"Pure" Marans or BRs

[BYC910]

It depends on the quality of the strain in my opinion.. It would be interesting to know how many chocolate coloured eggs they actually lay.

Same here .I would also be interested to know if any that are laying the light browns lay darker eggs in the beginning of their laying cycle. Then get lighter. Or light brown eggs and then get darker. What I have experienced with my BCMs is eggs that do both . Also some just start with the dark color just on one end and then as they lay more they paint the egg all the way .I find that every thing about Marans is interesting. The black gene of the BCMs is super strong . I have crossed them with Gold Laced Wayndotts and every chick comes out black with the GLW rose comb and clean legs .Breeding back the pullets to the BCM the next generation they then have feathered legs and the combs are distorted and the eggs darken some more .I'm just a what will it look like breeder . I keep two small flocks One pure bred BCMs one with both pure BCM hens and GLW hens And a pure BCM rooster . Just finished a grow out that will have to be kept to themselves . I want my BCMs to stay pure .

 

[Welshies]

It's likely that one of your Marans lays the majority of the chocolate-coloured eggs so if you want to make a selection and buy a Marans rooster in the future, I would incubate and hatch only chocolate-coloured eggs

My focus isn't on Marans. I could find a Marans roo, but I don't really want to focus on them... never really looked into the breed... really, my honest plans are to replace my roo with a Wyandotte or Ameraucana roo and then get 15 purebred Wyandotte chicks to raise up, keeping the pullets for my flock, and once they're laying get rid of two of my Marans hens.

 

[CiceroXY]

Same here .I would also be interested to know if any that are laying the light browns lay darker eggs in the beginning of their laying cycle. Then get lighter. Or light brown eggs and then get darker. What I have experienced with my BCMs is eggs that do both . Also some just start with the dark color just on one end and then as they lay more they paint the egg all the way .I find that every thing about Marans is interesting. The black gene of the BCMs is super strong . I have crossed them with Gold Laced Wayndotts and every chick comes out black with the GLW rose comb and clean legs .Breeding back the pullets to the BCM the next generation they then have feathered legs and the combs are distorted and the eggs darken some more .I'm just a what will it look like breeder . I keep two small flocks One pure bred BCMs one with both pure BCM hens and GLW hens And a pure BCM rooster . Just finished a grow out that will have to be kept to themselves . I want my BCMs to stay pure .

I know that the club of Marans breeders in France has a common colorimetric scale for measuring the color of the egg. The evaluation starts from color 1 for the white eggs, grade 3 is for the industrial red eggs. The value 4 is the minimum accepted for the Marans, from 5 to 7 the eggs are considered of different tones of chocolate, grade 8 and 9 they are considered exceptional-coloured eggs.
I agree, the more the Marans are old, the more their eggs will be "lighter".. I don't know why maybe it's the fault of the age. However you are right the hens don't lay always the same tone of chocolate-coloured egg but it should be only a little color tone variation i think.

 

[CiceroXY]

My focus isn't on Marans. I could find a Marans roo, but I don't really want to focus on them... never really looked into the breed... really, my honest plans are to replace my roo with a Wyandotte or Ameraucana roo and then get 15 purebred Wyandotte chicks to raise up, keeping the pullets for my flock, and once they're laying get rid of two of my Marans hens.

So do you have also Wyandotte and Ameraucana hens?

 

[Welshies]

So do you have also Wyandotte and Ameraucana hens?

No.
I have the 4 marans, one mystery hen, and my roo.
I might be picking up 10 or so Wyandotte chicks. I think I will.
I was going to get a Wyandotte roo or an Ameraucana roo to produce what's in demand here (purebred or colored egg basket).
But you know what? I'm actually thinking... dang, Marans are pretty. Why not get a Maran roo and those Wyandottes, a cross like that would sell like wildfire (prettyxdark eggs).

 

[CiceroXY]

No.
I have the 4 marans, one mystery hen, and my roo.
I might be picking up 10 or so Wyandotte chicks. I think I will.
I was going to get a Wyandotte roo or an Ameraucana roo to produce what's in demand here (purebred or colored egg basket).
But you know what? I'm actually thinking... dang, Marans are pretty. Why not get a Maran roo and those Wyandottes, a cross like that would sell like wildfire (prettyxdark eggs).

haha you could try, why not I don't know in America but Marans and Ameraucana are considered interesting breeds here in Italy due to the egg color..

 

[Welshies]

haha you could try, why not I don't know in America but Marans and Ameraucana are considered interesting breeds here in Italy due to the egg color..

I think MaransxWyandotte hens would lay nice, dark eggs, while adding a splash of colour to their plumage. It would be an interesting cross, anyways.

 

[CiceroXY]

I think MaransxWyandotte hens would lay nice, dark eggs, while adding a splash of colour to their plumage. It would be an interesting cross, anyways.

Again, for the egg color it also depends on the quality of the Marans rooster you'll buy You'll have to make sure it comes from a good line of pure Marans.

 

[Welshies]

Again, for the egg color it also depends on the quality of the Marans rooster you'll buy You'll have to make sure it comes from a good line of pure Marans.

How can I ensure that? Out here, there's a few Marans roos, but no true breeders. Would I be able to tell based on his sisters or his offspring(if they lay dark eggs)?
I think a really selective dark egg breeding program would be in my benefit. I also think a couple Wyandottes would bring in that nice splash of colour I want, as long as I was selective on dark eggs, and the roo was good quality- then the eggs would still stay somewhat dark. I know, out here, a MaransxWyandotte would likely be in good demand- it does make sense, color, egg color, hardiness, meat... blah blah blah

 

[CiceroXY]

The best thing you can do to ensure that is to know the breeder.. When I bought my first Australorps I contacted a good breeder who lives near me (he partecipates in exhibitions) and he invited me to visit his farm.. We talked for almost two hours haha I saw the parents of the chicks that I bought, I saw the giant incubator machines with the eggs inside etc I think the best thing to do is to find a good breeder, make friends with him, visit his farm and see his animals before you buy anything and see how he works.. If the breeder is sincere, he'll show you the eggs without you asking him to do it because in the case of this breed the egg color is an important factor, then you will be sure of the egg color.. If he has no patience, don't buy anything.. A pure Marans here cost enough haha If there aren't Marans breeders near you, you could buy eggs from a serious breeder and incubate them I think.