[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi all, 

the two chicks hatched by my broody 12 days ago appear to be marans. The head markings and the start of a tiny comb on one of them suggest he is male. No signs of barring on them so I dont know what colour they will end up. Not a breed that I have kept before, can anyone tell me anything about them?

Buffy

[darkbrowneggs]

This is a photo of some just hatched cuckoo marans, the ones with the broody are a little older  The chicks with the broody are mostly males at the front and the females closer to the tree  The little cockerel is showing the noticeble white band on his wing feathers which is one of the first signs of a male

all the best
Sue

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks for the photos, they are lovely. I have one chick with a pale throat and one with a light circular patch on his head. both have light bottoms like little bumble bees. They are 12 days old and have got little sticky up tails and the one with the dot on his head has the beginings of a tiny comd ( I think he's a male) they dont appear to have any barring so they dont seem to be exactly like yours. They also have pale marks at the side of their beaks, the male less so than the suspected female.

What kind of temprement do they have? are they broody types or good layers?

Buffy

[darkbrowneggs]

If they have little sticky up tails, then those are probably female as the males tail feathers develop later

The Marans (French and English) are a brooding breed, and make excellent broodies in my experience, though I only keep a few, and don't set their eggs as I am trying to mostly breed it out of my line as far as possible.

I am afraid I know nothing about the French varieties, and in fact am going to see my FIRST EVER French Marans tomorrow   Mine are all the traditional English Dark Cuckoo type so of course that is where the markings come in.  Do they have any evidence of feathers on their feet?  If so they won't be the English type Marans

Mine are exceptional calm temperament, both with me and with each other, and have proved to be good layers.  My young pullets are just starting to lay at mostly under 24weeks, the earliest was under 19 weeks

All the best
Sue

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks Sue,

  they dont have feathered feet or legs so they are not the french type. Sounds like I will just have to wait and see how they turn out. Dont mind them going broody as I have enough laying hens.


Buffy

[shetlandpaul]

we have french coppers and cuckoo. try and avoid the french strain unless your runs are mud free.

[little blue]

we have two!
black coppers... we hatched 5 but 3 were boys.
one has feathered legs, the other doesnt.

am looking to hatch more next Spring - might go for a better strain 

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Well the chicks that I hatched from a friends eggs are still growing strong despite the snow and freezing temps here so I thought I'd try and take a pic. I dont know if its because of the cold that they move about all the time or a breed charecteristic but they dont keep still long enough to take a good shot. They are 4.5 weeks and previously my broody has rejected her chicks at 8 weeks so I recon mum will start biffing the poor kids on the head at around christmas time and wanting to be left in peace ( like so many mothers up and down the country!) I suppose it saves on having to buy them presents

I couldnt get a full body pic of the one who is shown with her(?) broody but she is very dark brown \ black with a reddy bronze tinge to her(?) wing feathers and also has a long upright tail and dark legs. She (?) likes to copy mum all the time Could she be a girl?

The other one which I have attached a pic of has pink legs and a short tail wich is usually carried down. They both gave the same sized combs. Is he likely to be a boy? He did have a yellow patch on his hed as a chick.

I have also attached a pic of their sister who my friend owns.

Buffy
 

[darkbrowneggs]

Nice, pretty little birds, and doing well for your by the look of it.  From the photos it is not exactly clear, but I think you may have 2 pullets, so well done you.

Your friends Marans is obviously not a pure Marans, but the usual cross of some sort as is shown by the bright white of her ear lobes (Marans  have red earlobes, as I think, do most of the brown egg layers, whereas the European white egg layer generally have white earlobes)

All the best - they are looking happy

sue

[lazybee]

we have french coppers and cuckoo. try and avoid the french strain unless your runs are mud free.
[/quote

Most or the Marans here in France don't have feathered feet? The Maran area is a big marshland. I think it's the old 'english mustard/french mustard' thing. That vile stuff Colemans call French mustard would never sell here The popular ones here are almost identical to English mustard. The breeds and different types of Marans are virtually identical here too including the le coucou. I think it must be just away to make a distinction in the UK. 

LB

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi Shetland Paul  - are you in France.  I am interested in how the French varieties compare with the English.  As far as I understand it the French birds were pretty well decimated during the 2nd World War, and in fact we had to send birds over from out English stocks to help them get started again.

Are you saying that most of the Marans in France are clean legged?

Also what colour eggs in general are they laying

All the best
Sue

[lazybee]

Hi Shetland Paul  - are you in France.  I am interested in how the French varieties compare with the English.  As far as I understand it the French birds were pretty well decimated during the 2nd World War, and in fact we had to send birds over from out English stocks to help them get started again.

Are you saying that most of the Marans in France are clean legged?

Also what colour eggs in general are they laying

All the best
Sue

Here have a little browse here:   http://marans-club.perso.neuf.fr/accueila.htm it's a French site translated to English.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi There,

          I thought I would post a couple of pics of the Marans (ish) chicks as they approach 10 weeks old and still keep me guessing about their sex. Im still confident that Olive is a girl but Pepper continues to change and appears to be developing signes male feathering.

        I was really hoping for some productive layers from this hatch but it looks like I may need to aquire some more fertilised eggs and hatch some more birds in time for spring

Buffy

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi Buffy - Neither of them appear to be Marans, the last one looks to be some sort of a cross with a Legbar or similar.  Not sure about the first one

Anyway nice looking birds - hope they are girls though as if they were Marans I would say they were both most likely to be boys

all the best
Sue

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi Sue,

               thanks for casting you marans expert eye over them. I was hoping they were marans as I wanted some good layers. They dont seem to look quite like any particular breed to me. I think they are a couple of ugly ducklings at the moment. What is it about them that makes you think they are legbars?

Buffy