What's with Marans?

[kinnip]

I love my Marans. They're very friendly, calm, pretty birds. The egg colour is the main draw for me. I got into this whole crazy farming adventure in pursuit or better food. That means prettier food, too. We eat with our eyes first. Even if my guests never see the eggshell (like that's going to happen), I've had the opportunity to enjoy it as part of the cooking process, and I think my meals are better for it.

 

[Black Feather]

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I agree that it's a fad, much like what happened with Seramas not long ago. Some of the prices people were paying for those little guys was crazy!

Now I don't think a fad is necessarily a bad thing. If it leads to lots of new committed breeders then it's fabulous! What I find a bit of a shame is people trying to cash in on the sudden popularity of the birds....and lets not even think about the people selling regular brown eggs as Maran eggs.

I hope this fad leads to lots of new quality breeders

That would be fantastic. I'd love to see some of those chocolate colored Maran eggs in person someday!

Urban Coyote

 

[Katy]

I agree that Marans are a "fad" right now....especially the Black Coppers. I got my first one 6 years ago because I read somewhere about the breed and saw their eggs and wanted to add them to my flock. I lucked out and got some nice chicks from a good breeder. I added the wheatens this year because I love their coloring.

 

[amazondoc]

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Hey Katy --

Where did you get your BCs six years ago? I have heard that BCs weren't even in this country that long ago, but I am very unclear on the history.

 

[Katy]

I don't have any black coppers except for one crippled roo, but I went and re-read my last post and I can see why you thought that. I was just agreeing about the BC's being a fad. I was referring to my first cuckoos that I got from a breeder named Harry Shaw who is now deceased. He was either in Arkansas or SW Missouri....can't remember for sure. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Solsken Farm]

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The English standard calls for clean shanks, so those might be just right for you!

 

[serendipity22]

I've had Marans for a couple of years now.

In all honesty, they're not really great layers and they're chow hounds. It takes a lot of feed to finally get them to laying age.

But they're sweet and very pretty.

And those dark eggs are simply breathtaking. It's exciting every day when I go egg collecting.

 

[drom]

I haven't really noticed that they eat more than my non-Marans. Linda Hamid says that she believes they are just big birds that need a lot of protein. She supplements hers with extra protein. She gives them cat food and she says they look great. I add some high protein crumbles (the show/game bird) for mine and they seem to be fairly fat and shiny.

They do have really great temperament. They are very easy to handle and make nice pets. And the Roos don't have spurs.

 

[JayBird+16]

I have 1 Maran- her name is Godiva and yes, I bought her for the egg color - I thougth it would be nice to have mixed color eggs. I have been nicely surpised by her friendly-ness. She always runs out to see me and follows me aroud when the girls are out free-ranging. She also has a unique sound that she makes, kind of like purring that I find very endearing.

 

[drom]

YES! the Brrrrrrrrr noise. All mine make that sound. And they do it only at certain times and when one of them makes that noise, all of them follow suit and make the sound as well. It definitely means something. Mine do it when I am walking away from the flock as if to say, "hey where are you going-come back here" and they also do it when they are trying to alert one another of something.