Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[bizzynik]

Hello everyone, total newbie here. A couple of days ago I purchased 3 Wheaten Maran hens and a rooster. I was told they were 8 weeks old, which was roughly the same age of my other hens and rooster. While looking at them, they just look small. I believe that my other rooster is huge for his age, and my other hens seem to be large as well. I've got a variety of breeds, but are the Marans just slow to grow? They seem to be eating well and adjusting to their new flock. Just wondering. Thanks for any advice.

 

[bizzynik]

Hello everyone, total newbie here. A couple of days ago I purchased 3 Wheaten Maran hens and a rooster. I was told they were 8 weeks old, which was roughly the same age of my other hens and rooster. While looking at them, they just look small. I believe that my other rooster is huge for his age, and my other hens seem to be large as well. I've got a variety of breedstyles, but is the Marans just slow to grow? They seem to be eating well and adjusting to their new flock. Just wondering. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Stokley]

Post some pics.

 

[MontainBourbons]

Okay, I hope to be entered into this club. I just ordered 2 dozen blue marans on eBay and hope that they are good. I already have 25 sulmtaler chickens and 55 bourbon red turkeys. I really need to stop after this, but while I'm saying this I am letting my hens lay on their own eggs.
Just to get it off my mind is there anything different with hatching these eggs? Different incubation days, humidity, or temperature that I should know about. This is obviously my first time with marans.

 

[MontainBourbons]

Also I ordered just plain marans from the seller. Is there a possibility that I get coppers along with it??? It didn't look like there was any on the pictures. Does anybody know which ones are more desirable also?

 

[3riverschick]

H

 

[3riverschick]

Hi, mountain Bourbons,
there are many colors of Marans. the seller didn't tell you what color 'plain Marans" were? maybe she meant cuckoo. the three most popular colors are cuckoo; Wheaten; and black copper. it's possible you can get black copper. I have no idea. The seller should have told you what color a plain Marans was. email them and ask.
On second thought, I wonder if the seller meant they didn't have feathers on their shanks. In other words, they were a plain Marans, not a French Marans. The French Marans have feathers on their legs. that might be it.
If that turns out to be the case, not a problem
if you want feathers on their legs all you have to do is breed the hens to a feather leg Marans rooster. some of the chicks will have feathered legs. it's easy to add them in
Frankly, I like to clean Shanks better, it's less messyif the feathers get wet or muddy.
Here's the cultural history behind The Feathered legs. in France ,the Marans people pasture their Birds on grass .feathers on the legs are not a problem. in England ,the Marans people's yard their birds in poultry yards. the feathers get wet and messed up on the bare ground . so the English people bred the feathers off the legs. they have clean legged birds. earlier this century ,when the two Marans clubs in America vied for APA approval of the breed, there was a big fight about whether there should be feathers on the legs . eventually, the APA went with the French standard and demanded feathers on the legs. if you want to show the birds today, they must be Feathering legged. the English birds still exist and are around .frankly, I like them better if you're going to yard your birds. they do better in wet and muddy weather I think. but you can't show them. if you want to show them ,then you need to breed them to a feather legged rooster . some chicks will have feathered legs and you can show them.
Best,
Karen

 

[bizzynik]

Post some pics.

[/IMG]

Here he is

 

[SoCalChicky]

Hi from So Cal! Been breeding blue and splash for 4 years now and finally have some good conformation. My current roo is from Brian Parks. On the hunt for a black roo to improve egg color. Hatching eggs or cockerel might work too. Anyone have anything?

 

[Stokley]

Hey Bizzynik,
These look a lot younger than 8 weeks.
My BCM's are only 6 weeks old and are a lot bigger than the ones you posted. Mine are growing as fast as any other birds I've had.
My guess is that yours are about 4 weeks old although I'm not familiar with Wheatens.