Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

Hey there,
Was wondering when the earliest is that you all who show these BCMs can pick out which of the cockerels to keep

Is white around the eye and wingtip white only more ideal than solid black? Sparse leg feathering right?
I bought several that were told they were of the bev Davis and wade jean line, separate breeders.
Someone told me this white tip wing is classic of wade jean maybe?

What about copper already starting to show on the neck ?

Do u raise them up to eat the culls or attempt to sell the cockerels? No one usually wants any around here unless they are free or show winners....

Any advice is appreciated!!
Thanks!

Hi, nerd - may I call you nerd?

The white question in your 2nd paragraph is a subject that's being discussed in a sort of "hush hush" way all over the place. On here, on Showbidbird, in the Marans forums...it's my feeling that no one seems to have a handle on it just yet, and that's why it's not being discussed "in public." I have some chicks that are close to solid black, and some that have the white wing tips until their last juvenile molt, around 15-17 weeks. In my case, I see the same types of issues as adults in both of them, regardless of whether they had white in the tips of their juvenile feathering or not. I'm sure others may have different experiences...

Once you've been breeding for a few years, you know what to look for in your flock and what early culls look like. Because the Marans is such a new breed, only having been accepted into the APA in the last couple of years, they're not breeding with much consistency yet; I suspect it will be many more years before we begin to see reproducibility (JMO).

There are definite things you can cull for earlier than others, one of which is shank feathering as you mentioned. Also, when I first began with the Black Coppers 8 years ago, I culled for any that looked "brownish" in their fluff rather than solid, dark black. Those that had the brownish fluff (particularly in the hind end) mostly always feathered out mossy. I don't have much issue with that any longer...every now & again one pops up, though.

You didn't say how old your birds are, so I can't say whether seeing copper in the hackles "already starting to show" is a good thing or a bad thing. Copper is usually visible around 7-8 weeks in the males in the hackles.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Do u raise them up to eat the culls or attempt to sell the cockerels? No one usually wants any around here unless they are free or show winners....

I caponize and butcher them. Marans are very tasty.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
Plus you don't want real CULLS back in the Marans gene pool....good birds are limited enough.

 

[biologynerd]

I caponize and butcher them.  Marans are very tasty.

How in the world do u caponize them? Please enlighten me I seem to be naive there.
Is it worth it for the weight gain?

 

[biologynerd]

Hi, nerd - may I call you nerd? 

The white question in your 2nd paragraph is a subject that's being discussed in a sort of "hush hush" way all over the place.  On here, on Showbidbird, in the Marans forums...it's my feeling that no one seems to have a handle on it just yet, and that's why it's not being discussed "in public."  I have some chicks that are close to solid black, and some that have the white wing tips until their last juvenile molt, around 15-17 weeks.  In my case, I see the same types of issues as adults in both of them, regardless of whether they had white in the tips of their juvenile feathering or not.  I'm sure others may have different experiences...

Once you've been breeding for a few years, you know what to look for in your flock and what early culls look like.  Because the Marans is such a new breed, only having been accepted into the APA in the last couple of years, they're not breeding with much consistency yet; I suspect it will be many more years before we begin to see reproducibility (JMO).

There are definite things you can cull for earlier than others, one of which is shank feathering as you mentioned.  Also, when I first began with the Black Coppers 8 years ago, I culled for any that looked "brownish" in their fluff rather than solid, dark black.  Those that had the brownish fluff (particularly in the hind end) mostly always feathered out mossy.  I don't have much issue with that any longer...every now & again one pops up, though.

You didn't say how old your birds are, so I can't say whether seeing copper in the hackles "already starting to show" is a good thing or a bad thing.  Copper is usually visible around 7-8 weeks in the males in the hackles.

Yes u can call me nerd. . I'm a total dork when it comes to chickens I really like genetics and breeding and researching them a little too much !
They are about 3-4 wks.
Thanks for the advice on looking out for brown fluff. Here's some pics to reference that brown copper on the neck area- not the hackles as much yet. My question is this desireable? What about the white on the underside? Any correlations?
I know this guys leg feathering is too heavy.
It may just be it's too early to tell at this point but I wish I could just pick out the best ones to make sure I keep them.

 

[BCMaraniac]

How in the world do u caponize them? Please enlighten me I seem to be naive there.
Is it worth it for the weight gain?

It is in my opinion, because if they are caponized, the meat doesn't get tough and stringy like rooster, so you can let them grow longer and get more meat on their bones, yet have it remain tender. I have a Marans/Orpington cross that currently weighs 10 1/2 pounds. He is getting processed. He was supposed to be Easter dinner, but it didn't work out.

Caponization involves making a small incision between the lower two ribs and removing the testicles from inside the abdomen.

There is a good thread in the meat birds section of the forum that discusses caponizing. It might be best to go there for some additional information. The thread is active and is near the top.....Graphic pics of my day learning to caponize....it is full of information, and further conversation might best be done there.

 

[Ali Gator]

The egg on the left is the color normally laid by one of my Wheaton Marans hens. The one on the right was the Easter present she gave me yesterday.

My olive Egger laid an egg like that not to long ago.

 

[Wynette]

Yes u can call me nerd.

. I'm a total dork when it comes to chickens I really like genetics and breeding and researching them a little too much !
They are about 3-4 wks.
Thanks for the advice on looking out for brown fluff. Here's some pics to reference that brown copper on the neck area- not the hackles as much yet. My question is this desireable? What about the white on the underside? Any correlations?
I know this guys leg feathering is too heavy.
It may just be it's too early to tell at this point but I wish I could just pick out the best ones to make sure I keep them.

Nerd, the area with the copper feathering in the pic above is called the hackle area. Unfortuanately, this bird is what we call "mossy" - look toward the bottom of the picture - do you see the feathers on the back with the brown/copper edges to them? They should not have color like that. I suspect this bird also has copper feathering in the breast, as well? They typically do not show this much copper feathering at this young of an age...usually when they do, they are mossy.

Also, the shank feathering is not too heavy; looks just about right to me.

 

[biologynerd]

Nerd, the area with the copper feathering in the pic above is called the hackle area.  Unfortuanately, this bird is what we call "mossy" - look toward the bottom of the picture - do you see the feathers on the back with the brown/copper edges to them?  They should not have color like that.  I suspect this bird also has copper feathering in the breast, as well?  They typically do not show this much copper feathering at this young of an age...usually when they do, they are mossy.

Also, the shank feathering is not too heavy; looks just about right to me.

Thanks for the input!
I think I see what u are talking about. I want to post a pic so that maybe it may be helpful to others too. Is this what you are talking about?

example of "mossy" undesirable trait

Regarding the hackle I always thought it was the area between the "wing blades" so to speak but does it include the neck as well?

Thanks again!
That's a shame that my "bev Davis/ wade jean" chicks are probably not close descendants of that line like I was told.

 

[biologynerd]

Oops meant to add there is no copper on the breast on any chicks