Marans chickens – a stunning breed of crybaby that place even more stunning eggs . Can you imagine gathering eggs and snuggle a chocolate colored egg into your egg basket ? It ’s unquestionably a joy to gather eggs with such beautiful ones waiting for you in the nesting box . Many breeders have enjoy run with genetics to get a shuttle with the best appearance and rich dyed testicle .
About Marans Chickens
This threefold - purpose strain originate from a larboard town called Marans in France . Despite the fact Marans were originally created for meat production , this breed is now best known for the non-white , productive chocolate brown eggs they are capable of repose . You will find not all Marans put the same shade of dark-brown egg . We ’ll learn about this later in the clause .
Marans were created from savage chickens that were offspring from fighting game bird . The original Maran skirt were crossed with Croad Langshans to improve the essence calibre in Marans .
Today there are nine colour varieties accepted into the French Standard of Perfection ; these colors are black , black copper , mordant birchen , black - tag buff , Columbian , cuckoo , golden cuckoo , wholemeal , and white . There are a small fistful of other semblance varieties that have not yet been accepted into the Standard of Perfection , such as the blue , down bull , and splosh Marans .
Marans Characteristics
1. Size and Weight
Since the original purpose of Marans was for essence output , these are n’t small - bodied birds . Marans hens weight about 7 punt while roosters weigh about 8.5 pound .
2. Temperament
Marans are very laid - back bird with unagitated and docile personality . Roosters can be a bit too eager to expose their dominance towards other rooster due to their game fighting background . Despite their sometimes confrontational attitudes , Marans are generally well - mannered birds with well-off give-up the ghost and gentle dispositions towards humans and other wimp .
3. Egg Production
Egg yield can change greatly depending on the calibre of the bird you own . While Marans are supposed to lay dark chocolate nut , not every Bronx cheer is high quality , and you may sometimes find one that lays an egg every day but a evenhandedly weak colored egg . Depending on the iniquity of the testicle she lays , a biddy might put down an egg per week , or she might consist 5 eggs per week .
The farseeing time between when a biddy lays an egg , the pigmentation of the egg has more time to build up to be dismal and darker . The amount of eggs the average Marans biddy repose every class is 150 - 200 .
4. Meat Production
Since Marans were in the first place bred for pith output , these hoot make a good dual - role breed . Marans are a white skinned bird , so a dressed carcass will be visually appealing .
Well known for their especial core quality , this stock should be a comforting pick for the nester , as it is a bird that lays pretty eggs and rooster grow declamatory enough for exhaust .
Caring For Marans
1. Feeding and Nutritional Needs
Though some parts of the Marans are a fleck puzzling , such as their eggs - laying disposition , feeding your Marans is pretty elementary and straightforward . doll require chick starter from hatch to about 10 week of years . At 10 week of old age , you should interchange from chick starter to poultry grower until 17 - 20 weeks , at which gunpoint your birds will be quick for laying feed .
2. Housing and Fencing Requirements
Marans are a slenderly large Bronx cheer so I do not recommend stint onhousing . In the coop , four square feet per bird is ideal to avoid crowd , which can lead to problems like feather picking and pass around diseases .
Your Marans will take about 10 substantial feet per fowl if you choose to keep them in a foot race . Marans are safe foragers and are aware of their milieu and likely predator and do well free ranging if you have space .
3. Health Issues and Care
Marans are unfearing birds with strong resistant systems . One affair Marans ’ proprietor will require to keep an eye out for is external parasites , specificallyscaly leg mites . Since Marans have feather leg , they are an especially invite environs for these footling pestilence .
4. Breeding
Breeding Marans can be a bit perfidious and require a with child deal of patience . Many stock breeder are after the darkest egg possible , but it wo n’t come in one generation . breed for dark egg while maintain ideal appearance such as proper feather coloration , consistence human body and stance , and much more take a lot of culling and selective reproduction .
Marans ballock color can vary dramatically depending on the sentence of the class . A hen can rest a very drear egg directly after her ecdysis but the shade of the ballock can fade a comely amount over the course of the year . The goal is to cover a hen that lays a dark nut and maintain a dismal shade all year . This is definitely easier said than done and command a smashing amount of dedication to achieve .
Maintain circumspection when buy Marans online , not all breeders are very honest . I have witness scam such as selling nut dye ample dark Brown University and getting one C of dollars per dozen only to be dud eggs . Some breeders will edit photograph to make testis appear dark than they really are . Know who you are bribe from . If you are concerned in starting a breeder flock , you want to be able to trust you are get down with good ancestry .
Alternative Breeds
There are not many breed of chicken on the market quite like Marans . If you are after dark dark-brown ballock with a tranquil inclination there just is n’t another stock quite like them .
1. Welsummers
Welsummersare a good choice to Marans if you think Marans are n’t quite for you . This strain lay a beautiful reddish brown egg that is often encompass in dark brown speckles .
Welsummers weight a bit less than Marans so if you are limited on space I would recommend Welsummers . These are beautiful birds and the eggs they dwell bring variety to your eggs field goal like none other .
Did you know?
Anegg color chart and scalehas been create for breeders puzzle out with Marans ’ egg colour . This chart can help breeder valuate the quality of testicle color and hold all Marans breeder to the same general banner .
Marans chickens will be a joyful add-on to your G from their unagitated and gentle personality to the chocolate nuggets they leave in the draw close box . Many stock breeder have been challenged and intrigued by these birds , and just as many backyard chicken keepers have been enthralled by the sensational people of color they tally to the egg basket .
Was this article helpful?
What went wrong?
This article contains incorrect data
This article does not have the selective information I am looking for
How can we improve it?
We appreciate your helpful feedback!
Your answer will be used to improve our content . The more feedback you give us , the well our page can be .