Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Alexandra33]

Those are truly amazing looking birds! Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for the response! I didn't know they had splash Marans. I'm getting the "itch" again! I'd definitely like quality birds, but I don't think there's any breeders locally and I've had a hard time with shipped eggs. Also, eventually, I'd like to make a couple Olive eggers for my own flock just because they definitely add a uniqueness to your carton. Are the quality of the Marans birds (hatchery vs SQ) directly related to the darkness of their eggs? Or is that something you can get with either?

Thank you so much! I've always been amazed by every aspect of the breed. Many Marans experts have stated their opinion that hatchery Marans aren't always considered "good-quality" or of the French Standard, so therefore they don't tend to lay the conventional dark egg. I will say though that Marseilles and Eperny are from a hatchery, Meyer Hatchery to be specific, and yet they still lay dark eggs. So I'm guessing that it all has to do with the hatchery itself and where it gets its breeding stock. Correct me if I'm wrong. Someone giving @sophiaw00 advice was under the impression that you shouldn't expect dark eggs from hatchery Marans in general because they have a reputation of being low-quality. But my hatchery girls still ended up giving me really dark eggs in spite of all the speculation!

-Alex

 

[sophiaw00]

Thank you so much! I've always been amazed by every aspect of the breed. Many Marans experts have stated their opinion that hatchery Marans aren't always considered "good-quality" or of the French Standard, so therefore they don't tend to lay the conventional dark egg. I will say though that Marseilles and Eperny are from a hatchery, Meyer Hatchery to be specific, and yet they still lay dark eggs. So I'm guessing that it all has to do with the hatchery itself and where it gets its breeding stock. Correct me if I'm wrong. Someone giving @sophiaw00 advice was under the impression that you shouldn't expect dark eggs from hatchery Marans in general because they have a reputation of being low-quality. But my hatchery girls still ended up giving me really dark eggs in spite of all the speculation!

-Alex

All four of my marans' girls are from MPC, which gets their chicks from Meyer's, and not only are the chickens themselves beautiful (pictures don't do them justice) but the eggs I have gotten from them don't disapoint.

Daisy's eggs are probably about a 3, so not very dark, but that can be expected from any splash marans. Elsa's are speckled so it's hard to say for sure what color they are on the marans egg color chart, but I'd like to guess a 3 or 4. My girl's haven't laid super dark eggs but they are definatley beautiful. I think the darkness of an egg depends directly on the genetics of the bird, whether from a hatchery or a breeder, the management of the breeder or hatchery, and the individual bird itself.

With mine and @Alexandra33 's expirience, I think Meyer's offers a very good option for marans if you aren't looking to break the bank but would like good quality girls.

 

[BackyardMarana]

Is this hen a splash marana

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Is this hen a splash marana

I have an aracauna that's similar in color that I've been told is a splash.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

I have an aracauna that's similar in color that I've been told is a splash.

I have two Ameracaunas that look similar (pea combs though), and three blue. Not to get off topic, but it is my understanding that blues can produce splash and vice versa due to the genetics of the birds.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

I have two Ameracaunas that look similar (pea combs though), and three blue.  Not to get off topic, but it is my understanding that blues can produce splash and vice versa due to the genetics of the birds.

I think you're right. I've seen it posted the chicken color math, but when folks just buy a bunch of bird there are lots of ocasions where the parent stock is never met, I had to ask about my aracauna because of not knowing the genetic math and not knowing the parent birds.

 

[BackyardMarana]

She lays dark eggs

 

[scflock]

I have two Ameracaunas that look similar (pea combs though), and three blue.  Not to get off topic, but it is my understanding that blues can produce splash and vice versa due to the genetics of the birds.

I'm on my phone right now, so I can't pull the chart, but Google "BBS color chart"
Different color combinations of parents will produce different percentages of colored offspring. For instance, mating a black to a splash will produce 100% blue, and black to blue will produce 50% black and 50% blue. To get splash, neither parent can be black. Both parents will have to either be blue or splash

 

[chicken pickin]

I'm on my phone right now, so I can't pull the chart, but Google "BBS color chart"
Different color combinations of parents will produce different percentages of colored offspring. For instance, mating a black to a splash will produce 100% blue, and black to blue will produce 50% black and 50% blue. To get splash, neither parent can be black. Both parents will have to either be blue or splash

Heres one

 

[Hens rule]

I have two Ameracaunas that look similar (pea combs though), and three blue.  Not to get off topic, but it is my understanding that blues can produce splash and vice versa due to the genetics of the birds.

Are splash Marans and Americanas related anyway in generics? I have some Marans and Americanas and they seem similar in egg size and shape.

Also how do you have a moving avatar? I've always wondered it's really cool.