Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[RyeRanch]

I am certainly not an expert, but I can't see a lot that gets me excited about these boys.

 

[ChickenExtreme]

Hi all, I've been reading and catching up with this thread but haven't posted lately. The lady with the 2 Black Copper Marans cockerels I posted pics of a while back is back from vacation, so I went over there today to look at her birds. But I did not bring either one home

. However I did take some photos to share with you all and hope for honest critique. Her cockerels are 6 months old and I do believe they are not as beefy as mine at 4 months old. She did show me the eggs from her pullets, and they are darker than the eggs I am getting. So....is it worth getting one or both of these from her to try to improve on the egg color of my stock, or do these cockerels have so many issues that I'd likely cause more problems if I used them? They both have some serious twists at the front of their combs. Neither has great leg or foot feathering, it is not entirely absent, but sparse, but my hens would make up for that, I think, since mine are heavily feathered. Their color looks good to me, nice even copper on neck and saddle feathers. They both have a few copper breast feathers which I don't like. I couldn't tell their wing set, they were both really hot (close to 100 degrees when I was there). They look a little short, as Wynette noticed with the earlier pics. They don't feel like much meat around the breast bone yet, but then neither do mine. The lady really just wants to trade for some chicks when I have some later this fall and wants both of these boys gone soon since they are too hard on her hens (she has a mixed flock with some smaller hens). Thank you all for taking time to read this and look at these birds.
Here is her cockerel #1:













Here is cockerel #2, the subordinate one who got his hackle feathers pulled out:

These boys are suppose to be 6 months? They look old as dirt to me, I could be wrong, lol.

 

[gilavina]

Hoping you get a good soaking, Vicki!!

ugh.....it missed us....again. an 85% chance of rain and still don't get any. This is getting really old

 

[Debbi]

That stinks. We didn't get any either. May have another chance tonight.

 

[Arielle]

Rain dance for you both

 

[DMRippy]

Hi all, I've been reading and catching up with this thread but haven't posted lately. The lady with the 2 Black Copper Marans cockerels I posted pics of a while back is back from vacation, so I went over there today to look at her birds. But I did not bring either one home

. However I did take some photos to share with you all and hope for honest critique. Her cockerels are 6 months old and I do believe they are not as beefy as mine at 4 months old. She did show me the eggs from her pullets, and they are darker than the eggs I am getting. So....is it worth getting one or both of these from her to try to improve on the egg color of my stock, or do these cockerels have so many issues that I'd likely cause more problems if I used them? They both have some serious twists at the front of their combs. Neither has great leg or foot feathering, it is not entirely absent, but sparse, but my hens would make up for that, I think, since mine are heavily feathered. Their color looks good to me, nice even copper on neck and saddle feathers. They both have a few copper breast feathers which I don't like. I couldn't tell their wing set, they were both really hot (close to 100 degrees when I was there). They look a little short, as Wynette noticed with the earlier pics. They don't feel like much meat around the breast bone yet, but then neither do mine. The lady really just wants to trade for some chicks when I have some later this fall and wants both of these boys gone soon since they are too hard on her hens (she has a mixed flock with some smaller hens). Thank you all for taking time to read this and look at these birds.
Here is her cockerel #1:













Here is cockerel #2, the subordinate one who got his hackle feathers pulled out:

I think I would pass on both. I see white in both's hackles and that is not a good thing. They don't have much leg feathers so that is not going to be much help. Don't settle... you need a really good roo.

 

[blackbirds13]

So is this a side sprig?

Why are side sprigs bad? What do they affect on the bird? How hereditary are they? Thanks.

 

[snowbird]

I think I would pass on both. I see white in both's hackles and that is not a good thing. They don't have much leg feathers so that is not going to be much help. Don't settle... you need a really good roo.

I agree with Donna no way would one of these males help with the female you have already. I suspect #2 also has a low tail set and will not change.

 

[snowbird]

So is this a side sprig?

Why are side sprigs bad? What do they affect on the bird? How hereditary are they? Thanks.

The sprigs are very hereditary and will breed on forward and get worse every generation. If you are not breeding to the SOP then there would be nothing to worry about unless you decide to sell eggs.

 

[laughingclown]

I am fairly new at this but I agree with the others. Find a different roo. Its hard but you will be happy in the end. If it was just a couple of minor things then you may be able to work with it if you didnt have a choice. But these guys I hate saying it are a mess. I dont know what it is but these guys look like they are the end result of a cross. Something is out of wack and I cant put my finger on it. Can you help me out here Don? Does it look like he is from a cross. I dont know if its the colors or the body or the hackles. Cant figure it out. Plus from looking at the legs you have a health concern.