Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

I should add - forgetful is absolutely correct that the American Marans is to have feathered shanks; the feathering should go down the outside of the legs, and along the outside toe. It should not be found on other toes, or between the toes, and should not be extremely thick - nor sparse.

 

[forgetful]

That's not exactly true - we used the French standard as a basis for the American standard, but they are not exactly the same.

Yes I should have clarified! I meant to say that we follow the French standard in how they call for the shanks and outer toe to be moderately feathered. My apologies.

 

[sssharon]

Hi Kirstie and everyone. I haven't been on BYC for a long time but had questions about BCM's. I have two, one black and one blue. I have the French standard. Not a lot of feathering, just a thin line of feathers. My question is do the Marans stop laying in winter months. I haven't seen a dark egg in so long. The blue was broody for awhile and that might be the reason for her. Anyone else in the group had that happen.any info would be helpful. I enjoy reading the posts on the different threads and need to get re-acquainted. Thanks

 

[scflock]

Hi Kirstie and everyone. I haven't been on BYC for a long time but had questions about BCM's. I have two, one black and one blue. I have the French standard. Not a lot of feathering, just a thin line of feathers. My question is do the Marans stop laying in winter months. I haven't seen a dark egg in so long. The blue was broody for awhile and that might be the reason for her. Anyone else in the group had that happen.any info would be helpful. I enjoy reading the posts on the different threads and need to get re-acquainted. Thanks

My cuckoos laid straight through the first winter, but year two they all but stopped. They are just now starting to pick up again

 

[cosorrells3540]

just wanted to show off my black splash pullet

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I climbed into the brooder this morning and grabbed a few pictures of my BCM babies. They range in age from 4-8 weeks old. Any green banded males will not be staying. Their mother does not lay a dark egg so I can't trust the egg gene that they carry though she hatched out of a very dark egg herself. Her daughters will get the chance to prove themselves though. I have babies from one other hen and a couple of chicks from shipped eggs. Hopefully, out of the 20 I have here, I get at least a decent quad out of them. More would be nicer though of course





So far, I'm really liking this pullet. She is green banded so hopefully she carries the dark egg gene.











This boy will not be staying to begin with since he's green banded but he already looks like he'll have too much copper.



Don't mind the silkies.

 

[KF0002]

I climbed into the brooder this morning and grabbed a few pictures of my BCM babies. They range in age from 4-8 weeks old. Any green banded males will not be staying. Their mother does not lay a dark egg so I can't trust the egg gene that they carry though she hatched out of a very dark egg herself. Her daughters will get the chance to prove themselves though. I have babies from one other hen and a couple of chicks from shipped eggs. Hopefully, out of the 20 I have here, I get at least a decent quad out of them. More would be nicer though of course

So far, I'm really liking this pullet. She is green banded so hopefully she carries the dark egg gene.























This boy will not be staying to begin with since he's green banded but he already looks like he'll have too much copper.







Don't mind the silkies.

Nice babies! I am new to Marans and so far my oldest are just going on 2 months old. I too have a lot of culls, and there will be more culls than ones that stay so far it seems. My husband asked me why they were called black coppers when all of mine are solid black at the moment. lol. So far, there is not even the first sign of copper in them. I'm hoping it comes soon. This is my first experience with Marans. My chicks were toe punched at birth to keep them straight from another group of BCM I have coming from another breeder. My keepers will be wing banded when they are old enough, and the culls will be sent to a friend of mine with the rest of our culls as meat birds. As soon as I can I will take some pics of the few that I like so far.

 

[Jmay402]

I recently purchased 4 cuckoo marans from a feed store. I am wondering if they can be sexed as young chicks or will I have to play the waiting game? Are cuckoo marans eggs not chocolate color like the feed stores and hatcheries all claim? I keep reading everybody saying they only lay a regular brown egg. Also, am I reading it correctly, that if I cross my Black Austrolorp rooster with a cuckoo marans hen, I will get black sex link chicks?

 

[scflock]

I recently purchased 4 cuckoo marans from a feed store. I am wondering if they can be sexed as young chicks or will I have to play the waiting game? Are cuckoo marans eggs not chocolate color like the feed stores and hatcheries all claim? I keep reading everybody saying they only lay a regular brown egg. Also, am I reading it correctly, that if I cross my Black Austrolorp rooster with a cuckoo marans hen, I will get black sex link chicks?

Chances are your feed store chicks are pullets. They usually order from hatcheries that sex them, and order mostly pullets. I would think they would have told you that, though. It's possible they could be straight run. Marans are fairly easy to sex by eye at about 4 weeks old, so if you post pics maybe we can help.
Cuckoos are the lightest of the marans eggs, but they lay a lot of them, and they are huge. My cuckoos are feed store quality, and they may not win any shows, but they are some of my favorites of all my breeds

 

[Deej211]

I recently purchased 4 cuckoo marans from a feed store.  I am wondering if they can be sexed as young chicks or will I have to play the waiting game?  Are cuckoo marans eggs not chocolate color like the feed stores and hatcheries all claim?  I keep reading everybody saying they only lay a regular brown egg.  Also, am I reading it correctly, that if I cross my Black Austrolorp rooster with a cuckoo marans hen, I will get black sex link chicks?  

yes black roo over cuckoo hens will produce cuckoo cockerels and black pullets.