Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[CSWolffe]

Quick question, if I may interrupt.
Why are the BCMs so rare?
I think they are a gorgeous bird, and I love the idea of the dark chocolate eggs. I'm not a breeder, I just keep a few hens in the garden for eggs. I was looking at suplimenting my flock(all light brown layers) this spring with an EE and a Black Copper Marans(not a fan of Cuckoo coloration, personally). But they are so dang hard to find. I was able to order my EEs and some Wellsummers(also very attractive birds) from a hatchery, but not the BCMs. Two hatcheries had them, but they are not available till September. I am keeping an eye out for local breeders, but not holding my breath.
A second question, a friend of a friend has some eggs from a Gold Comet and a BCM cockerel. I know the GC is a hybrid, and genetics are difficult to predict, but is there still a good chance the pullets from that mating will lay a darker egg and still have some of the GC production?
Thank you in advance for your answers.

 

[pawtraitart]

CSWolfee......people from your area and even further south of you get BCM chicks from me every spring so there are some out your way. I don't know if they are breeding/selling, though. Get from a good breeder, not a hatchery or a breeder who uses hatchery birds. The eggs are not the same. Folks love BCM's because of the dark egg color. In my experience, BCM crossed onto a light brown egg will result in a slightly darker egg but not as dark as a BCM. Hope that helps.

 

[3riverschick]

Quick question, if I may interrupt.
Why are the BCMs so rare?

You're not looking n the right places. Go to the Club websites and look up the member's directory. You will find a breeder close to you, most likely.
Marans of America Club
Marans Chicken Club
Marans Cicken Club USA
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A second question, a friend of a friend has some eggs from a Gold Comet and a BCM cockerel. I know the GC is a hybrid, and genetics are difficult to predict, but is there still a good chance the pullets from that mating will lay a darker egg and still have some of the GC production?
Thank you in advance for your answers.
============reply=============
It will take at least 2 generations of inbreeding to recover egg color. Egg color comes from the sire so:
1. BCM over GC hen.
2. Best dark laying daughter back to their BCM sire.
3. Best dark laying Daughters back to the original BCM sire (now their grandfather).
You probably will be back where you started 3 years before. Not worth the effort.
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There are many genes involved in the proper BCM dark egg. Some say as many as 13.cBuy chicks, not eggs. You know the chicks are already alive, not just a chance of a chick from a shipped egg. Plus the chicks will have been culled at least once for quality by the breeder. The best winter layers are hatched the latter part of Feb. thru March. Buy day olds during this time. They can be shpped with warming packets if it is cold outside.
The cock gets his dark egg laying ability from his mother. So check that the sire of the chicks you get has a mother who lays dark eggs. Also the dam of the chicks you get should be fathered by a male whose mother was a dark laying female.
It takes time to bring the dark egg genes into alignment and produce proper dark Marans eggs. Buy from a breeder who has linebred for dark eggs for multiple generations. Check the egg show stats and see who is winning. Buy from them.
In the last ten years, marans have been crossed with several other breeds like Penedenscas. Welsummers, and who knows what else by folks looking for genetic diversity, darker eggs, help with rare colors, etc. It's created a real problem in some circles. In this breed, the saying holds true, really! "Breed the best to the best". Choose to start with the best and freezer the rest.
You will save yourself years of dissapointment and tears by buying the best chicks from proven strains. What's a proven strain? Well, it has one or more of several traits.
1. it wins consistantly in quality competition with other Marans (either birds or eggs).
2. It has been line or inbred to the point the birds regularly replicate themselves with with the majoriy looking like cookie-cutter birds. ( they look alike).
3. The genetics are set enough that when outcrossed to an unrelated Marans strain, they stamp the look of their strain on the unrelated strain in the first generation.
4. All this takes years to accomplish. Lots of hard work and selecting for the best of the best each generation.
This is not dissing anyone who isn't at this point yet, many Marans breeders are rowing upstream to try and eliminate the mistakes of the few in years past and doing a fantastic job. The breed has come so far in just five years. We now have both BC and Wheaten approved by APA! Wow! By starting with the best, you will create more high quality birds to help the breed along.
Best,
Karen in western PA

P.S, There's a reason why the darkest egg Marans hens don't lay a lot of eggs. Maybe 150-180 a year. In Marans the egg is not brown all the way thru the shell. This color is painted on before the egg it laid. (That's why it can be rubbed off). The darker the egg, the longer it stays inside the hen, hence less eggs per year per hen. . Can't have it both way. Either less eggs and darker, or more eggs and lighter. It's a biological imperative.

 

[gilavina]

Hey Kim! Do you recognize this little girl? She's still a wee one...about 3 months and a week or two old






this is that little blue bircheny girl that hatched out of my silver cuckoos. She's still overcolored, but I'm pleased with how she is looking so far. I'll be watching her develop and have a plan for her if she passes. I also have a black girl that is more isolated in the neck collar that I'll be watching too.

 

[CSWolffe]

3riverschick, that was very informative, thank you. Lets me know I may not be interested in that friend's hybrid. I'm not looking to breed, just get a nice dark brown layer, so it still looks like a reputable breeder will be my best choice. And thank you for the tip on finding breeders.

 

[flgardengirl]

Aww your birchen girl is a cutie, Vicki !!

 

[gilavina]

Aww your birchen girl is a cutie, Vicki !!

thanks Lenette! Good to see you!
She's still got a long way to go before she's done growin and changin, but she is such a sweet one. Plus....did you get a look at those pumpkin eyes?

 

[Cadeau]

Vicki - she's so pretty!!

CSWolffe - I have red star (golden comet) x BCM roo that I bred while waiting for my BCM girls to grow up.

Egg color varies bird to bird, but my darkest from this first generation cross is a consistent 5.5
I'm not breeding further generations, so don't know anything about the next generation.

I sell their eggs for eating and people love the darker shades in their egg baskets!

 

[gilavina]

thanks Katelyn! I've got quite a few blue birchens running around these days, all in various project stages and couldn't be happier every time I go look at them all. Not perfect, but takin it a step at a time!

 

[pinkchick]

Hi Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing great!
Been busy taking care of some shtuff around here lately so haven't been around much and I miss you all.

Welcome to all the new Marans folks popping in!

Vicki~ Pretty Girl!!!!! and wanted to give you a great big

just because.


Did we lose Debbi to her new camera?????? Where is that lady with the pictures???

Oh and I saw Randy sneaking around in here the other day didn't I???.......HI RANDY!!!!!!!!