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

[Byrdj]

Quote:
Thanks for the reply Geebs. I only have one mossy hen and she not only lays the darkest egg of my flock, but also the color lasts the longest throughout the season. I don't have a mossy rooster but the mossiness from my hen gets passed on to her offspring.

I'm going to have a seperate pen just for my mossy birds for my customers who only buy eggs for eating and they prefer the darker eggs, and for egg contests a poultry shows.

 

[drom]

Quote:
Thanks for the reply Geebs. I only have one mossy hen and she not only lays the darkest egg of my flock, but also the color lasts the longest throughout the season. I don't have a mossy rooster but the mossiness from my hen gets passed on to her offspring.

I'm going to have a seperate pen just for my mossy birds for my customers who only buy eggs for eating and they prefer the darker eggs, and for egg contests a poultry shows.

That's why I think there is a place and purpose for what some people call utility quality stock. It's not that I don't think we should be working on all things and breeding to the standard, but I just think that egg color is the top priority. I wouldn't ever give up my hen that lays the darkest eggs in my flock even though she is not the most correct of my hens. And it seems clear from what many people have said that in France the Marans flocks that are used for egg production and egg show aren't as correct as the show birds. They have their place and their purpose. Besides, in spite of the fact that my flock has birds that are not perfect, I still got a certain percentage of very correct birds out of them in my 3rd generation that I could certainly show if I want to. I think the important thing that the breed club folks need to educate people on, is the difference between the two, so that people aren't taking birds to the shows which don't meet the standard. Right now, it's important that people bring only very correct birds to the APA shows. That's just my opinion

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Hi everybody,

It has been awhile since I have been on. Chicken overload, predator overload and vacation.

I just got back from two weeks in France. I was really excited to go see the French Black Copper Marans over there. Unfortunately I don't speak French and it wasn't easy to communicate. It was a blast however and here is a little info on the chickens.

My sister in law is French and she was able to get me in to view one member of a Marans of France Chicken Club. He was a very nice man and his wife was very kind.

They had about 10 Black Copper Marans (and a few odd balls) and they did lay a very nice egg.

The pictures I took didn't come out very well because the birds were very skittish and if I got close then they hid so they really aren't worth posting but I will put in a few anyway.

These are nice colored eggs compared to the normal "market" eggs there which are just an average brown. In the open street Markets they had vendors selling chickens, ducks, geese, quail and eggs. Here are a few pictures of the average egg you will find there and the "typical" chicken that lays those eggs. Some resemble BCM's but are not very SOP for American Standards.

Just for fun I am putting some other varieties that were for sale. I can see several common breeds! I am not sure if some in the background could be their version of Blue Copper Marans, Wheaton Marans, and Cuckoo Marans--or just mixes. I see Turkens, Silkie and some that look like Mille Fleur. Also alot of Light Sussex.

I hope you enjoy them and sorry if a few are not on topic.

 

[kathyinmo]

Germaine! Welcome back!

We have missed you! Hope you had a wonderful time in France. Thanks for the pictures. Very interesting, for sure. So, you didn't see any of those elusive #9 eggs, huh? Your pictures show quite a variety in type. Hope you post more about your vacation in the "Family Life - Stories and Pictures," forum.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Now on a different note, I would love some input on MY Marans! It's been a long haul with these birds and I have alot of different lines. I am going to keep the Bev Davis Line seperate but will mix and match the others because everyone of these birds hatched from a very dark egg. As for the Bev Davis--I don't know what color egg they hatched from because I bought chicks this spring.

Even some of hers are brassy and a bit mossy so goes to show that even the best need to cull.

The light was not the best when I took the pictures but the color in the hackles are fairly true.

My one BIG question is on my one Roo--he has white in some of his feathers. I THINK that it is because he is molting (?) I hope so anyway.

The hens will be a different day because they are in a different pen. Thanks everyone.

Oh... one more question. Are Golden Cuckoo Marans on the small side? My Roo is getting some size on him finally but the hens seem on the small side compared to the BCM's.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Quote:
Hi Kathy! I have missed you too. And no I never saw any #9's over there but I didn't get to the competitions--just the average Open Market and the one Breeder.

I will post on the Family Life site. Lots of funny stuff over there!

I have so much to catch up on....

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

berkeleysprings, He does hold his tail down most of the time, he doesn't act very rooish! He is younger that my other chicks, so maybe that is why? He has grown alot in the last couple weeks, and has started wanting to roost instead of snuggle on the floor.
He does have feathered legs, not as pronounced as some of the show birds I have seen though. I don't know how good his breeding is, I am just happy he is a Marans!
Thank you for the pics of the wheaten cockerels, that looks like him! I think his feathers underneath are a little lighter in color that the ones in your pictures, and maybe he has some white in there too. I will have to get more pics, I just got my camera back from being repaired, I'll have to try it out on him!

I edited to add; I take that back about the lighter feathers, or the white. I dont know what I was thinking...I went and looked again and guess I am just crazy? I have been looking at too many pics of other birds and made up what mine is in my own head I guess? They need to create a dizzy smiley for me
The feathers on his legs are just coming in, when I looked real close he has porcupine legs.
And what pinkchick said about his underfeathers not being 'blue' but brownish taupish blackish is dead on!
So, Thank You for the excellent description!
Oh and I just found out that my eggs are from French Wheaten Marans!

I was so excited to find a local person with eggs I didn't even ask what color variety he had!

 

[Wynette]

Hey, Germaine! GREAT to see you back! Thanks so very much for getting so many pics for us! It's neat that you met some folks who had Marans over there!

On your roosters...the only things I see that could be improved is the comb - should have 5 points. I've been working on that in my breed pen this year, and it's been a tough one for me to find a nice roo with 5 points. I ended up have a few cockerels shipped in, one of which has a perfect comb, so I'm hoping his offspring are nice, but it's taken me FOREVER to find him! The other thing is the shank feathering is too sparse; it should go all the way down the shank and down the outside toe (preferred). That's an easy remedy - just breed to hens with heavily feathered shanks. I personally don't care for extremely heavy shank feathering, because I had an issue with one really nice roo getting a fungal infection due to his shank/feet feathers getting wet during the spring rains. On your roo with the white feathering - is he by chance pure Davis? I've had the same exact problem with two pure Davis roos I had. I was disappointed, because that line has excellent size & egg color. My oldest boy, when he was a bit over 2, started to get white tail feathers, too, so he was rehomed to someone just wanting a pretty rooster to run around their farm. I asked Bev about it after my second roo began getting the white feathers in, and if I remember correctly, she said that it's due to using Cuckoos long ago to improve type.

Again, thanks so much for sharing pics & I hope to hear more about your vacation!!

 

[gvntofly05]

Welcome Back Germaine! That's great you had a good time! France is on my vacation wish list but we won't be traveling out of the country until our human girls are much older!


I have some great news! I have a pip on one of the eggs I got from Wynette! Baby is peeping loudly also!

She shipped me 14 eggs and all 14 started to develop! Two quit early on but the other 12 all went to lockdown!!!

Come on babies it's time to come out of those shells and meet your very excited Mommy!!!

 

[Debbi]

gvntofly05 ,

Oooo, pics, pics, pics when they get here! Can I assume this bunch is for you, and are BCMs? Can't wait to see what they look like

Germaine, lovely pics, thanks for posting them.