Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[desertmarcy]

I'm new this site as a poster so I'm not sure the past history of this page, but it sounds heated. I just wanted to get my opinion of this beautiful breed out there. I have a trio of French Copper Black Marans and they are gorgeous to be in no way self serving. I got my trio as a second crop from an original importer. My one hen has the flaw of having naked legs, but I lover her just the same. I have two major issues with my trio though, first my rooster is as violent as a game cock, ex. he took on a young hawk and won, second my hens are both food vacuums and very poor producers, about 160 eggs a year each. Not to mention the hens fight all the time too. These birds are beautiful, and you feel luxurious eating the eggs, they are the eggs James Bond, Sean Connery, eats in three of this movies and they are a fairly expensive in french restaurants, around 10 euros for one as Eggs Benedicta, that was the price the last time I was in country. With all this extravagance its no wonder do me that people who raise them cant help but feel a little posh. That being said, these chickens are not for a beginner and may be their own worst enemy for getting more breeders to raise them.

Welcome to the thread! My opinion, if your rooster took on a hawk defending his hens, that is not a bad thing! Only if he is aggressive to people would I worry. Any people-aggressive birds get eaten at my farm. The hens fighting, now that is something I have not seen in my Marans, more than the usual squabbles that all flocks seem to have. There may be differences in bloodlines for sure in temperament and if yours were from birds more recently imported, they might be different in that way from a lot of the ones already being bred in the U.S. I read this thread off and on quite a bit and mostly what I have read is people liking the temperament of their Marans.

As far as not for a beginner, I whole heartedly agree with that if the goal is to breed them to the SOP because the Black Copper Marans color is extremely difficult to get correct. Can't say much about the other varieties since I don't raise them. Raising them just for backyard chickens, meat, eggs, or whatever is no big deal. They are just chickens.

 

[Anfan]

The only issue is my rooster is people aggressive as well as hot tempered toward other chickens as well. He nearly flogged my golden buff to death when he was only half the size of him. I've worked with him and handled him as a juvanile, but he really is a monster sometimes. His offspring are as well, those that I've raise still get mean with the other chicks I run with them. I'm beginning to believe it is his bloodline or because he is so close to the imported line. Though he is show perfect for traits, so whats a guy to do. And letting my 2 year old son interact with him is out of the question. He likes the Golden buffs best anyway.

 

[lindz8504]

Here is one of my new chicks at roughly 4 weeks....


Here is a picture of my older chicks at roughly the same age....although he is a little older now.....


Based on this, am I correct in guessing that the first picture is a pullet?
Please respond! I am really hoping for some dark eggs in the spring!!!!!

 

[Broad St Farm]

Here is one of my new chicks at roughly 4 weeks.... Here is a picture of my older chicks at roughly the same age....although he is a little older now..... Based on this, am I correct in guessing that the first picture is a pullet? Please respond! I am really hoping for some dark eggs in the spring!!!!!

1st pic is a female in my opinion. 2nd male, but the pullet has some mossiness to her.

 

[lindz8504]

1st pic is a female in my opinion. 2nd male, but the pullet has some mossiness to her.

What does that mean?
These are my very first Marans...

 

[Broad St Farm]

What does that mean?
These are my very first Marans...

 

[Broad St Farm]

What does that mean?
These are my very first Marans...

Mossines is an undesirable trait where flecks of copper tend to come out in undesirable locations if breeding to the SOP set forth by the APA. If you plan to breed Marans to the best of your ability, than I would advise you read the Black Copper SOP thread. You can search for it. If not and just want backyard chickens than disregard. But, continue to read through the pages of this thread from the beginning and the SOP thread. I know most of us dont have time to read thousands of pages, but you will be glad you did. Wealth of knowledge. Now the bright side is if you just want dark eggs these mossy females tend to lay a bit darker eggs. Here is an example of a mossy bird (Previous Post)!

 

[Anfan]

The first pic is a pullet and the second is a roo. Though from my experience you little hen will lay eggs at a #4-6 in color shade for the first 8 months. So don't get discouraged if they are a deep dark chocolate color.

 

[lindz8504]

Mossines is an undesirable trait where flecks of copper tend to come out in undesirable locations if breeding to the SOP set forth by the APA. If you plan to breed Marans to the best of your ability, than I would advise you read the Black Copper SOP thread. You can search for it. If not and just want backyard chickens than disregard. But, continue to read through the pages of this thread from the beginning and the SOP thread. I know most of us dont have time to read thousands of pages, but you will be glad you did. Wealth of knowledge. Now the bright side is if you just want dark eggs these mossy females tend to lay a bit darker eggs. Here is an example of a mossy bird (Previous Post)!

I just got them for the dark eggs.... I will probably keep one of the cockerels as my flock rooster, not necessarily to breed to standard, just to keep enough hens for dark eggs, and to cover my EE's and hopefully get some olive eggers out of offspring. I don't have the space, facilities or time to get into all of that.... I just wanted a variety of color in my egg basket!

 

[Broad St Farm]

I just got them for the dark eggs.... I will probably keep one of the cockerels as my flock rooster, not necessarily to breed to standard, just to keep enough hens for dark eggs, and to cover my EE's and hopefully get some olive eggers out of offspring. I don't have the space, facilities or time to get into all of that.... I just wanted a variety of color in my egg basket!

Well then no worries then. Sit back and enjoy the eggs!