very weird rumpless marans

[kinnip]

I have a Black Copper hen who is beautiful in every way, but she's totally rumpless. How does this happen? I've seen her parents and am familiar with their origin. As far as I know, none of her siblings have shown this trait. As I understand it, rumplessness is dominant, so I'm unclear as to how she got this gene without rumpless parents.

 

[Crunchie]

I have no idea, but I hatched a Cuckoo Marans roo that was rumpless this year (he went to a friend's freezer). He came out of another breeder's eggs, so I can't be sure what the parent birds looked like. I'd be interested to hear other's experiences/opinions on this as well...

 

[lotzahenz]

Crunchie,
Did you ever find out much about the Rumpless Marans? I am stumped, I have 5 from about 12 batches (all different breeders) of Marans eggs. I have no other breeds that this happened to, just trying to find out reason for it and if it is accidental (incubation) or inherited? If inherited, it needs to be bred out of the line somehow, as it's not the best look to have such messy butts. Thanks Henz

 

[kinnip]

I have since bred a couple of partially rumpless Marans. It's clearly a genetic feature. The partially rumpless birds really do look bad. The completely rumpless one looks really good, just not breed typical.

 

[kathyinmo]

Do you have any pictures you could post? It's funny that I come across this thread, because yesterday I was looking at poultry at a breeder's lot .... and I would have sworn I saw a rumpless Marans. I thought I was just imagining it.

 

[Crunchie]

Quote:
Nope.

Like I said, the one I hatched I got rid of. I don't know if he was truly rumpless (no tail at all) or just didn't ever have tail feathers. The best birds that I hatched from the same breeder's eggs went into my breeding pens, and I've hatched plenty from them. Haven't seen any other rumpless birds! I can tell you this: Marans "butts" are troublesome and need a lot of work!

I don't know if it is related to having the occasional rumpless/tailless bird, but "squirrel tail," where the tail sits at a 90 degree angle or more to the bird's back, is a very common fault. I know I have a hard time finding or breeding birds with a decent tail set. I think in general most varieties of Marans need a lot of work on type. They were understandably bred for egg color first, but that left a big mess where type was concerned. That breeder that I hatched the rumpless bird from had the best egg color I'd ever seen in Cuckoos. They've worked hard on them a long time for that. But I've had any number of weird things pop up from that line!

I've hatched white birds & golden cuckoos, and some pretty funky squirrel tails. I'm working on culling hard for type (also about 25% of my flock is clean-legged, so I'm working on breeding for all feather-legged, too) while not losing egg color. My original trio of Cuckoos has wonderful egg color--as dark or darker than any Black Copper eggs anyone has ever sold me--but I lost it in the second generation.

It's one big never ending project!

 

[Jacknife]

I have a rumpless Black Copper Maran with very little feathers on feet his brother had feather foot and tail feathers

 

[WildFeathersPoultry]

I’m getting ready to put my rumpless green eggs into the incubator here soon and she’s crossed with my cuckoo Maran Roo I can’t wait to see what comes out! I wish there had been pics on this thread

 

[3rdtimesacharm]

How'd they turn out?

I have an unusual rumpless 10 week old. I ordered a bunch of Meyer Hatchery picks, it's cheaper and you can get some surprises A LOT cheaper by ordering a rare assorted, or a brown layer assorted. So, I ordered 7 hatchery choice and 2 Dominiques,1 Partidge Rock and a Barred Plymouth Rock rooster, along with their free meal maker.

I ended up with a great assortment including: a blue Cochin, a white rock (I think), a light Brahma, a Welsummer, a black "green Queen" (their own breed that lays green eggs), my Partidge Rock, barred Rock rooster, a white Cochin, 2 free buff orpingtons, ONE Dominique, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock (you can tell by the straight vs rose comb) and one what I believe to be a blue cuckoo marans with a rumpless rump. It's not a Dominique and it's not a barred Rock. I stare at all three every day . She's sweet, but soooo puzzling!!! I had thought briefly that maybe she was a rooster, but having Stephen, my barred Cockerel here allows me to see how he grows and realize that nope, based on how he acts, how really red his comb is and how developed his wattles are, along with his size, not only body but legs, and his quick feather development of the saddle feathers are, that there's no way she's a he. I really think based on what the hatchery had available when I placed my order that they didn't have a Dominique do they thought I wouldn't notice or care. And honestly, with the addition of two free birds, I'm happy. I am just SO curious and want to know!!!! I did well identifying all of the others!!!

 

[LaFleche]

Rumplessness is a genetic mutation that might occur in any of the chicken breeds. But with some breeds it is even a required trait: Araucana, Rumpless Game, Ruhla Rumpless Bantams, Ardennes Rumpless Game just to mention a few.

https://www.seltene-zwerghuehner.eu/unsere-rassen/ruhlaer-zwerg-kaulhühner/

Rumpless chickens will often be in need of more care to prevent flystrike as they frequently get messy butts.