Dwarf Marans, black-copper
Pictures: exemplary dwarf Marans eggs of uniform shape and size, and very brown shell color.
Purebred 1.0 bantam Marans rooster, black-copper with typical copper coloring, correct bantam size, leg feathering, very good leg color and head points. Desired: tail slightly more mature overall, wattles slightly more closed.
We thank the zibb team and of course Roswitha Puls as well as the best cameraman Georg Gidt from RBB!
We love small chickens, and that's why the bantam Marans were the first ones we had.
Since 2004 we have been breeding these friendly bantam chickens with great success in the colors black-copper, pearl grey, barred-gold and barred-silver.
We place particular emphasis on first-class eggshell color, as you can see from our best bantam hens here, with the darkest possible brown color, because in German breeding they are usually too light.
Unfortunately, there is very little literature available and very few breeding programs in Europe. In France, there are only about 30 breeding programs nationwide.
The most frequently asked question we receive is: Do the bantam Marans lay eggs that are just as brown as the standard Marans?
Answer: Unfortunately not, that's genetically impossible due to the crossbreeding that took place during the dwarfing process.
Nevertheless, bantam Marans are worth considering. They are very tame and lay approximately 140 eggs in their first laying year, with a minimum hatching egg weight of 45g (our best bantam Marans hens lay eggs weighing up to 66g!). The fertilization and hatching rates are excellent.
The weight of the rooster is between 1000-1100g and the hen weighs 900-1000g. The ring sizes are 15 and 13.
The desired breed is an economical, robust bantam type with light feathering on the feet and outer toes. The leg color should preferably be flesh-colored to horn-colored. Legs that are too dark or even bluish-gray are serious faults, but unfortunately often seen at shows.
Animals that are too large are also considered a serious fault and are unfortunately still frequently encountered at shows. As a rule of thumb, bantam Marans should only be about one-third the size of the standard Marans.
Breeding and keeping them is straightforward. Dwarf Marans are very active and prefer access to a grassy run. In May 2000, these small French birds were recognized by the Federal Breeding Committee of the Federation of German Poultry Breeders and have been eligible for exhibition ever since.
Anyone looking to buy friendly yet agile bantam Marans chickens, who expects good egg production and enjoys fast-growing chicks, will be very happy with bantam Marans chickens.