Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

I'm really NOT trying to stir up trouble (although I clearly HAVE!) but Newnan was a BIG show. Hardly a "fair". Hell, MY birds could win at a "fair" and that is TRULY a scary thought!!!! I'm sure the judge at Newnan wasn't a slouch. I'm not trying to pass judgement on what should be happening - just what IS happening. I don't believe ANY of the folks winning at the big shows are breeding "willy nilly". I truly don't. In fact, I know many of them aren't. They may not be prioritizing things as you or I or some others do but it certainly isn't willy nilly. Heck, "the Standard" for Marans has barely been established. So folks haven't even had that long to breed toward it!!! I stand by my position. I believe we are getting too focused on the small stuff, to the point where we are losing sight of the big picture. But I get it. Clearly, it's just me so we can go back to our regularly scheduled Marans chatter.

Can I ask, what you mean by small stuff?

 

[Debbi]

I'm really NOT trying to stir up trouble (although I clearly HAVE!) but Newnan was a BIG show. Hardly a "fair". Hell, MY birds could win at a "fair" and that is TRULY a scary thought!!!! I'm sure the judge at Newnan wasn't a slouch. I'm not trying to pass judgement on what should be happening - just what IS happening. I don't believe ANY of the folks winning at the big shows are breeding "willy nilly". I truly don't. In fact, I know many of them aren't. They may not be prioritizing things as you or I or some others do but it certainly isn't willy nilly. Heck, "the Standard" for Marans has barely been established. So folks haven't even had that long to breed toward it!!! I stand by my position. I believe we are getting too focused on the small stuff, to the point where we are losing sight of the big picture. But I get it. Clearly, it's just me so we can go back to our regularly scheduled Marans chatter.

You'd better think again on this point. The small points, as you put it, ARE deciding factors, or at least should be! Fame, fortune, and big names do NOT lend to breeding towards the SOP! The APA is there for a reason, now if the judges would just crawl out and READ the SOP and judge accordingly (ie towards the SOP instead of comparisons), the breed would quickly move forward. I have been there, done that in the dog world, and it gets political and very UGLY! I WILL NOT bring any bird of mine to a show room until I have a bird that meets the very minimal of the SOP, and even then, it will be better than minimal! Why would you embarass yourself and betray others by selling lowline stuff??? I can see from what I have here, excluding the obvious culls, it will take quite a few years for me to get anywhere near what I would consider selling as "show prospects"!! But yet, folks are cranking them out, cashing in on a money train, and folks are eating it up by the shovelful! Barb, beware! You are being taken down a politically slippery slope... To thine own self, be true...

 

[Debbi]

So, Lisa, how's all of this as a community line of Chitty-chat?? I think we are back on the Marans topic tonight, yes??

I really do believe if the APA wants to set the "Standards" that they ought to JUDGE by the STANDARDS and not out of popularity and personal vision, or comparison!! That said, we are all living in the "real world", so it is what it is....at the present time. When the Newnan show secretary can't even get the breed name correct, after 2 years, well, we have a ways to go evidently?? C'mon APA judges, get on board with judging by the SOP! That would put a halt on quite a few breeders that are showing (in my opinion), pure culls!!!

 

[math ace]

Clearly, it's just me so we can go back to our regularly scheduled Marans chatter.

Oh no.... NOT THE CHATTER again!

 

[Keara]

BUMP! for a shameless topic changer

-Keara

So my first chick of the season has hatched! and it sure looks blue to me. But here is the thing, the blue copper rooster I had was killed by a fox back on Nov 24th! No way a hen could keep his sperm that long? Could it be that his sister, (who looks Black Copper to me) is actually a really DARK blue copper?


Hen with Red leg band... Is she black or really Dark Blue?


This chick is sure looking blue to me!

-Keara

 

[math ace]

So, Lisa, how's all of this as a community line of Chitty-chat?? I think we are back on the Marans topic tonight, yes??

SERIOUSLY, I LOVE it when we get some open discussions going like this. As long as no one gets their feelings hurt AND every one feels freee to express themselves....

I listen to everyone .... Hearing everyone's opinions adds more to your thought process than working alone in a vacumn.

I do believe we all work hard with the marans. The standard was suppose to unite us so that we would all be working towards the same goal / standard. I think we all focus most on what has been the biggest issue in our flocks. I betcha Pink looks at a comb WAY before she looks at a birds type or color. I betcha that wasn't always her first focus.

With me... I look for the dang white feather because that is the issue that I have been battling for two years...

Like I said, I do like discussions. I have always like this thread because there are so many of us working so hard to make it right.
Passion.... passions are stirred because we do have lots of time, money, sweat, and tears involved.
Sitting in a chair, LOL,

Man, somebody tell my back that is what I did today....

Speaking of chores today, has anyone bought bales of hay lately?
I think they are shrinking... but the price isn't!

 

[math ace]

BUMP! for a shameless topic changer

-Keara

You are so shameless.... Yes, it looks blue!

 

[gilavina]

SERIOUSLY, I LOVE it when we get some open discussions going like this. As long as no one gets their feelings hurt AND every one feels freee to express themselves....

I listen to everyone .... Hearing everyone's opinions adds more to your thought process than working alone in a vacumn.

I do believe we all work hard with the marans. The standard was suppose to unite us so that we would all be working towards the same goal / standard. I think we all focus most on what has been the biggest issue in our flocks. I betcha Pink looks at a comb WAY before she looks at a birds type or color. I betcha that wasn't always her first focus.

With me... I look for the dang white feather because that is the issue that I have been battling for two years...

Like I said, I do like discussions. I have always like this thread because there are so many of us working so hard to make it right.
Passion.... passions are stirred because we do have lots of time, money, sweat, and tears involved.
Sitting in a chair, LOL,

Man, somebody tell my back that is what I did today....

Speaking of chores today, has anyone bought bales of hay lately?
I think they are shrinking... but the price isn't!

Gotta agree with ya Lisa.....I think my back would like to know the same thing.

I haven't bought bales of hay in a while...I luck out cause my uncle has a few acres he harvests from and I get all the hay I can use for free since its too much for him to use alone, but not enough to sell steadily. I know the prices around here have gone through the roof tho since most people were hauling as much south as they could since there was such a need and they could make so much more money off of it.

 

[Keara]

You are so shameless.... Yes, it looks blue!

what do you think... is the Hen dark blue or do you think the roosters "stuff" was long lived? By the way second chick is blue too! I have already sold these chicks as Black Copper wonder if the buyer will still want them!

-Shameless in Vermont

 

[gilavina]

what do you think... is the Hen dark blue or do you think the roosters "stuff" was long lived? By the way second chick is blue too! I have already sold these chicks as Black Copper wonder if the buyer will still want them!

-Shameless in Vermont

That's a really long time if she stayed fertile from that other roo you lost back in Nov...that would be really impressive. What does you boy look like that's in with her now? Has he had any other colored chicks pop up out of breeding him with any other birds?

If not, I would say, its possible she is really a dark blue....maybe? Got any close up pics of her? Like with her wing spread out and etc?