3596 x 2876 px | 30,4 x 24,4 cm | 12 x 9,6 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
3. Juni 2014
Ort:
Auchonvillers, Somme, France
Weitere Informationen:
The Marans is a breed of chicken originating in Western France. It was created with the local feral chickens around the Port of Marans descended from fighting game chickens carried from Indonesia and India. Those original Marandaise fowl were "improved" for the table through recombination with imported Croad Langshans. A favourite at poultry shows, it is a dual purpose fowl known both for its extremely dark eggs and fine meat qualities. There are 9 recognized colours in the French Standard: Cuckoo, Golden Cuckoo, Black, Birchen, Black Copper, Wheaten, Black-tailed Buff, White and Columbian. Black Copper (black with copper feathers on the neck) and Cuckoo (barred feathers, giving a black and white speckled appearance) are the most common of these. Other colours not officially recognized (such as Blue Copper, Blue, and Splash) also exist. The breed as it was when first brought to England was very variable in appearance. The only colours at this time were the white and brassy black. The breed became more of a standard breed than a country fowl due to the vigorous breeding standards of early British breeders, however this was only started fairly early in the 20th century, To the present day there is still much work to be done as "throw backs" are prevalent in the form of white and black birds being bred from other coloured strains. Sporadically appearing yellow colouration to the legs and beak rather than the preferred white is also a problem found in the breed. They should have orange eyes. The shanks are usually slate or pink, the soles of the feet should always be white as Marans have white skin, not yellow. Though the original Marans could also feather legged birds, British breeders preferred the clean legged version, and thus feathered legged Marans are now mainly found in France. They are in the medium weight class, generally rather smaller than the more common Rhode Island Red. Marans in the United States are usually heavier.
