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

[pinkchick]

Jan~
Sorry to hear about your little chick.

Tala~ Those are nice eggs! I'm sure you will love your new little additions. They are in my opinion the sweetest birds.

 

[tdgill]

gotta second that opinion! Sweet indeed.

 

[amazondoc]

Hey guys --

I posted this message on the MCC list last night. I think it bears repeating here as well. Something we ALL need to keep in mind!

I've been spending some time looking at my young BC cockerels, rereading standards, looking at photos on the internet, and so on.

During this time I've been seeing a lot of cockerels and roosters with waaaaaay too much red. Even birds that are being advertised and bragged about as desirable breeding roosters.

Therefore, I thought it would be worthwhile to repost these simple statements from the French Marans Club site, just to remind everybody once again:


"the cock must be "black with copper-red edged, and a black or lightly reddish-brown marked breast."

"The cock, which conversly have a too much colored breast with strong fawn or red marks down to the thigh are again more bad. They are to be rejected unscrupulously."

IOW -- If there are ANY red marks on the chest, there should only be A FEW. NOT a solid red chest, and NOT a chest that is mostly red. And even worse, the red color should NEVER extend down to the thighs -- and the thigh should ALWAYS be black. As the French say, birds with this much red "are to be rejected unscrupulously" -- no matter where they came from.

And this is my random thought for today!

 

[geebs]

Amazondoc...... I agree with you about the roosters.... (finished product) but for a pen that one is trying to improve it may be necessary to use a too red male to improve a too little red female... (just my 2 cents). So if someone is selling one whatever the purpose is... each individual should evaluate for themselves whether the bird has the desireable conformation to compliment his flock to meet the desired standard as we all get our stock from a different sources necessary changes need to be made to meet the goal.

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
I agree that there are limited circumstances -- but only LIMITED ones -- in which such a roo would be useful. But I find it especially irritating that people who claim to be breeding to the French standard are so obviously ignoring what the French themselves have to say about these birds. That part about "rejecting unscrupulously" is pretty darned clear.

 

[drom]

The breed clubs, particularly over here, don't want breeders using red breasted males primarily because of their concern over people propagating Black Copper stock with Wheaten genes. It's not just the concern over meeting the standard. Most birds are not show quality and have a flaw or two which prevent them from very closely meeting the standard.

So the question really is; do we know, beyond any reasonable doubt that every single rooster which has red on it's breast carries the Wheaten gene? Honestly, I don't want to bring up a thorny issue on this thread, because we all know what happens when people chime in who can't seem to converse in a dignified and civil way, but it's pretty clear the experts don't agree on this subject. And that's the real problem. It's not all the inexperienced people-although, I will say, if your goal is to sell stock to others and you don't have a strong command of the info on the phenotype/genotype for the variety, you may want to pursue a different hobby. Having a breeding program and breeding animals to meet an SOP is not at all an easy or quick task regardless of what you start out with

And, once you start selling your stock to others you will tether yourself with a responsibility that can take a lot of the joy out of the hobby.

Totally agree with geebs-Is there really only one method/protocol for meeting the SOP in your breeding program? What if I am focused/obsessed with producing really dark eggs and just want to see how far I can get with that goal (which incidentally is the case with me) . Am I naive to believe that people can try to lock in the good egg color and confirmation in their line and then work on the phenotype/genotype for feather color if they decide they want to show or sell stock? Maybe that is not the most efficient route, I don't know.

 

[geebs]

Thanks Drom!

Furthermore... In our attempts to forge our way to Rome Let's remember: .... some will choose to take direction from past travelers... They may get there because the road is wide and clear...

Some will choose to forge a new idea... There may be new paths paved for their bravery... Some may get there... Others may get lost in the woods.

If the goal is truely Rome... Of those who seek the path there... most will make it...

High Road??? Low Road... PPL who are there for the scenery... Well I would hope that isn't most of us on the thread!!!!

I show what I have to a friendly and if it works for them then great.... I have nothing finished. There are some great breeders out there!!!! I have gotten some great ideas from them!!!

You guys on here are great!!! This is a great thread!!!

 

[Zgoatlady]

So this hatch is done I have 13 Marans 2 are Blue Copper Oh Im keeping them. So I have 18 chicks in my down stairs bathroom its driving the dogs and the family crazy, Im in there all day with them..

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
No, we absolutely do not. It does appear to correlate, but so far as I know nobody has done any controlled studies about it.

Totally agree with geebs-Is there really only one method/protocol for meeting the SOP in your breeding program? What if I am focused/obsessed with producing really dark eggs and just want to see how far I can get with that goal (which incidentally is the case with me) . Am I naive to believe that people can try to lock in the good egg color and confirmation in their line and then work on the phenotype/genotype for feather color if they decide they want to show or sell stock? Maybe that is not the most efficient route, I don't know.

I think there will probably be people who breed primarily for egg color, and people who breed primarily for the visual standard. That's the way it usually works with most "show" animals, whether birds or horses or dogs -- some breed for appearance, some for function, and a few breed for both.

I think honesty is the biggest factor here for me. If you are using a roo as a flock sire that obviously doesn't meet the standard, admit it. If you are breeding primarily for egg color rather than the standard, admit it. Don't claim one thing and do another. That's the part that really bugs me. I'm all for people breeding for whatever is most important to THEM. Just be open and honest about what you're doing.​

 

[geebs]

Zgoat lady.... Congratulations on your new fuzzy butts are you on the Hatch Festivus thread!!! Let's have the photos!!!! YEAH