Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Geebs,

I see what you are saying, and for most of us who don't have the time, space, or money to do large tests, we will have to work with what we have towards the goal. While I see how you use the mossier roo to compliment the dark hen, are not the offspring of this pairing now carrying two different sets of genes? One for mossy and one for melanistic? Their immediate offspring will/may look normal, but those genes are now in there and will be passed on if they are in turn bred to another bird with the same genes. I think eventually, if all the mossies were culled, and all the melanistics were culled, that may lead to a better selection of proper coloring, albeit, it may take awhile. Of course, that may be the ideal, but may not be practical for smaller breeders...sigh JMHO

 

[pinkchick]

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I don't want to ever grow up......this way I have an excuse.

Oh and Debbi~ I take that back I do have some photos of those birds. I'll try and get them up here for you as soon as I can. Dial up ya know! That's what I get for living at the end of the line waaaayyyy out in the sticks.

 

[Debbi]

Good deal Pink! Thanks!! I know what you mean about the dial-up, I have it too!

 

[snowbird]

The strangest thought just crossed my mind, maybe are are Marans folks that could be interested in the complete Marans and not just the egg color. I will add the egg color in the study also. I find myself wanting to go ahead and mate the Marans up and start getting eggs, but will wait until October so will have chicks in December.

 

[pinkchick]

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Ok here a couple of photos of 2 of the birds from that flock, sorry they are pretty young in the pics. I will look for photos of them when they were older. Three years of photos is a lot filter through.

 

[kathyinmo]

Well, I may be in the minority then ..... I give up on the Marans "type," and am now breeding simply for egg color.

 

[Debbi]

Absolutely! There is no reason that you can't have the best of both worlds with some hard work. Conformation, type, health, temperament, AND egg color!! Isn't that what defines this breed afterall? Just like if the egg color is less than a 4, it's not a Marans. So what if they lay a dark egg, but LOOK nothing like a Marans should? Same difference in my eyes. Now to those who just want dark eggs, it doesn't matter. For those that want true Marans, it does.

 

[pinkchick]

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Don~ I'm not following you, sorry. What do you mean by interested in the complete Marans? Are you referring to a person that is breeding for everything at once?

 

[kathyinmo]

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I will have nice dark eggs, and that is what I want!

 

[snowbird]

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Don~ I'm not following you, sorry. What do you mean by interested in the complete Marans? Are you referring to a person that is breeding for everything at once?

There are very few people that really care about the Marans type and breeding to a Standard. They are only interested in breeding a chicken that lays dark eggs and could care less what the bird looks like as long as it lays a Dark. To me the egg color is important but also the Marans type is important. Breeding for egg color alone is what has gotten the Marans in the mess they are in now. I guess you can tell I don't like this subject.