bantam gene use a black bantam langshan.

-Nicol

 

[OHmamma]

Here ya go Wynette, this is one of the Light Sussex and Marans cross chicks. I used a blue birchen, hence the coloring, but very similar to the Marans.

She is PURRRRTY!!

 

[snowbird]

If you were ready to fight yellow legs I would rather see silver penciled Marans using the pencilled rocks.

I believe the cross for good Ermine would be a Light Sussex x Wheaten Marans that way you would have better egg color to start. I have seen very nice white eggs but killer wheaten eggs!!

Sussex are very handsome looking in person.

Nicol, My Whites lay at least a #6 and some of the wheaten lay 7-8 . I believe that with the wheaten crossing with the light Sussex you would have some undercolor problems and even some tinging of the feathers with cream color. Some of this is just thinking is not proven as of today , but can tell you before fall for sure.

 

[snowbird]

Wynette, the snow is coming down big time and should be your way shortly.

 

[gilavina]

She is PURRRRTY!!

haha thanks. I do love watching this cross a lot, they are so docile and beefy