Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

DQ if it is lopped below the horizontal plane of where the bend occurs." Page 33 APA SOP under DQ's/Shape/Combs.(D). #1

To everyone who has a SOP......you need to read the first 39 pages before they even think about talking about the Standard otherwise your knowledge and information is woefully lacking..

Bending is not a DQ. Find where it starts to bend (horizontally) and if the points go below that it is a DQ. At that point it will look something like a Leghorn female, not just slightly bent like the comb discussed.
There is no doubt if it goes below the initial bend in the comb. The whole comb is worth 5 points. Some judges will assign more cuts than needed because visually it is not pleasing, but good judges will know how many points off a slight bend is and judge accordingly. It kind of makes me chuckle when I read all the effort and posts put into getting 5 points on these birds when they need so much help in the important areas. Don't sweat the small stuff until you get these bodies and tail angles correct.

The comb is important, but not as important as some of these posts seem to indicate. The combs are more important in the Rosecomb breeds.

Walt

Thanks for the further clarification, Walt - I rarely use the comb as a point for culling unless, of course, there is a DQ fault (side sprig, lopped). Unless your bird that you feel is a "10" in type otherwise, the comb should be one of your last considerations in making choices for your breed pen.

There are many of us, ME INCLUDED, that are "comb snobs" - there's no doubt that a beautiful and proper comb on a nice cock bird makes the overall presentation more pleasing, so it's understandable that folks get their knickers in a bunch over minor comb issues. HA!

I didn't realize the part about the points falling past the point of the bend; that's intersting and useful info. to be sure. Thanks again for weighing in!

 

[Cadeau]

DQ if it is lopped below the horizontal plane of where the bend occurs." Page 33 APA SOP under DQ's/Shape/Combs.(D). #1

To everyone who has a SOP......you need to read the first 39 pages before they even think about talking about the Standard otherwise your knowledge and information is woefully lacking..

Bending is not a DQ. Find where it starts to bend (horizontally) and if the points go below that it is a DQ. At that point it will look something like a Leghorn female, not just slightly bent like the comb discussed.
There is no doubt if it goes below the initial bend in the comb. The whole comb is worth 5 points. Some judges will assign more cuts than needed because visually it is not pleasing, but good judges will know how many points off a slight bend is and judge accordingly. It kind of makes me chuckle when I read all the effort and posts put into getting 5 points on these birds when they need so much help in the important areas. Don't sweat the small stuff until you get these bodies and tail angles correct.

The comb is important, but not as important as some of these posts seem to indicate. The combs are more important in the Rosecomb breeds.

Walt

Thanks, Walt!

Has anyone ever used a roo with a bend it it's comb (sideways - like was discussed above)??

Does it breed forward?
Is it more common in roos with an overly large comb?

 

[gilavina]

Good morning all

Went to respond last night, and the BYC site went down for maintainence! Yes, I do the passive cooling here too, but some days it gets so stifling hot in here with no air flow, I break down and open a window or door, or all!

Vicki, the Partridge flock is still here. Those that want them around here want them for nothing, and that's not going to happen! Too hot to ship, so guess I will have to wait until the fall when it cools off. Still crazy hot here today, but storms may move in later, I hope! I have a strong feeling we had all better thin out the flocks big time this year, the feed this winter is going to be crazy high! For those that feed to hay eating critters, get all you can NOW! Hay here in the midwest will also be at a premium this year, folks around here have only gotten one cutting, in a normal summer, they should've had three by now.

Wynette, Glad you posted Walt's words on the comb issue! Marcy, I like that boy the best of all you have shown so far!

I hear ya lady! I'm working on thinning down to just the best for the fall. I'm praying it cools down just a bit so I can take some more to the sale. I supplement my birds with all sorts of table scraps and people are always giving me various things as well for my birdies, which helps a ton. I'm gonna be working on cold frames and getting the green house going for fall and winter crops for sure this year.

 

[fowlman01]

Walt, the original Critique on this bunch of males was to find a couple good enough to keep as breeders to breed back to their sisters. With their type and all having thumbprint in combs are you saying go ahead and use for breeders ?

I didn't see the original discussion, but what is a DQ and what I would use to breed from would be two different things. I would still go with the best type bird if no others were close in conformation or if the comb was the least of the problems in the birds I used to breed from. As you know there arte a lot more important things to be fixed in the Marans than the combs. In some other breeds I would work on everything at once, but these birds still need a ton of work. The Del people finally got off their comb obsession and I can already see an improvement in the breed. Some are recreations, but even the originals now have better bodies than a year ago.

I was only asked to clarify the comb issue, so I am at a disadvantage concerning the rest of the conversation. No one mentioned thumprint to me, but if it had a good body I would use a bird with a thumbprint over a narrow un-typy bird with a tail that stuck straight up.

Walt

 

[Cadeau]

I hear ya lady! I'm working on thinning down to just the best for the fall. I'm praying it cools down just a bit so I can take some more to the sale. I supplement my birds with all sorts of table scraps and people are always giving me various things as well for my birdies, which helps a ton. I'm gonna be working on cold frames and getting the green house going for fall and winter crops for sure this year.

Me, too!
Cutting way down

Probably not going to hatch in the autumn, either....

 

[fowlman01]

Thanks, Walt!

Has anyone ever used a roo with a bend it it's comb (sideways - like was discussed above)??

Does it breed forward?
Is it more common in roos with an overly large comb?

Comb defects typically breed forward, but again if I didn't have a bird with good conformation, but had one with a bent comb, I would always go with the bird that had good conformation over a bird that just had a good comb. combs are easier to fix than a poor body.

This is just what I would do....and have done with my Leghorns. A thumb print on the comb is 2 pts max. I am not discounting any faults, but in the scope of things........it is minor.

Walt

 

[snowbird]

Just like to caution all that as long as you breed the Males with major faults sooner or later you are still going to have to cull them out of your flock. Best policy is cull as you go then when you get the type and body where you want you will have decent fowl. If you breed Marans like the ones we have been going over as brother-sister you will never have SOP type Marans regardless of what is said here.

 

[Wynette]

The comb issues being discussed are not "major" faults.

 

[Cadeau]

Comb defects typically breed forward, but again if I didn't have a bird with good conformation, but had one with a bent comb, I would always go with the bird that had good conformation over a bird that just had a good comb. combs are easier to fix than a poor body.

This is just what I would do....and have done with my Leghorns. A thumb print on the comb is 2 pts max. I am not discounting any faults, but in the scope of things........it is minor.

Thanks!!
I have a cochin roo whose blade started to bend a tiny bit at 2yrs old....but he's he has very nice type and gives it to his kids.

 

[gilavina]

Me, too!
Cutting way down

Probably not going to hatch in the autumn, either....

the only ones I might hatch would be those birchen hatching eggs I'll try again when it cools down.