Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[OneMountainAcres]

The time has come to make a final decision here on which boy will stay to breed forward and which will heading to freezer camp. I'd like all of your opinions on these boys. Please make sure you read the pros and cons that I've noted about them also.

Boy #1

Pros: very friendly/docile, decent comb
Cons: a bit scrawny, full brother to a couple of the pullets

Boy #2

He does not have a wry tail though it looks like it in the one picture. It's just the way he was standing. He is half brother to boy #1

Pros: nice body type, good tail angle
Cons: too dark, too many points on comb, something weird going on with the blade though not quite a side sprig, mother did not lay a dark egg (though hatched from a very dark one), full brother to a couple of the pullets

Boy #3

Pros: good body type, nice copper on hackles and saddle, totally unrelated to the pullets
Cons: high tail angle, coronation comb

Here are some of the pullets I'll be working with. Most of them have very little copper if any. I did have one that had nice copper hackles but unfortunately i lost her the other day. Some of them are standing awkwardly in the pictures but all of them have the green sheen to their feathers.

 

[MichelleAbcs]

I have been considering a black maran to add to my flock but do not want to purchase a large number from a big hatchery. I can only add 3 or 4 more to my flock before I will begin to crown the space that I have. Is there anyone that is in the St.Louis metro area that sells black copper or black marans? Any information that you all could share would be appreciated.

 

[Red Banks]

My Blue Marans was broody so I put 12 Marans cross eggs under her. I didn't have a Marans roo at the time. I have a Bielefelder and a Cream Legbar Rooster. Friday 10 chicks hatched.... actually 11 but when I found the 11th chick, it was mangled. I don't know what happened. All the chicks look alike black or blackish blue gray with a white dot on their heads. Just like Cuckoos. So does that mean my blue grays are cockerels and the darker blacks are pullets?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

My Blue Marans was broody so I put 12 Marans cross eggs under her. I didn't have a Marans roo at the time. I have a Bielefelder and a Cream Legbar Rooster. Friday 10 chicks hatched.... actually 11 but when I found the 11th chick, it was mangled. I don't know what happened. All the chicks look alike black or blackish blue gray with a white dot on their heads. Just like Cuckoos. So does that mean my blue grays are cockerels and the darker blacks pullets?

I don't think so but you could have some very interesting babies though

 

[Red Banks]

Auroradream26

I don't think so but you could have some very interesting babies though

I was just wondering if the coloring would hold true the way Cuckoo chicks are
sexlinked by color. I didn't think they would be Cuckoo Marans. They do look just like Cuckoo Marans chicks and if the color thing does work I have 4 cockerels and 6 pullets. It will be interesting to see how they will turn out. I hope they are from the Cream Legbar and not the Bielefelder. I would like some olive eggers!

 

[magicstorm]

Anyone know of a marans breeder, even hobby, in central florida. I would like to add a couple to my flock of welsummers,ameraucanas and light brahmas

 

[Red Banks]

Anyone know of a marans breeder, even hobby, in central florida. I would like to add a couple to my flock of welsummers,ameraucanas and light brahmas

Feelsrightfarm in Live Oak. You can PM her from here.

 

[magicstorm]

Feelsrightfarm in Live Oak.  You can PM her from here.

Thanks

 

[texasmarans]

[COLOR=333333]Auroradream26[/COLOR] I had been told that black copper Marans can't be sexed till they're about 6 weeks. [COLOR=333333]I don't think so but you could have some very interesting babies though [/COLOR]

I was just wondering if the coloring would hold true the way Cuckoo chicks are sexlinked by color. I didn't think they would be Cuckoo Marans. They do look just like Cuckoo Marans chicks and if the color thing does work I have 4 cockerels and 6 pullets. It will be interesting to see how they will turn out. I hope they are from the Cream Legbar and not the Bielefelder. I would like some olive eggers!

 

[Red Banks]

Quote: Cuckoo Marans can be sexed at one day old with fairly good accuracy.