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

[millebantam]

Accurate, simple, and direct to the point. I totally agree 100%. I have built my flock of BCM's usung birds from various sources, and I simply cull anything that doesn't look like I want it too. I have seen things both good and bad from many prominant breeder's birds. I don't care if I'm using "Paris Hilton's line of Marans". When these birds are finally accepted for showing, it won't take long for everyone to see who actually acted responsably and bred for the betterment of the breed, and those who were "selling eggs and blowing smoke".
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[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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I'm new to all this Marans info, and am just trying to learn. When you say, "If you look at the old lines they didn't have these problems, they breed true, are healthy, productive birds." .... what lines would these be? I mean, I thought Marans were relatively new in the United States. Or, are you referring to lines in France? How many, "original," lines are there noted to be in the USA?

So, if I understand you correctly, you're preference is to never introduce new blood into your established line??? I have read many differing opinions on the subject. I find this another interesting topic. I expect many experiment with both ways.

I agree with Wynette, "the proof's in the puddin'!" I'm anxious and excited to see how my birds turn out!

Thanks for the information.

Have you ever read the "Lines History of the Marans USA" ?

The Fugate line dates to the 1960's, others were imported shortly after WWII those were the "old lines" I spoke of. To the best of my knowledge and from speaking to Ron Presley, Bill Braden, Bill Fitch and others the only original line that can be traced person to person is the Fitch line of Cuckoo Marans. I have been researching the history for a while now and it is an interesting study to be sure! We are lucky to have birds of the Fitch line and yes they will remain pure while they are in our care.

Steve in NC

 

[kathyinmo]

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No, I've not read that. As I said, I am new to all this, and I didn't know there was such a thing! Thanks for the information. Can you direct me, to where I could read this? Thanks again, Kathy

 

[amazondoc]

I'm not sure that "old lines" were really any better than those of today. It seems likely to me that the "fog of history" has just obscured the problems they may have had. There were no shows and few photos taken of those old birds, so we can't really know what their quality was -- or wasn't.

And at least one famous (or infamous) older import line, Leurquin (I have also seen it printed Leuroquin), is well known for all the problems it had.

I agree that the breed needs a lot of work, and I agree that a lot of the problems are from careless breeding. But "the good old days" were usually not as wonderful as they might appear from our perspective.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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[amazondoc]

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Well, I think you're talking about cuckoos here. Ya gotta keep in mind that BCs have problems in France as well as in the US. It's not as simple as just evil US breeders screwing up something that used to be perfect.

I hatched black and bronze colored chicks and some were rumpless.

This part is especially interesting, especially since we were just talking about rumplessness in Marans somewhere or other -- I forget whether it was here or elsewhere.​

 

[kathyinmo]

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Thanks alot. I am finding the history IS very interesting, for sure. So, besides the challenge of trying to breed to a standard (or proposed standard), there is some history to get into! It's all like a well written mystery, and is keeping my interest!
Thanks again,
Kathy

 

[amazondoc]

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Looking back at older posts -- verycherry and rustyswoman, may I have permission to save your photos for use in educational materials? I'd appreciate it!

Also -- if anyone else has good pics of faults, including foot problems or rumplessness or whatever, I'd appreciate receiving copies. Thanks in advance!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Feel free to use mine Amazondoc. I am considering an experiment and don't want everyone to cringe here... if the chick with the fused toes lives I am thinking of breeding it to a healthy BCM of the opposite sex and hatching out the eggs. I want to see the ratio in F1 of fused toes with one parent heterozygous (?) to the genetic disposition.
The resulting offspring would go to freezer camp as to not pass it along, but I may take one or two of them and try for F2 and see the results.
Things like this facinate me at how they pass along genetically.
I would of course band all of them so as not to lead to confusion. Would this be helpful at all, or should I just not bother?

 

[amazondoc]

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Thanks!

And serious breeders and/or geneticists do test breedings quite frequently. I dunno if you'll find out anything interesting, but the only way to know is to try it!