Maran rooster. Breed of maran chickens: a detailed description of the varieties of the breed and their productivity. How Maran chickens are bred

The Maran chicken breed appeared in France back in 1985. Thanks to breeding work, scientists from the city of Maran created a new bird that had both excellent egg quality and meat products. In addition, the hens turned out to be quite unpretentious and felt equally good, both in favorable conditions for keeping, and far from being in the conditions of the “Lux class”.

Marans first appeared at the La Rochelle exhibition, which took place in 1914. There, the chicken was immediately appreciated and paid attention to. However, the bird acquired its name only 10 years later, that is, in the 24th year, and its standard was adopted in the 31st year.

In today's post, we will present detailed description chickens of this breed, we will show their photos and reviews of farmers who are familiar with this bird firsthand.

Marans look quite attractive. The bird has a fairly powerful body, but at the same time it does not look like typical representatives of broilers.

The size of the body is medium, the physique is beautiful, the plumage is dense. The body is slightly elongated, the shoulders are rather broad.

The chest is well developed, and the wings are very tightly pressed to the body. The legs of the bird are rather short, white, slightly pinkish in color. However, Marans with dark feathers may have darker legs (grey or even dark grey).

The head of the bird is small, slightly oblong. On the head is a pointed comb of medium size. Earrings and lobes are red. The eyes, like most breeds of chickens, are red-orange. The beak is curved, yellow.

Character

Representatives of this breed are distinguished by a calm, friendly and peaceful character. Therefore, they rarely come into conflict with other birds (be it geese, quails, pigeons, etc.).

But, nevertheless, despite the calm nature, it is a very active bird. Therefore, the ideal conditions for keeping Marans are with the possibility of walking the bird in the fresh air. Cell content is not recommended.

Poultry productivity

The breed belongs to meat-and-egg. The mass of mature males is in the range of 3.5-4 kg, and the mass of laying hens is 2.5-3.2 kg. The meat is quite tasty, but significantly inferior in taste to modern broilers.

The bird matures quickly enough. Already by the age of one year, roosters gain almost their peak weight (3-3.5 kg), while hens weigh about 2.2-2.5 kg. The carcass after plucking looks quite attractive, suitable for sale on the market. The skin is yellowish-white. There is practically no fat.

Laying hens begin to rush quite late (by modern standards), closer to 6 months of their life. Egg production cannot be called high, since it is about 130-150 eggs per year. But at the same time, eggs are of high value. One Marana egg can weigh up to 100 grams. Such an egg will clearly stand out against the background of ordinary 60 gram eggs laid by other breeds.

In addition to their large size, the eggs are remembered for their "chocolate" color, which becomes more intense closer to the year of the bird's life (in older chickens, the color of the eggs is lighter).

Varieties of Maran

Maranas come in a variety of colors, such as:

White.
Black.
Cuckoo.
Wheat.
Colombian.
Silver-black, etc.

Wheat

In representatives of this species, the color has a golden hue. Wheat cockerels are much more beautiful than laying hens. Bettas have wheaten necks, black breasts, and red tail feathers.

cuckoo

Cuckoo-colored cockerels, according to the French standard, are an order of magnitude lighter than hens. The bird has colorful plumage all over its body.

copper black

Almost the entire body of the bird is covered with black feathers with a copper sheen.

blacktail

Representatives of this species, as you might guess, are endowed with a black tail, which stands out against the color of the bird. The main color of black-tailed Marans is red.

Colombian

Like many other "Colombian" varieties, Marans are also characterized by black and white plumage (mostly white). A black feather mane stands out on the neck of the bird. The tail is also black. The fluff of the bird is black, but this is not noticeable against the background of white plumage.

Black

Representatives of this species have completely black plumage. If on the body of black Marans there is an interspersion of any other color, then this bird is discarded.

White

White Marans have a white plumage color. In bettas, the mane and tail very often have a yellowish sheen.

Advantages and disadvantages of Maranov

Like any other Domestic bird Marans have both advantages and disadvantages. The positive qualities of this breed include the following:

Decorative appearance of eggs. Indeed, the eggs of this bird have an attractive "chocolate" color, which is much appreciated by customers. The intensity of the shade depends on the age of the laying hen. The young bird lays lighter eggs, while the one-year-old is darker. It is also worth noting that gradually, as the bird ages, the eggs become lighter.
In addition to the fact that the eggs of this bird have an attractive "chocolate" color, Maran meat is very good in taste.
Thanks to the thick shell, bacteria do not penetrate inside the egg. The eggs of this bird are not susceptible to infection with salmonellosis.
Due to the strong shell, the products are very easy to transport over long distances without loss of commercial qualities.
The bird is decorative. In addition to high-quality, large eggs and meat products, the owner of Maranov receives a beautiful "decoration" of his private yard.
In addition to their external qualities, Marans boast good immunity and endurance. The bird easily adapts to various conditions of detention, and also very rarely encounters diseases.
High level of egg fertility and high survival rate of young animals.

Along with that, do not forget about the shortcomings of birds. In particular, the main disadvantages of the breed include:

The thick shell is in a good way protection of eggs from cracking during product transportation. However, at the same time, it is a serious obstacle to the birth of young animals.
Very low egg production. Despite the fact that hens give fairly large eggs of 80-100 grams, their number is significantly limited. Ideally, you can squeeze 180 eggs per year from a chicken, in practice, in private yards, this figure is in the range of 130 eggs per year.

Care and maintenance

The bird is quite unpretentious, but this does not mean that it must be kept in poor conditions. Hens need a dry, clean, well-ventilated coop. There should be no drafts in it, as they can provoke a disease in the bird.

At the same time, the room should be well ventilated. Ventilation will help not only saturate the room with fresh oxygen, but also remove unpleasant odors, in particular, formed by the waste products of birds.

The floor must be dry and warm. Ideally, it should be covered with a special material. As such material use:

Peat.
Straw.
Hay.
Sawdust.

The height of the layer must be at least 15 cm.

Another important attribute of the chicken coop are perches and nests. Perches are performed at a height of 50-60 cm from the floor. Someone recommends doing them in the style of a ladder, someone is against such perches, as the birds may try to take the upper positions, which will lead to conflict. What kind of perch to make is already a poultry breeder's business.

As for the nests, they are also located at a height of 50-60 cm from the floor. There must be enough space in the nest for the hen, so their size is approximately 40x40 cm.

Drinking bowls and feeders should be located in the chicken coop and on the street. Drinkers should have pure water. In summer it is changed 2 times a day, in winter 1 time. It is also recommended, in addition to the feeder with food, to install an additional container with wood ash. It is necessary for the chicken to bathe in it, thereby cleansing its body (or protecting it) from the same fleas and ticks.

To prevent the bird from knocking over the feeders, they must be installed along the wall. Also, many poultry farmers practice the installation of a net on the feeders, which does not restrict access to provisions for chickens, but protects it from their paws (hens like to swarm in water and food) and from chicken manure.

Another important attribute is lighting. In winter, daylight hours become very short. If you do not take any measures, then there is a rapid decline in egg production. To extend the daylight hours in the chicken coop, it is necessary to install artificial lighting, which is made from ordinary yellow incandescent lamps. The ideal length of daylight hours, regardless of the age of the hens, is 15-16 hours.

diet

This bird is picky in terms of nutrition. Marans do not have to be fed with special ready-made mixtures; the standard diet of domestic chickens will be enough. However, one must take into account the fact that in order to create one egg, the hen will need a large amount of nutrients that she must receive from food. Be sure to include in the Maran diet:

Sources of calcium. Since the shell of the egg is strong, a fairly large amount of calcium is required to create it. His bird can get from meat and bone, fish meal. Also, good sources of calcium are chalk, crushed shell rock, crushed eggshell. Crushed shell rock is the best of the three options. The crushed shell is bad because the chicken can see the shell in it, which in turn is fraught with the start of pecking eggs to get calcium. Chalk is the worst of all, since it cannot be given to a bird very often because of the possibility of its sticking in the gastrointestinal tract, which can provoke its blockage.
Cereals. This is the basis of the diet. Chickens should receive cereals both whole and crushed. Many poultry farmers practice feeding chickens with germinated grain. It must be introduced into the diet when it is necessary to improve egg production.
Mixers. Mixers are useful because they contain a number of important substances for poultry. You can add to the mix table salt, bone meal, cereals, cereals, vegetables, etc. Mixers should preferably be given to hens in the afternoon, at lunchtime, in the interval between morning feeding (grain) and evening feeding (grain).
Fresh grass. It should also be included in the diet of chickens. Grass will help reduce the cost of keeping poultry.
Yeast. They must be introduced into the diet when the bird is far behind in development and it needs to gain weight.

Maran is a breed of meat and egg chickens with a very unusual exterior. This unpretentious bird can be kept both in an aviary and in free range. this breed, among other things, is enough profitable business. To learn how to care for maran correctly, read this article.

exterior features

Maran is a breed of chickens bred in France in 1895, in the city of the same name. These are quite large and at the same time quite graceful birds. Their plumage may have a different color. In any case, most farmers find this breed very beautiful. The original exterior is one of the main reasons for its extraordinary popularity.

IN farms a bird of the color "silver cuckoo", "black-copper maran", "golden cuckoo", wheat, white can be bred. The body of chickens of this breed is located high and horizontal. Since the plumage of marans is very close to the skin, they do not form excess fluff. A rather simple-shaped scallop with 5-7 cloves in chickens can hang to one side.

A maran rooster gains weight up to 4 kg, a chicken - up to three. The plumage is dense, and therefore the birds endure the winter very well. The eyes of the hens have an interesting red-orange color. The presence of a feather on the thigh and on the outer claw is also considered a sign of the breed. Maran's legs are mostly white. Sometimes they are covered with gray or dark spots.

"Easter eggs

As you can see, the bird is very beautiful. But not only this distinguishes maran. Chickens, the description of the breed of which was given above, among other things, also carry a lot of eggs. They are also unusual in marans. Their shell is saturated. That is why in France a bird of this breed is called "a chicken carrying Easter eggs". The reasons for this phenomenon are quite simple. Passing through the laying oviduct, the egg is covered with a layer of brown pigment. If you wipe the shell with a cloth, it will become a little paler.

In terms of size, maran eggs are quite large. Their weight can reach up to 100 g. The French believe that the eggs of hens of this breed are never infected with salmonella. It's all about their very thick shell. If we talk about taste, then maran eggs are just excellent. This is another reason for the popularity of the breed.

Eggshells can be not only dark brown, but also have lighter shades. In general, marans are very interesting and unusual chickens. The photos on this page confirm this fact more than convincingly.

Maran breeding

Chicken eggs give quite a lot - up to 200 pieces per year. Of course, only under the condition of proper maintenance and feeding. In winter, in order to increase egg production, the bird should be provided with a 10-11 hour light regime. At the same time, the air temperature in the barn should not fall below 15 degrees Celsius. To hatch chickens in spring, experts recommend selecting only eggs that have exactly chocolate color. It is believed that individuals with pronounced signs of the breed can be obtained from them. Some farmers leave eggs under layers, others use an incubator. The breeding method is not of fundamental importance. Although the second method is considered more convenient, but only because the use of an incubator allows you to leave a “free” chicken and, accordingly, get a little more eggs. However, chickens will, of course, develop better with a laying hen.

The shell of maran eggs, as mentioned above, is very thick and durable. Therefore, it is very difficult for chickens to break through it. To help them in last days before hatching in the incubator, you need to increase the humidity (up to 75%). In this case, there will be no problems with the exit of the kids outside.

Feeding hatched chicks

As already mentioned, maran is a breed of chickens that is not too whimsical. Feeding healthy, strong chickens will not be difficult. At first they are given only boiled yolk and cottage cheese. From 3-4 days, they begin to accustom them to coarser food - finely crushed corn grits or millet. For the first week, babies are fed 5-6 times a day, trying to give exactly as much food as they can eat. Chopped eggs and cottage cheese are sprinkled every two hours. Up to 3 days old, chickens should be fed at night. On the sixth day, crushed shells and grated shells or ash are introduced into the diet. After ten days, the frequency of feeding is reduced to 6 times, and a little later - to four.

How to feed older chickens

Finely chopped nettles, carrots, alfalfa and clover can already be added to the diet of a week and a half brood. Before feeding, the herbs should be scalded with boiling water. With beets, it is advisable to wait until the age of one month, as it weakens the digestive system. You can also give boiled potatoes, boiled meat and fish waste and crushed cake.

IN drinking water Potassium permanganate should be added 2-3 times a week (very little, until a very pale pink color is obtained). Be sure to put a box of sand and fine gravel in the barn. Maran chickens peck them quite willingly, as solid particles contribute to better grinding of food. Starting from the fourth month, the brood can be transferred to an adult diet.

Caring for maran chickens

So, the maran breed ... Chickens (the description is presented at the beginning of the article), as a rule, hatch chickens, usually of a dark color. Caring for chicks of this breed is also not too complicated. In the case of breeding in an incubator, immediately after hatching, the chicks are kept in a box with a bottom lined with a waffle towel. The legs of 2-3 day old babies are very weak. Textile on the bottom will prevent them from slipping. From above, the box must be covered with a metal grate, with an incandescent light bulb inserted between its rods. Its power can be changed depending on the air temperature in the room. The main thing is that the kids should be warm, and they would not huddle together. The air temperature in the box in the first days should be kept at 30 ° C. Then it is reduced by 2 degrees per day.

At a week of age or a little later, small marans can already begin to be taught to the street. To do this, they - right in the box - are taken out into the fresh air for several hours a day. After another week, you can transfer the chickens to the barn, taking them home only for the night. It is advisable to let them run around the yard from time to time. IN one month old chickens can be transferred to the barn completely. They continue to release them "for a walk", but always under supervision. Some farmers simply plant grown chickens to some kind of hen that has its own brood. The bird can be transferred to free-range at the age of two to three months.

What should be a barn for maran

Of course, maran is a breed of chickens that requires a special room for breeding. It is best to build a barn from a bar or make it frame-panel. In such a chicken coop, the bird will be warmer in winter. Its height should not exceed 1.8 m. This will also allow you to save more heat in the cold season. An obligatory element of any chicken coop is a window or a small window. For good development Birds need fresh air.

Of course, absolutely any chickens love to take a walk on the street (a photo of marans surveying the ground in search of worms can be seen above). Therefore, a walking yard should be equipped near the chicken coop. You can simply put poles around the perimeter and fit them with a chain-link 1.5 meters wide. A hole is made in the wall of the chicken coop adjacent to the courtyard. In the summer it is kept open, in the winter it is covered with insulated shields. And in the chicken coop itself, and in the courtyard you need to fill the perches.

The floor in the barn is best made of wood or adobe. It is allowed to fill it with concrete. From above, the floors of the chicken coop are covered with chopped straw and hay or sawdust. If the litter is very thick (up to 0.5 m), in winter the barn can not even be heated. In this case, various kinds of microorganisms develop in hay or sawdust. As a result of their vital activity, the temperature inside the litter can rise to 30-35 degrees Celsius.

How to make nests

As a business, and also only to meet the needs of only one's family, this is a procedure that requires nests, perches and feeders of a convenient design in the shed. How to collect them correctly and where to place them? Nests are hung over perches in secluded places. Their bottom must be laid with hay. There should be one nest for five or six layers. To make it more convenient for the chickens, the entrance must be made at least 25x25 cm in size. The nest itself must have a height of 35 cm, and a width and depth of 30 cm. Before entering, you need to build a shelf for take-off. The roof of the nest is usually made inclined (at an angle of 45 degrees). In this case, the hens do not sit in it all the time and do not stain the litter with droppings.

What should be perches

The number and length of perches is calculated based on the fact that each chicken requires about 20 cm of space. For their manufacture, poles with a diameter of about 6 cm are used. Perches should be located on the opposite side of the window, at a height of about 1.2 m. This is necessary in order to provide the bird with a comfortable take-off and protect it from drafts.

Feeding adult maran

Laying hens, whose maintenance is not too difficult in any case, should receive enough feed for better egg production. Maranas for good development should be given concentrated feed and mash. To prepare the latter, it is worth equipping two tables at once. One of them - summer - is installed outside the barn next to the wall. The second - winter - inside it. Above the tables, you can drive in a grater nail.

Like all chickens, marans are omnivorous birds with a short digestive tract. Two-thirds of their diet should be (grain, crushed). In addition to them, chickens are given a lot of greens, food waste, meat, and also various supplements containing minerals. Of course, the Maran breed, like any other, will develop well and rush only if the diet is sufficiently varied.

These chickens are usually fed three times a day. In the morning they give grain mixed with feed. In the afternoon - at 3 o'clock - mixers are laid in the feeders. Their composition may be different. The kneading is done in a large basin. You can pour a little water on its bottom and soak slices of white bread in it. Then add bran, grated carrots, apples, potatoes, beets, zucchini, chopped cabbage and nettles, etc. In the evening, grains should be poured into the feeders again. You need to give enough so that the marans eat everything completely.

Meat or fish meal should be added to the mash or grain. This will promote better egg production. Fishmeal can be replaced with boiled fish. Such an additive is usually cheaper.

feeders

Laying hens, whose maintenance in private farms primarily involves proper feeding, should receive food from containers of a convenient design. Feeders are usually made of wood or tin. The second option is preferable, since in this case the containers will be easier to wash and disinfect. Below is definitely worth stuffing the legs. In this case, you need to choose the right length. It should be such that the feeder itself is at the height of the back of the bird. In this case, the spread of feed will be minimal.

Marana chickens (photo and description are on this page), like birds of any other breed, love to climb into the feeders with their feet. Therefore, a turntable is installed on top of the container for grain and mixers. Such a device will not allow them to do this. They make a turntable from a thick pole, fixing it on two vertical bars in such a way that it spins around its axis.

A cast iron pot, a saucepan, a small bucket can serve as a drinking bowl. In winter, the container is dug into the litter. This will prevent the water from freezing.

How to cook compound feed for maran

Raising laying hens as a business, of course, requires the presence of constant feed suppliers. In this case, the feed is purchased ready-made. However, when breeding maran just for yourself, it will be easier and cheaper to cook it yourself. Often, the purchase option is not of very good quality and, when purchased at retail, is quite expensive. Therefore, many farmers prefer to do it themselves: for four buckets of barley, they take a bucket of oats and wheat. You can add some peas to the mixture.

Ash baths for chickens

As you can see, the Maran breed really deserves the attention of our summer residents and farmers. These chickens have very good egg production. And yes, they grow fast enough. At the same time, the taste of both eggs and meat is simply wonderful.

The Maran chicken breed is excellent for the production of both eggs and meat. These birds look spectacular and can have a different color of feathers. Let's take a closer look at this breed.

Origin

This breed is the result of French breeding work, which was carried out in 1895 in the city of Maran (hence the name of the breed). Since the city is located in an area with harsh climatic conditions, Maran chickens have good resistance to poor conditions.

The bred breed was awarded the gold prize at the La Rochelle Exhibition in 1914 and has since become widespread in Europe. This cannot be said about Russia, since this bird is rarely bred here. However, in Lately there is a trend towards an increase in the popularity of maran hens, especially in large poultry yards.

Description of the breed

Maran chickens are unusually beautiful birds. They come in a variety of colors, from black and copper tan to silver and white. The most common are representatives of Maran chickens of black and copper color. Feathers of hens of this color are completely black with a golden necklace around the neck. Roosters with bright golden spots on the chest, and feathers on the back of a reddish hue. The tail is black with a blue tint.

There are Marans of a silver-cuckoo color, and golden-cuckoo coloring is also not uncommon. The latter is very much appreciated among breeders, as the bird alternates black and golden feathers.

The wheat color of feathers is also popular. Roosters of this color have bright golden feathers on the neck and chest. Females are a pleasant yellow or golden-red color, sometimes even a brown hue.

There are also white Maranas that do not have any pattern on the feathers. The Colombian color is interesting, when white birds have a black "necklace".

The description of maran chickens allows us to highlight the following main features of this breed (see photo):

large sizes: an adult laying hen can weigh up to 3 kg, and a rooster - up to 4 kg;
orange-red eyes;
short tail hanging at a 45-degree angle;
tight-fitting feathers;
legs of a light shade with 4 toes that are well separated;
the outer part of the thigh is feathered;
elongated body shape and small head;
roosters have magnificent plumage, especially in the neck area, as well as large earrings.

Maran chickens have a number of advantages over other breeds:

the quality of eggs and meat is one of the highest;
do not require special conditions content and tolerate adverse weather well;
have strong immunity to various diseases.

The disadvantage of the breed may be slight difficulties in breeding, when the chickens cannot break through the thick egg shell. If they are not helped, the chick may die.

Productivity characteristic

Maran chickens are bred for both eggs and meat. The weight of representatives of this species is impressive, and the meat has excellent taste.

Laying hens can lay about 150 eggs a year. They have a dense chocolate-colored shell. The eggs are quite large - 65-70 grams. Some scientists argue that pathogenic bacteria do not penetrate into eggs through a thick shell.

Their taste is considered the best. Experienced farmers claim that the darker the eggs of these birds are colored, the better and more pronounced their taste. That is why they try to provide the most favorable conditions for laying hens in order to receive high-quality eggs.

The following description of the rules for keeping chickens of the Maran breed can be given:

these active and mobile birds should spend a lot of time outdoors - their daylight hours in winter should not last less than 11 hours, in summer - as long as possible;
the aviary for walking the birds is made very spacious;
do not allow high humidity in the chicken coop, and wet rooms must be thoroughly ventilated;
the temperature in the room should not fall below +15 ºС.

Feeding

The diet of laying hens of this breed does not differ significantly from the diets of other poultry. The main menu is wheat or other grains and chopped greens. You can add special mineral-vitamin complexes to food. Calcium and shell rock are also needed. You can give the bird meat and bone meal and boiled fish.

Breeding

Farmers claim that Marans are well bred in private poultry farms. Laying hens successfully incubate eggs, but in order not to take the chicken out of the "working" state, you can use an incubator.

For breeding chickens, eggs with the darkest shell are usually selected, then chicks with the most characteristic features breeds.

During hatching, chicks may have difficulty breaking the shell, which is renowned for its strength. In order to facilitate the process, it is necessary to bring the humidity in the room to 75%. In addition, at the moments of hatching, it is better to be nearby in order to be able to help the chick in the birth.

The unusual breed of chickens Maran is famous for its French roots. These birds are distinguished by their bright plumage, speed dial masses, tasty meat and large eggs of golden-chocolate color. Maranas are valued for their meat and egg qualities. This breed became quite popular at the beginning of the 19th century, but, unfortunately, its representatives are extremely rare on the territory of our state. That is why we invite you to learn about them in our description-review, as well as on video and photos.

The main feature of the Maran breed is large-sized eggs, which have a beautiful brown-chocolate color with a golden tint. And the darker their color, the better quality. Farmers try to create ideal conditions for their hens so that the eggs are as dark as possible. It is worth noting that eggs have a delicious taste, and those who have tried this product at least once are delighted with the incomparable taste.

It is also known that the eggs of these hens are not affected by salmonella, because they have a very strong shell through which the bacterium cannot enter.

Meat also has an amazing taste, which is why it is often prepared in famous restaurants by the most eminent chefs. Bright and beautiful plumage can also be attributed to the features of the breed. It is also amazing that the quality and beauty of plumage remains the same throughout the year, regardless of the season. It is worth noting the strength and endurance of the bird, since the chicken of this breed perfectly adapts to any conditions of detention. In addition, the bird has excellent resistance to many diseases.

A bit of origin history

The place where the Maran chickens came from is located in France and has the name of the same name with the breed. It was in Marans that this breed was first demonstrated. This event happened in 1914, and no one suspected that these chickens would become so famous. A few years after the breeding and presentation of the breed, the bird standard was approved.

Appearance

Bright and unusual colors, beautiful plumage and proud gait make this bird important and stand out among others. Despite the relatively small weight, this breed of chickens looks graceful. The high body is slightly elongated horizontally, which can be clearly seen in the photo. It is also worth noting their thick and dense plumage, and a small head.

Cockerels have a beautiful iridescent plumage on the neck and shoulders, which falls like a mane. The eyes are red-orange. Straight six-toothed comb tilted to one side. The legs are strong with little feathering. Colors are more common in black standard color, but there are wheat, white, cuckoo, silver-black, copper.

Black and copper

Perhaps this is the most common color of the Maran breed. The betta has a black chest with reddish spots. On the back and neck, the feathers are painted red-red, and the tail is black-blue with tints. The hen is completely black and has a prominent red necklace. The rooster stands out for its color and rather bright plumage.

Cuckoo Maran

There are two subspecies of this color: gold and silver. As the name implies, the plumage is dominated by a golden or silvery-white color. On hens, a golden hue is more pronounced, on cockerels - silver.

Wheat

Birds with this coloration have a golden-reddish tint of plumage, only on the head and neck it can be a brownish tint. Cockerels have a black chest, and a golden neck and head. It is considered a rather rare type of color.

productive characteristic

Maranas are still valued for their rather high egg productivity. In a year, a chicken brings up to 160 eggs, which have a weight of 70-90 grams with a dense shell. On the one hand, a dense shell protects the egg from salmonella, and on the other hand, when hatching, the chickens have to break through it quite hard. The color of the eggs can be either light or dark brown.

By itself, the bird of this breed is not small. You can find a description and a video showing large individuals that are quickly gaining weight. A rooster can grow up to 4 kg, a hen - up to 3 kg.

Maran chickens thrive on private farms and small households. They are hardy and disease resistant. But, as many owners say, for better productivity and quality of meat and eggs, you must follow some rules:

provide a spacious aviary for chickens;
monitor moderate humidity in the chicken coop;
in winter, it is required to provide a 10-11 hour light regime;
long walks in the warm season;
a complete and balanced diet with vitamins and grated vegetables.

In order for the layers to show themselves as productive as possible, it is necessary to keep them in a large chicken coop with low humidity, good ventilation and a temperature not lower than +15 in winter. As for feeding, it is not much different from the rules for keeping any other

Man has been breeding poultry for many centuries. The most popular species at all times were and remain chickens. They are valued for their delicious meat and eggs. One of the unusual breeds are Maran chickens.

Marans or Marans is a very interesting breed of chickens. The eggs of this chicken have a rich brown shell, which is why it is often said that Marans lay golden eggs.

Origin story

Maran chickens are a cross. The hybrid was bred by French breeders back in 1895. The birds got their name thanks to the city of Marans, where they appeared. The strain received an award at an exhibition held at La Rochelle in France in 1914. And since then, it began to spread widely throughout Europe. But in Russia this breed is still not as popular as abroad. The city of Maran is located in the western part of France in a rather swampy area and is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Because of these conditions, the climate there is quite cool. That is why Maran hens, bred in such an area, are not very susceptible to bad weather conditions.

Subspecies

Marans can vary in color and size. By color, there are the following subspecies:

black-copper - this is the most common subspecies;
cuckoo golden;
silvery cuckoo;
black;
white;
wheat;
Colombian;
buff black-tailed;
birch or silver-black.

Appearance

Regardless of color, all Maran birds have common characteristics:

rather large sizes - chickens reach a weight of 3 kg, and a rooster weighs up to 4 kg;
eyes are orange-red;
the tail is short;
comb with six teeth hangs to one side;
the plumage is dense, and in roosters it is quite magnificent, especially in the neck area;
paws are light with 4 clearly separated fingers;
earrings in males are quite large;
body shape is elongated, the head is small.

There are also dwarf species of Maran, whose weight is about 0.9 kg in hens and a little more than 1 kg in roosters.

Productive characteristics

the weight of adult birds - roosters grow up to 3.5-4 kg, hens weigh about 2.6-3.2 kg;
weight gain - in one year, roosters gain up to 3.5 kg, and females up to 2.6 kg;
egg production - they begin to lay eggs at 5-6 months, they give an average of about 140 eggs per year;
egg weight - fairly large eggs, reaching a weight of 85 g.

Marans are classified as a meat and egg breed. But almost all farmers claim that it is rather unprofitable to use them only for meat.

Description of the egg

The main feature of Maran is eggs. They are painted in a rich burgundy color. At the same time, the intensity of the color of the egg determines its quality. There is even a special scale that measures the intensity of the color. Permissible intensity is considered to be at the level of 4-5 points. But if we are talking about incubation, then to save the best performance breeds take eggs not with an intensity of 6-7 points. The best representatives of the breed have eggs that are almost black, which corresponds to 9 points on the quality scale.

Such an unusual color of the egg appears when the egg passes through the chicken's oviduct. There, the egg is covered with additional pigment, and the shell becomes denser. If you scrape the egg of Maran, then white scratches will appear on it. The density of the shell helps to avoid a common problem - salmonellosis. Maran eggs are practically not susceptible to this disease. The size of the eggs is also amazing. The average egg weight is about 80-85 g. But in the characteristics of the breed, the weight is up to 100 g.

Another feature of Maran eggs is the perfect oval shape. Sometimes it is almost impossible to distinguish a sharp end from a blunt one.

In France, competitions are often held in which Marans eggs are judged by the shade of the shell, size and shape.

Care and maintenance

Birds of the Maran breed are distinguished by a rather peaceful character and not conflict. You can keep them in the same house with other types of chickens or poultry.

Place of detention

Despite the rather calm nature, Marans are mobile and freedom-loving birds that prefer space. Therefore, it is important to provide a spacious aviary for walking. Certainly, the best option There will be free range of birds in the fresh air.

As for the barn, it is better to make it from a bar. So you will provide warmth even in the winter season. The height should be about 1.8 m. It is important to provide a window or a small window, so you can ventilate the chicken coop. The floor can be made of wood or mud concrete. Straw, hay or sawdust are used as flooring.

For laying hens it is necessary to build nests. Here are the main recommendations for their design and placement:

nests are located above perches, find secluded places for this;
the bottom of the nests is laid with hay;
one nest is enough for 5 laying hens;
the entrance must be at least 25x25 cm;
the height of the nests is at least 35 cm, and the depth with a width of 30 cm;
near the entrance to the nest, you need to make a shelf for take-off;
it is better to make the roof of the nest sloping, then the birds will not sit on it and soil it with droppings.

Perches are constructed at the rate of 20 cm per bird. The poles for it must be taken no longer than 6 cm. They must be placed opposite the window at a height of about 1.2 m. It is best to close the feeders with a net. So the bird will be able to eat, but will not be able to climb into the feeder, which is fraught with contamination of the feed. The same should be done with the drinker.

Temperature, lighting, humidity

Like all chickens, Marans need a long daylight hours. This is necessary for high egg production. If in the summer you can get by with the light from the window and natural lighting for walks, then in winter it is important to provide artificial lighting. Maranas do not tolerate moisture well, so try to ventilate the chicken coop more often, but do not allow drafts. If ventilation is not enough, you can install a heater in the barn. The temperature in the barn should not fall below 14 degrees.

Feeding

For regular egg production and good development, chickens need to be properly fed. It is important not only the quantity, but also the quality of food. After all, it affects both the number of eggs and the intensity of their color.

It is impossible to overfeed or underfeed Maran chickens. This will lead to a significant reduction in egg production.

Here are the basic rules to follow when feeding:

The first main feeding is carried out in the morning, a couple of hours after the chickens wake up.

The second feeding is carried out after about 8 hours.

The food should be well balanced.

On the day of one laying hen, about 75 g of feed and 250 g of water are needed.

Young chickens require more feed than older ones.

Standard compound feed should contain about 70% carbohydrates, 20% protein, 5% fat and 5% fiber. A chicken should eat about 300-320 calories per day.

Compound feed can be bought ready-made, or you can cook it yourself. Here is an approximate composition of the feed:

45% corn grain;

12% wheat;

8% peas;

7% sunflower meal;

7% barley;

7% limestone, shell rock or chalk;

4-5% yeast, fish or meat and bone meal;

0.3% salt.

If there are no special feeds, then the following proportions can be used:

6 parts of grain;

3 parts boiled root vegetables;

1 part additives.

Although the compound feed contains calcium, it is better to give additional calcium supplements that will increase the strength of the shell. Such additives can be crushed chalk, shell rock, crushed eggshells, bone meal.

As for green grass and vegetables, in the summer the bird will have access to them. But in winter, it is important to feed cabbage, turnip or rutabaga. Greens and vegetables can be given up to four times a day.

Prices for feed additives for chickens and egg-laying birds

Feed additive for chickens and egg-laying birds Royal Feed

Although Maran chickens are bred for a cool climate, in winter it is worth paying attention to their maintenance. Paramount is the extension of daylight hours to 14 hours. For this, artificial lighting is used. It is convenient to use a timer that will automatically turn on and off the lights in the chicken coop.

The temperature should not be allowed to drop to 10 degrees, otherwise egg laying will stop. A temperature of 15-25 degrees is considered the norm. You can create it in cold weather with the help of additional heaters. It is also necessary to cover the floor with a warm bedding of straw or sawdust, changing it every two weeks. Chickens need fresh air, but avoid drafts, they can cause illness.

Prices for popular models of electric heaters

Electric heaters

reproduction

Chickens of the Maran breed breed perfectly both naturally with the help of laying hens and with the help of incubation. You can choose the method convenient for you. Many farmers prefer the first method, they believe that eggs develop better this way.

Incubation

For incubation, it is necessary to choose eggs of the most saturated color. So you get the most “clean” young animals that will have all the signs of the breed. To increase the likelihood of breeding high-quality young, you need to take eggs from those laying hens that have the most striking signs of the breed.

at the second stage, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the eggs, otherwise the embryos may suffocate in a thick shell;

A few days before hatching, start spraying the eggs with water from a spray bottle to increase the humidity to 75%. This will soften the shell a little and make the hatching process easier;

You can help the chicks to hatch by breaking the shell a little at the pipping point.

Prices for egg incubators

egg incubators

Rearing of young animals

At first, the chicks are kept in a brooder or in a box lined with a towel. The air temperature should be at the level of 30 degrees. Every day the temperature is reduced by two degrees. After a week, you can take the young to the street, but only for a couple of hours. And starting from the age of two weeks, they can already be kept in the barn only during the day, and at night they should be brought into the house. After 30 days, the chickens are kept in the barn for the whole day.

Feeding is an integral part of the full development of chickens. It is important to adhere to a certain scheme that will allow young animals to absorb all the nutrients as much as possible.

The first 3 days - they are fed every 2 hours with chopped boiled eggs, mixed with cottage cheese.

From 3 to 6 days - chopped cereals from corn or millet are added to the eggs.

From day 6 - it is necessary to introduce calcium supplements in the form of crushed shells or shell rock. Feeding is done 5-6 times a day.

From day 10, the frequency of feeding is reduced to 4 times.

Starting from the second week, plant foods are introduced in the form of carrots, nettles, alfalfa, clover.

From the 30th day, the young animals are transferred to the usual adult diet.

Do not forget to water the chickens, and every 5 days give them water with a weak solution of manganese.

Potential Growing Problems

Marans are quite resistant to living conditions and have good immunity. However, they are not immune to the typical diseases that affect poultry. It is important to monitor the cleanliness of the chicken coop and then the number of possible diseases will noticeably decrease.

Diseases

The most common diseases are:
Maran chickens have a lot of advantages, for which they are highly valued by farmers.

Among the advantages:

excellent productivity - chickens rush well, eggs and carcasses of chickens are quite large;

high survival rate - chickens can be bred in any, even adverse conditions, they tolerate them well due to high immunity and good resistance to diseases;

unusual eggs - this breed of chickens has rather large and tasty eggs of an unusual brown color;

meat - the breed is distinguished by a large weight of carcasses and excellent taste of meat.

Of the shortcomings, only the difficulty of hatching chickens from an egg can be distinguished, which is due to the thick shell.

Profitability of breeding

All farmers agree that although Maran chickens are classified as meat and egg type, it is unprofitable to grow them only for meat. But the eggs of these chickens are in incredible demand due to their large size and unusual appearance.

They have excellent taste. The strength of the shell makes them safer to transport than conventional eggs. In France, they are eaten raw without fear, as a strong shell prevents salmonellosis from entering.