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THE FRENCH OFFICIAL STANDARD OF THE MARANS BREED |
(Standard approved by the “Entente Européenne des Standards”, organisation for the coordination of pure breed poultry standards.
A- GENERALITIES
Origin
MARANS,
town on the Atlantic coast, near La Rochelle (France).
Characteristics of hatching eggs
The eggs
should be large, ranging in size from about 65 grams for a pullet to 70-80
grams for an adult hen.
To have a deep dark red-brown coloured shell.
Leg ring diameter
Cock: 22 millimetres
Hen : 20 millimetres
Weights
Cock: 3,5 to 4,0 kilos
Hen: 2,6 to 3,2 kilos
Cockerel: 3,0 to 3,5 kilos
Pullet: 2,2 to 2,6 kilos
A well
built bird, of average size. Plumage held close to the body. Giving an
impression of strength without looking heavy and awkward.
The best eggs must be
very big and a dark-brown colour.
Saddle
: large, slightly raised but not rounded, covered with
many lancets
Breast
: strong and large
Abdomen
: well developed
Wings
: short , kept close to the body
Tail : strong at its base, quite short, fairly up without
going over 45 °
Head : average size, slightly flat and long
Comb : simple, of an average size, with a fairly rough
texture. Sharp edges. The lobe not touching the nape
Wattles
: average size, red with a fine texture
Ear-lobes
: average size, red and long
Face : red coloured with or without down
Eyes : bright, with a orangey-red iris
Beak : Quite strong, slightly hooked and horn-coloured
Shanks
: big, without vulture hocks
Tarsi : average size, with some feathers white or lightly
pink coloured for all the varieties except for the BLACK, BROWN-RED and BIRCHEN
Marans
were grey or dark grey is permitted, although not preferred, for both
sexes. Four long and well separated toes with the outer one sparsely feathered.
The claws are white or horn- coloured
Hen:
Smaller than the cock, with a large, strong and more
rounded body, a straighter back line, a well developed abdomen , and a fine
comb,
straight or inclined only in the rear part.
The VARIETIES:
The BROWN-RED VARIETY
(Also called Black Copper-neck, Black Copper, Copper Black &
Red Birchen)
The SILVER-CUCKOO VARIETY
Cock : Overall
cuckoo, the cock’s plumage is much lighter than that of the hen.
Hen : Fairly dark
cuckoo plumage, with a rough pattern and irregular lines; lighter hackles; dark
or lightly grey under colour
The GOLDEN-CUCKOO VARIETY
Plumage colour, as for the Crele
pattern, i.e. as for the Silver Cuckoo except all silver/white areas are red /
gold, the Cuckoo pattern even more indistinct on the hen
The WHITE VARIETY
Cock and Hen : Pure white
plumage, but the cock’s hackles, lancets and shoulders’ feathers may show some
straw colour highlights.
The WHEATEN VARIETY
Cock :
Golden-red
to brown-red head, lancets and hackles, red wing covers; the large wings covers
form a black wing bar . The black primaries are edged with brown;
The secondaries
have internal black edged and external brown edges, which forms a brown wing
bay. The upper breast is black and its lowest parts blackish.
Hen :
Head and
hackles are golden-red to brown; some black spots are permissible. Back, rump
and wing covers are wheaten coloured.
The feathers fluff is light and the edges
may be lighter. The tail feathers and the flights are black, edged with brown.
The breast and the abdomen are cream.
The under colour is whitish.
The COLUMBIAN VARIETY
(also called Light or Ermine )
Cock and Hen : White
plumage, black laced hackles; flights and main tail feathers are black, blended
with white. Down is white.
The BLACK VARIETY
Cock and Hen : The whole
plumage is black, green gloss is not required, dusky shank permitted in both
sexes
The BLACK-TAILED BUFF VARIETY
Cock : The
whole plumage is a bright strong gold to reddish tone. The head and the hackles
are light gold colour as well as the lancets, which are slightly darker.
Some
black spots are possible at the hackles’ extremity. Shoulders and wings’ covers
are darker, and mahogany-red deeply coloured. Primary flights; black with
external half edged with brown.
Secondary flights; brown with
internal half edged with black. Tail black, with some brown edges. Under colour
a “salmon/buff”. White-pink shanks.
Hen : The whole plumage is a plain a bright strong gold ,not
a pale buff or fawn/buff colour. The slight difference between the hackles and
the shoulders is less
contrasted than in the cock. The head and hackles are
golden-fawn coloured with black lacing on the bottom feathers, which are more
marked than those of cock.
Black tail with main tail feathers edged with brown.
Flights, shank, and under colour as same as the cock.
The SILVER BLACK VARIETY (BIRCHEN)
In all respects identical to the
Brown Red except they are Silver where the former is copper coloured, dusky
shank permitted in both sexes.
There is no tolerance for gold tints; adornment should be pure silver
white.
Cock :
Plumage, black dressed with silver, chest black or slightly marked with
white, black wingbow and wing triangle.
Hen : Plumage
black neck hackle with silver lacings, chest black or slightly marked with
white, but not laced.
Other colours
Some varieties to be approved
might be assessed as long as they make reference to specific varieties as far
as genetics and colours are concerned.
This group are currently under assessment by the French Standards Committee
Lack of size; white or yellow
ear-lobes; light-coloured or black eyes; tarsi without feathers, black or
yellow; triangular body frame;
horizontal or leaning forward body. Cock weighing less than 3 kg; Hen weighing less than 2.2 kg.
Serious defects
White
variety coloured feathers.
Columbian variety: (Light) washed
off colours, double edging (white edged with black). Golden highlights.
Silver-cuckoo variety green
or fawn feathers. No lighter hackles for the cock. Golden hackles and lancets.
Golden-cuckoo variety white feathers
Wheaten variety Cock : breast spotted with brown or no brown wing
bays.
Hen: washed off back colours. Faded colours on the back. Under-coloured smokey.
Brown-red variety Cock : brown wing bay; any other colour than
black on the flights; straw- coloured hackles.
Hen : brown spots on the body.
Black variety
white or buff coloured feathers.
Black-tailed buff variety : Cock : black spots on the breast, smokey under
colour.
Hen : Too light or washed off colours. Irregular plumage.
THE MARANS
BANTAM
Same standards and varieties as for standard fowl.
Half the size of the large fowl.
Rings’ diameter: - cock: 16 mm; hen : 14 mm
Eggs to be hatched: 40 grams , dark-brown shell.
Cock: 1.1
kilo
Hen : 0.9
kilo
Note: The English selection of Marans (i.e.without
feathered tarsi or feet) is not recognised in Europe.
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