[Victorian Farmer]

Stock looks very good ,i still think that you need good numbers to maintain egg demand haw Meany hens have you got .

[AndynJ]

The Legbar has dark cream/yellowish claws, this maran alaong with another couple are the rennes slightly taller and thinner than the others.
Victorian Farmer, we are planning to have 8 hens 2 cocks per breed for spring, at the moment we are picking the best and losing the rest (selling off to backyarders) it is tempting to have more but we would rather get it right in 2014 and lay the foundations for 2015
When you say egg demand, how many fertile eggs of each breed would you eggspect to sell per year ?

[darkbrowneggs]

This is from the correct standard for Cream Legbars


In both sexes: Beak yellow. Eyes orange or red. Comb, face, and wattles red. Ear lobes pure opaque, white or cream, slight pink markings not unduly to handicap an otherwise good male. Legs and feet yellow.

And this from the Standard for English Cuckoo Marans


Male and female plumage: Cuckoo throughout, each feather marked across with bands of blue-black.

WEIGHTS.
Cock 3.60kg (8lb)       Cockerel 3.20kg (7lb)   Hen 3.20kg (7lb)   Pullet 2.70kg (6lb)

This is the sort of shape you should be looking for in a good Marans hen.  This bird not only won the Marans Class but also the Overall Utility Cup at The National


These are the points awarded (or should be) when judging a Marans


SCALE OF POINTS
Type, carriage and table merits (to include type of breast and fleshing, also quality of flesh) (40 points); Size and quality (20 points); Colour and markings (15 points); Head (10 points); Condition (10 points); Legs and Feet (5 points) = Total 100 points


The number of eggs you will be able to sell will depend on the egg colour and quality (ie no stress marks, good strong shells) plus hatchability.  The first year you may not sell that many as your stock will be of unknown quality.  Once the offspring have grown and prove to be of a good standard hatching into healthy birds which are capable of laying a sensible quantity of good eggs you will begin to get repeat orders and recommendations and the numbers you sell will increase.  But it all depends on your ability to produce quality stock.  Without that purchasers are disappointed and will not return and you will not get recommendations

[Victorian Farmer]

I would of thort 12 hens 300 POUND each sale 2 doz 18 pound a box I'm on 25 for 12 eggs remember that the cock was best in section highland show and the 2 hens were open winners .I have 40 young hens from them I will sell all stock in spring and keep the best 10 then find a new cock bird . I do this each spring .

[AndynJ]

Dark brown thanks for that I will inspect my birds tomorrow, I'm completely with you regarding quality, that's exactly what we are aiming for so the Marans will be trying to get it right next year with an aim of selling in 2015, the lavenders we are on the ball there should be a good year 2014, and the legbars I have a number of good girls but my cock is pants, the last couple of hatchings have had poor colour, poor definition, so if I only gain a legbar cock we should do ok next year.
Victorian farmer, you could always send your cock down to me, too luck after my ladies.

[darkbrowneggs]

I will ask around to see if anyone has a reasonable Cream Legbar cockerel - how far north do you come on your travels?   

[Victorian Farmer]

There is a breeder that lives in the borders that breeds cream leg bar that are out standing the best iv seen they have never been shown last week I took stock to carlile  sold 3 hens and a trio for him they made 100 pound and 80 pound in September .I will send you eggs from me and him that will help you . I will also get eggs or marrans from Scotland I will be in Nuneaton in April with stock .if I can help you get sorted .

[darkbrowneggs]

That's great if VF can sort you out


If not these are some young cockerels from eggs hatched from my birds earlier this year.


 I know Steve will want to keep the 2 or 3 best (I think he has around 6 or so) but there are some quite nice ones the others and the pullets hatched earlier came into lay quickly with good coloured eggs

[AndynJ]

Hi, Dark brown & VF sorry I've been really busy the last day or two.
VF I think we will say Nuneaton in April is a date, I will PM you my number and email and we can arrange whats available and what we will have etc.
DBE I come up as far as the Midlands.
VF so as you are losing your Maran cock shall I take him off your hands at Nuneaton ? you can be assured he will be going to a good home.
I appreciate the offer of eggs and yes I would like to take you up on that, knowing how difficult marans are at hatching when would you recommend me having them, I always have a broody, I have broody pens, heat lamp though I don't like using it, I am planning on buying an incubator for next year.

[Victorian Farmer]

I think spring is the best ,we start November getting stock in condition by Christmas they are laying full by the end of December cocks go to the hens then we start 2014 and should be done by the end march ,chicks grow faster out in the spring sun .

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

I have heard of a Cocou de Rennes
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=coucou+de+rennes+chickens&oq=coucou+de+r&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2j69i60j0.10616j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8


and Cocou de Malines
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=torrox+costa&oq=torrox+costa&aqs=chrome..69i57j5j0l2.6027j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Cucou+de+Malines


Both of which played a part in the background of the Marans -



Other French breeds that played a part in the development of the Marans included the
feather legged Cocou de Malines including the pea combed ‘turkey head’, the clean
legged Cocou de Rennes, & the Gatinese.


There is lots of info about Marans on the Marans Club website  www.themaransclub.co.uk but from what you say you may not even have Marans as such, there are many many birds sold as Marans which are not what they seem


A Marans fowl should always be chunky for its size as they are a dual purpose bird originally bred for its meat qualities, but nowadays the egg colour is paramount so as well it should lay at least  a colour 4 egg on the chart for most of its laying life, and the better ones will lay mostly a 5 or higher.

i have coucou de rennes only just received them not laying as yet
but think they have light colour eggs


Gosh - what a Marans bore I am 

i have coucou de rennes only just received them not laying as yet
but think they have light colour eggs

[Victorian Farmer]

Haw did people do in 2016 Marrans good and cream legbar in 2016

[BrimwoodFarm]

WOW! 

Those eggs are amazing!! What an awesome colour.

[Victorian Farmer]

The next problem a lot of legbars are laying green eggs and not high numbers
This mistake usually arises from overlooking the difference between show and utility strains of the same breed. Birds bred for one purpose are almost invariably inferior for the other, and this with no blame attachable to the breeder. It is the breeder's point of view or idea which does not coincide with that of the purchaser. Most farmers raise poultry for eggs or meat, or both. But even so it will always be safe in writing a breeder to determine as nearly as possible how his ideas of poultry-breeding approach one's own and thus narrow down as nearly to the right birds as possible. It must be recognized also that while the general purpose fowl is a universal desire, yet it has not been secured. By trying to combine show points, egg laying and meat qualities in the one bird an aspirant is almost sure to be disappointed in each direction.

As to picking out the highest scoring bird as the best layer, don't try to do it. Nine times out of ten she may prove a poor layer. Exhibition birds are forced for show, not for eggs; and it takes considerable time to get them back into breeding condition. Birds intended for laying eggs and breeding purposes on a large scale should never enter the show room. Another point is that the highest scoring fowl, if carefully and scientifically bred, is apt to be bred in-and-in for points only.

[chrismahon]

We have Marans, both Copper Black and Copper Blue (Copper is the neck feathering). Being to the original standard they are medium build and have feathery feet, are very flighty and lay well. I've been told the French Copper Black is now available in UK at hybrid prices because there is no English breed standard for them? If this is correct it would be a good way to get brown eggs inexpensively. The breed standard egg size is 70-75g but sadly ours didn't get that big and there was a big variation in the intensity of the brown egg colouring.