Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[XxMingirlxX]

Gosh marans over here are a very common breed. I bought 6 eggs, between 6 and 8 on the colour scale delivered for just £8. They are the same price as mixed bantam eggs.

What part of Britain are you from? Marans certainly aren't very common where I am lol.

 

[KirstieJG]

Surrey. They are listed as a 0 in my rare breeds book too. Every chicken keeper i know has marans lol including my yorkshire friends. What do you keep?

 

[cosorrells3540]

Are they from a hatchery? My hatchery cuckoo Marans chicks had the same color shanks. You can see the grown out color in my rooster a few posts back

yes hatchery thanks ill go look. Ill post pics with the french cuckoo that came with them and the yellow leg breed as well their shanks are not yellow at all that i can tell.

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Surrey. They are listed as a 0 in my rare breeds book too. Every chicken keeper i know has marans lol including my yorkshire friends. What do you keep?

I'm in Lancashire and have one wheaten Marans. I'm currently tracking down some Black Copper.

 

[scflock]

yes hatchery thanks ill go look. Ill post pics with the french cuckoo that came with them and the yellow leg breed as well their shanks are not yellow at all that i can tell.

Those shanks look pinkish slate to me. I found a pic of my hatchery cuckoos when they arrived. The others are Polish

 

[KF0002]

On my phone the chicks legs look to have a yellow cast but that may just be my phone changing the pic quality. All barred chickens hatch with some black on their legs, pullets moreso than roos. If they are pink/white then it is definitely a cuckoo.

 

[scflock]

On my phone the chicks legs look to have a yellow cast but that may just be my phone changing the pic quality. All barred chickens hatch with some black on their legs, pullets moreso than roos. If they are pink/white then it is definitely a cuckoo.

I just got to the PC where I can see my own picture. They did have a bit of a yellowish hue as chicks, but they are a very light slate now. Like I said, mine are not SOP, but they are great production birds

 

[cosorrells3540]

Probably my picture quality i my phone was dying and i couldn't use my flash

I just got to the PC where I can see my own picture. They did have a bit of a yellowish hue as chicks, but they are a very light slate now. Like I said, mine are not SOP, but they are great production birds

 

[KF0002]

Your flock have the appropriate leg color for cuckoos scflock. I meant the chick's legs in the picture have a yellow cast now but they are pale colored which makes me fairly confident it will be white legged. Barred chickens can have what my hubby and I call a "dirty legged" appearance which is the black melanization or black flecks on the legs.

 

[KF0002]

Most chicks, whether white legged, green legged or whatever will be born with yellow legs. This has something to do with the yolk they absorb before they hatch I think and they gradually develop their adult leg color as they grow and feather out. Green legged chicks get their proper leg color sooner but white/pink legged chicks like cuckoo marans take a few weeks for the yellow to fade. Chicks of yellow legged breeds like barred rocks are obviously yellow legged at birth.