Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[amazondoc]

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There is no such thing as "the perfect black copper". And if you haven't seen all the hundreds of photos we've been posting, along with their accompanying critiques, then you haven't been reading the thread.

 

[drom]

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This thread was never primarily intended to be a be a site to showcase the perfect bird. Or to serve as an official outlet from any of the breed clubs to educate new people or steer them in a particular direction. Not to say that isn't a worthy cause. But this thread was just about a bunch of us new folks who got our birds and eggs and were excited to show them and share with each other how they developed and what they produced. And, learn on our own and form our own opinions.

I agree there are sections of the French site that might be a bit vague, but the majority of the information on that site for me has been extremely helpful and informative and it's been fun for me trying to interpret it.

Honestly, you know what I would love to do and I wish someone would coordinate, is a trip to France to catch a couple big shows and perhaps a lecture from the MCF on the breed. I don't know if there are any championship poultry shows in France that are big enough to have lots of Marans and Marans eggs present which would make a trip to the countryside regions worth it. I have never been to France and certainly there are a lot of reasons why I would like to go besides the birds. But when I think about it, I would like to be able to take in a show and see the French birds and eggs.

 

[lildinkem]

Sorry if I offended you DROM. I guess I thought I could ask in a FORUM a question for a picture of which I could compare. I guess you are telling me I can not ask for some pictures. Never heard of that type of thinking in any of my other groups/forums. Most folks their try to be a bit more helpful. Sorry for asking for your help.
Anyone else here on BYC can send me a PM of pics to not disturb the thread too much? All I like to know is which of MY birds to breed with.

 

[Krys109uk]

I don't think you really offended anyone. I agree with the others though, there are no "perfect" birds.

We can't all be the same. Personally, I find the French site a wealth of excellent info. I use the birds in the photos to compare with my own poor birds.....(I'll get there one day.

) Imo that site is probably the best breed club website I've seen.

Instead of waiting for us to post pics of the, probably non existant, perfect bird it would be easier for you to post some pics of your cockerels & ask for opinions.....we're good at opinions.

 

[drom]

Aahahhah-I'm sorry. People here are more than happy to help. I was just trying to explain that we are just trying to enjoy ourselves and learn here and have fun. That's all no more than that. No agenda, no politics. None of that other stuff.
Unfortunately, I just don't have a perfect bird to show you. But my Roosters are on my page which you can link to there by my name. I have my my opinions on what is nice and what I wish my birds did and didn't have. Two of my Roosters have too much red on their breasts. But I bred them to a couple hens; one which has very little copper color (she's a bit of a crow) and one that was just perfect. I say was because I lost her in July. Anyway, I got a Rooster from those breedings that is just about perfect in terms of breast color. Copper color seems like a very easy thing to adjust in one generation. Again with the foot color which we were talking about earlier, my first gen roosters have slate colored fronts to their legs and feet but in between the toes is very light whitish-pink, however; my hens feet are very, very dark, almost charcoal colored. And, the new rooster, again, has leg and foot color somewhere in between. I have no idea how his confirmation will end up. Right now he looks decently balanced, however; my first roosters changed quite a bit all the way up to 1 year old. I will post some pics of the new boy

 

[lildinkem]

Thank you DROM, that is what I am asking. I too have a Roo which I think has MAYBE too much Red. And do have others. Just want to do the best I can for the breed. For now I have a bird that comes from a breeder who CLAIMS to have imported his own Marans. So far they stack up nice compare to another line I have, which also is supposedly pure French lines. But, do I want to use the bird with the Red over others which have more Black. I just was curious that is all.
thank you again for the help

 

[millebantam]

Drom, I checked out your pics on your page, and in my opinion, your birds have excellent type, but some very minor color issues. I especially like the "bulk' of your birds, and the very nice tail carriage. From what I see, you are much farther along than a lot of other peoples birds that I have seen.

My own flock has the same hefty, round body type that shows overall balance. Also, like your birds, mine have some minor color issues. My strategy from the beginning was to sacrifice some egg color to gain elsewhere, specifically good body type. I feel that when I am finally satisfied with the overall appearance of my birds, it will be easier to improve egg color, rather than the other way around. I think it might be extremely difficult for some breeders to go from very dark egg layers with poor type, to birds with excellent type, while trying to maintain the egg color. Just my 2 pennies.

 

[drom]

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Well, if it helps, David Hancox the Australian delegate for the MCF posts on the BYC and he mentioned that when the French use the term "parsimonious" red markings on the rooster's breast, they probably mean no more than 10% of the breast area with red markings on it. That was helpful for me.

And there are BCM breeders concentrating/working on the genotype of their birds who will tell you that too much red coloring can, but not always, indicate the presence of a Wheaten gene in your bird so those people will recommend test breeding roosters with too much red to a Wheaten. Wheaten is recessive so if the breeding produces Wheaten chicks, that means the Rooster carries for Wheaten and that might be why he displays more reddish-copper coloring.

If that bird with a bit too much red truly does come from across the pond, then that type of test breeding would be very interesting for you.

 

[drom]

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Thanks millebantam. Yes I like the Roosters to be balanced and have a little bit closer to a horizontal back than some of them do. Of course the back has to slope downward slightly, but not as much as some that you see. And, it seems to me that when the back tilts down at too steep an angle, the tail angle is also wrong. And some of the birds like that have a rangey look to them with not so deep of a breast. I don't know anything about how to improve egg color except the basics; selection and line breeding, because that's what everyone talks about-

I am really most interested in having hens that lay a consistently dark egg all year. I would personally much rather have a hen that laid a 6 for most of the season than one that laid a very beautiful 8 at the beginning of the season and a 3 at the end of the season. But, I suppose the 8s are what will win the egg shows.

 

[drom]

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What variety are you breeding Millebantam?