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I find the French site easy to read and understand. And as was discussed previously, yes, their "Brown/Red" is our "Black/Copper". But what I found really interesting was - take a look at their link to their "Black/Red" - "Golden/Salmon page. Notice the picture of the rooster with the light fluff at base of tail? Read where that color variety, while not yet an accepted color, is quite rare and has a brown wing triangle and ash-gray fluff at base of tail as "requirements". It doesn't say anything about it being Wheaten mixed. In fact, their Wheaten page says that basically the only way to tell the difference between their Whetean and their Brown/Red is the brown wing triangle (an I think it also mentioned a green sheen). It does not mention anything about white fluff/undercoat in their Wheaten but it does on their Black/Red. But I found the information on their "Black/Red" very interesting because I have some roos that look like this. I think I even posted a while back that maybe, just maybe, the white fluff wasn't from Wheaten mix.
Anyway, thought this was very interesting:
http://marans-club.perso.neuf.fr/saumang.htm#SAUM
Also, take note of how light all of the roos legs are - none are "dark slate" but no need to start an argument over APA or not, just pointing out some differences.
By the way, I learn a lot from this thread and appreciate all opinions - both those die-hard APA proposed standard breeders; the French standard breeders; the don't give a darn breeders; the dark egg layer breeders; and the everything in between breeders.
I would hope that all opinions would remain welcome on this thread and that it doesn't become solely the APA standards thread and if it does, as was asked previously, can we start one for Non-APA Marans since most everyone's current birds seem to fit that description??
Ruth,
I believe their Black/Red is colored like a Brown Leghorn. It's the original type based on the Red Jungle Fowl. Roosters are so similar to Wheaten that sometimes you can only tell by chickdown - it's chipmunk striped instead of yellow. But the Wheaten hens are very different from Black Red hens, I don't think there's any way to mix up the hens.
According to a good genetics website, the only visual difference between Wheaten and Black/Red wildtype roosters is the underfluff and hackle stripe. It's supposed to be thinner or not there in Wheaten. Wheaten is supposed to have lighter underfluff than Black/Red
I have a Brown Leghorn rooster that is Black/Red, and he has the light fluff- I don't really like it. Otherwise he's beautiful, and not flighty at all.
Darker legs come from a missing gene that should lighten the shanks.
