Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

You know, Don, I may be totally wrong here (likely), but when I was taught genetics, I was taught that in order to correct faults, you dont breed to the opposite. Genes dont work that way. A low tail with a high tail will not produce a tail in the middle, but 50% high tails and 50% low tails. Ive had a little more experience with horses, and it does seem to work that way. Ive tried increasing size with a mare that I have by breeding her to a really large stallion. Did that twice, got one colt that grew very large, and one that ended up small. None were in the middle.
 
Don,

Is there any chance you could show some pics of the two different tail types, (pinched and U) that you are referring to for us "newbies"?? I think in my mind I know what you mean, but I learn better with visuals!
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I think with all the posts that this may have been overlooked, it is very easy to miss a post in this thread due to how fast it moves.

Some have the ability to look at a bird and tell you whether or not it came from so and so's line but I think that comes with many years of observation, experience and a very keen eye. I am not one of those......though I think that I am getting better at picking out birds that may be of the Davis lineage because that is the line that I have chosen to work with.

Figuring out which genes they carry can be assessed by single test matings, but this does not assure one of knowing what recessive genes they may carry that can pop up later in offspring. A bird can carry genes that we do not know about and that do not express themselves visually, thus the importance of test mating and growing out the offspring.

Sorry that is all I can contribute at this time.......my brain just isn't functioning correctly this morning and I am finding it very hard to gather my thoughts and put them in text. Hope others will come by and give their opinions.
 
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The way I have always done the tail correction is breed a bird with a little low tail to a bird with a little high tail. When breeding for size both male and female have a say in how large, but the female has the most influence. This is just old southern Genetics I was taught many years ago.

Just like the comb on the Marans calls for five points, if possible breed five points together, if not breed 4-5-6 together.

That was the point of the post to get some ideas from different people.
 
Okay.. Gotta jump in here while I wait for Pinkchick... Need you to read your pm's and email

When we are talking about size I was taught that the male has the most influence.. Especially in bantam birds... This I need a straight answer on...

If a male is a bantam over a full sized female it will have more effect to "shrink" the animal than if the Bantam/LF cross is a bantam female to a standard male... Am I wrong here or I am mixing apples and oranges??? WALT HELP!!!!
 
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Debbi, while I get some pictures of the tails, just look at most of the female Marans pictures posted, and you will see pinched tails. Pinched tail is where the two sides of the main tail section are real close together. In my Brahma Bantams I have found that the easiest way to correct this is to use a male with a more open tail.
 
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Easiest way to answer this is say. Breed a three pound Marans hen and a six pound Marans hen to the same male and let me know what you get size wise. Using a bantam and large fowl breeding has another whole world of problems. On my bantams if they start to get small I will use a larger size female to make the offspring larger.
 
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Debbi, while I get some pictures of the tails, just look at most of the female Marans pictures posted, and you will see pinched tails. Pinched tail is where the two sides of the main tail section are real close together. In my Brahma Bantams I have found that the easiest way to correct this is to use a male with a more open tail.

Don, Are you talking pinched at the base of the tail where it connects with the back, or the end of the tail? Would this be looking from the rear of the bird or the top?
 
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Debbi, while I get some pictures of the tails, just look at most of the female Marans pictures posted, and you will see pinched tails. Pinched tail is where the two sides of the main tail section are real close together. In my Brahma Bantams I have found that the easiest way to correct this is to use a male with a more open tail.

Don, Are you talking pinched at the base of the tail where it connects with the back, or the end of the tail? Would this be looking from the rear of the bird or the top?

The tail will be pinched from start to finish. I forgot to say that the Narrow back will have a lot to do with the pinched tail.
 

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