Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[4Hgirl]

I have noticed a few white feathers on the underside of the wings of my BCM cockeral and pullet. Is this normal or a variation of breed standard?

 

[DMRippy]

I have noticed a few white feathers on the underside of the wings of my BCM cockeral and pullet. Is this normal or a variation of breed standard?

It is common in younger birds. How old are they? Older birds that would be a cull point.

 

[pinkchick]

My guess is that your Splash Marans hen was actually carrying silver.  You would not have been able to see it on a splash.  Silver is a sex link trait and since it is expressing in him don't breed him.  Your others are expressing copper and if you see silver just cull for it.  They are the same genetically except for the copper/silver thing. 

Agreed. The male is Birchen with gold leakage. He also looks to be Blue. Like Donna, I also think that your Splash Marans is silver. You could breed him back to your Splash Marans and see what you get. I would think that you would get more Birchens, however; do not be surprised if some, or all of them show gold (like this male) or a pale yellow-ish tinge/leakage on the silver areas of the bird. This testing back to his mother will tell you what your birds carry for genetics. If he is Blue, like he appears, breeding him back to his mother will not produce any black birds, so then you would know his is Blue. The offspring would be 50% Blue, and 50% Splash. If you were looking at taking on a project of getting back to nice, clean, crisp silver, you could do it, but it will take many generations, and the willingness to cull hard to breed out all the unwanted traits. It could be a fun project. Blue Birchens.

 

[DMRippy]

Blue Birchens..... I might work on that again next year. I sold all my birchens. I have some pullets that are not expressing silver so I might try them first. Out of ALL those I hatched I never got a BLUE pullet. Don't think I ever got a blue period. It was very strange. Birchen roo over a blue pullet.

 

[elorraine52]

Agreed. The male is Birchen with gold leakage. He also looks to be Blue. Like Donna, I also think that your Splash Marans is silver. You could breed him back to your Splash Marans and see what you get. I would think that you would get more Birchens, however; do not be surprised if some, or all of them show gold (like this male) or a pale yellow-ish tinge/leakage on the silver areas of the bird. This testing back to his mother will tell you what your birds carry for genetics. If he is Blue, like he appears, breeding him back to his mother will not produce any black birds, so then you would know his is Blue. The offspring would be 50% Blue, and 50% Splash. If you were looking at taking on a project of getting back to nice, clean, crisp silver, you could do it, but it will take many generations, and the willingness to cull hard to breed out all the unwanted traits. It could be a fun project. Blue Birchens.

Interesting, I may try that project, since I cannot use him in general. He is blue btw. Is there an SOP for Blue Birchens?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I think the only SOP colors are Black Coppers, White, Wheaten..... is Cuckoo yet? It was up but they changed it and I don't remember if they passed.

 

[Yoyo with chick]

Any cuckoo marans breeders out there?

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Are occassional darker blue feathers in a Blue Copper Maran ok?

 

[DMRippy]

Any cuckoo marans breeders out there?

There is a thread for that. I have cuckoo and blue cuckoos.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

My cockerel and pullet at 3 weeks.