Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

Having egg shows helps, the judges very often like to look at the eggs and like to judge them as well. There is one judge that comes up to the table and offers. I think it makes a change for them and all the instructions for judging eggs is printed out for them. It's surprising how many people are impressed with the eggs.

Bev

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

I started the Marans Chicken Club two and a half years ago to try to get a group of people together to try and get the breed accepted by the APA. We are now a proper club with officers, constitution and byelaws. As I said in the previous posting we have egg shows and have two chicken shows that the officers attend a year. There are other chicken shows all over America that people have egg shows and show their birds. We have a free yahoo group where people can ask questions and also a club site where paid members do whatever members do. We also have a web site with quite a lot of information on Marans and the club.

When we first started we did have one or two people that were disruptive but they moved on and now it's a peaceful group for exchanging information about Marans. It is our club that is working with the APA to get the birds accepted. There is room for more than one club and we should all work together for the sake of this wonderful breed of chickens.

Bev

Bev, you say there is room for more than one club for the Marans. There will never be more than one STANDARD approved by the APA. If the other group shows in an APA approved show they will be covered by the Marans Standard approved by the APA in the USA.

Hi Don

Yes, the birds will be judged on the standard that has been approved by the standards committee and the APA committee. Had the other club started their club earlier than they did, showed the number of birds required so that they could apply for the qualifying meet then it would be their standard that would have been accepted. At the time I started all this there was no one trying to get the birds accepted.

Bev

 

[Debbi]

Yes, Bev, but why wait for an egg show? Why don't they get some sort of schooling towards the conformation of the breed? If egg shows are available, that may grab the attention of a few judges, but what about the rest? What about the ones that love the egg color, but still don't have a clue as to what a BCM (or any other variety) should look like?? Do they even know there are other varities? It is fine for the areas that have specialty shows and egg shows, but what about the rest of the country? I know if I were to take one of my birds to the Fair this season to be judged, they would say, "A WHAT??" "LAYS WHAT??" Don't worry, not showing any of my stuff!

I think along with the people that are genuinely interested in this breed, the APA should have QUALIFIED people judging the proposed standard. If not, how is the breed ever going to get recognized??

 

[Debbi]

Ok, to that end, why not approve an actual true Marans breeder (ahem, as in you Bev!) to be an approved APA judge?? That may be more than you want to engage in, and I would completely understand that, but what about some others?? I feel the lack of consistency within the breed, lies within the lack of knowledge being passed on by the judges! Also, are they also using the different varieties to judge the inconsistencies by?? In otherwords, are they judging say, Wheatons against BCMs?? Do they actually know the different varieties?? This is all new to me, but seems to be an obvious problem within the system..

 

[Koolduck]

Don, I know for a FACT that his wattle was pecked at as I chick. It was a blood bath in the brooder, and after everyone was cleaned up , I applied gray acrylic craft paint to the affected wattle to stop the pecking....and it worked!.....dont agree with your genetic hypothesis.....

 

[Debbi]

Koolduck,

Got one exactly like yours, and I know it WASN'T pecked. I agree with Don, it's a genetic thing.

 

[Koolduck]

Well then...I apologize...it may be that he has a genetic fault ...And got pecked too....He has the same kind of luck I do then!

so is it thrown to all offspring or is it male recessive?

 

[snowbird]

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Over the past 40 years I have breed over 100 different varieties of poultry and have had this defect show up on lots of them. Had several Brahma large and bantam show this . Just my opinion nothing else. He is not close to being your best male and would not breed.

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

I have been to quite a few shows now where Marans have been shown and I have always found the judges very accomodating and willing to help in any way they can. As it's a new breed it won't be long before judges learn about Marans.

Bev

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Bev, you say there is room for more than one club for the Marans. There will never be more than one STANDARD approved by the APA. If the other group shows in an APA approved show they will be covered by the Marans Standard approved by the APA in the USA.

Hi Don

Yes, the birds will be judged on the standard that has been approved by the standards committee and the APA committee. Had the other club started their club earlier than they did, showed the number of birds required so that they could apply for the qualifying meet then it would be their standard that would have been accepted. At the time I started all this there was no one trying to get the birds accepted.

Bev

Bev, I myself applaud all the work , Money and time you and your group have put into this effort. I will be glad when it is over and we know what is down in writing, don't be suprised if there are changes made with the final draft as there usually are.