Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[coq au vin]

Quote:
Are you referring to the hen in LOVE CONNECTION #2 ? ?

jes.

 

[math ace]

computer ISSUES

 

[Debbi]

Lisa,

Your boy is a chunker! Love that type. Improvement can be made in the comb and back area. Your girls' combs are huge! Don't think there is anything saying how big they can be, but for me, it detracts from the look of the hen. I say this as in looking at the "whole picture" when looking for type. That to me, if I were a judge (HA!), would be a decision making point. Saying all that, and I hope you didn't take offense, I would not throw any of them over the fence to the coyotes!

Breed on girl, and go from there. I think you have some viable candidates for some very nice chicks!

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:

All my girls seem to have HUGE combs. . . Is there a size restriction in the standard ? ? ?

COMB: Single, smaller than that of the male; straight and upright, evenly serrated with five points, and fine in texture. No female in or near production with the rear portion of the comb lopped should be discriminated against.

It does not say anything specific about the comb size, but it should not be big.

Walt

 

[Debbi]

RUTH

I'm with you on the confusion of the leg color. I know I read somewhere, now thinking it was the French site, that in the BCM the white was "preferred, and that slate was allowed. That is quite a difference from dark slate! Then someone corrected me in saying the "white" was actually "light slate". Shades of gray or what??

 

[Debbi]

The Pip transition is happening!!!!!!!!! The big chooks and him got along together on a pretty fair basis today! At least they didn't go into full fledged attack mode when they saw him from 20 feet away. Threw in a bunch of cherry tomatoes, and they all ate TOGETHER!!!! Baby steps, he's still locked up in his pen in the coop at night, but this was a very promising sign that it WILL work out!

 

[Debbi]

Quote:

All my girls seem to have HUGE combs. . . Is there a size restriction in the standard ? ? ?

COMB: Single, smaller than that of the male; straight and upright, evenly serrated with five points, and fine in texture. No female in or near production with the rear portion of the comb lopped should be discriminated against.

It does not say anything specific about the comb size, but it should not be big.

Walt

I agree Walt. A Rooster should look like a rooster, and a hen should look like a hen. No DQ, but does detract from her feminine traits for me. Just something to work on Lisa.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Aw Shucks . . . Here is the deal and do correct me if I am wrong. . .

I think the body issues are more important than the comb issues - - So I am going after those first.

My Chunky boy should help give the girls a bigger build ( which I think they need). I guess I should put them on a scale - - just haven't had time yet. . . AND my boy really needs to get a "BACK".

Now if I can accomplish that on the first round of breeding - - - I will be thrilled.

The comb shouldn't be way hard to fix if I get a roo who has an undersized comb . . . Does anybody have some hens that keep throwing roos with small combs ? ? ?

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I would rather you told me what is wrong and how to fix it than to leave me in "Fantasy Land" . I am a hard core reality girl ! ! !
I definetly would not ask if I did not want to know - - -

I just hope somebody out there is sitting on a Roo or Hen that is useless to them and would be a perfect little "Love Connection" for mine group.

Maybe that is what we need to develope - - a classified section for marans. Instead of posting

1 dozen BCM's of Wade Jean or Bev Davis lines . . .

We could post

1 dozen BCMs with short combs and long back genes

Then we could go shopping for EXACTLY what we need to fix our own lines ! !

 

[ruth]

Hey Math Ace, on a more serious note about the size of the combs on your hens ------ just an observation/thought I just had......I once saw someone post pictures of some "battery" hens they had rescued/purchased and the combs were huge, much larger than your girls', I mean huge, and floppy. The birds had been in a hot enclosed egg production facility their entire life. Once she had them for awhile, and they were out in the open, in pens, the combs shrank significantly. I remember reading back then, that the comb actually acts as a sort of heat regulator.

So....just wondering.....does the comb size on your various hens get smaller in the winter or have you noticed any difference in when/if it gets larger/smaller????? Has it been really hot where you are this summer?