Standardul rasei Marans

C – Standard
Marans, town of the Atlantic coast, near La Rochelle (France).
Characteristics of the eggs to be hatched Very big, from about 65 grams for young hens to 70-80 grams for adult ones. Deeply dark-brown coloured shell.
Rings' diameter
Cock: 22 millimetres; Hen : 20 millimetres
Wheight
Cock : 3,5 to 4 kilos; Hen: 2,6 to 3,2 kilos; young Cock: 3,0 to 3,5 kilos; young hen: 2,2 to 2,6 kilos
 

General appearance


Cock

body

strong, fairly long and wide especially near the shoulders which are highly posted

neck

long, fairly strong, tending to curve in on top towards the skull; the hackles are made of many long and abundant feathers covering the shoulders well

back

long, flat, slightly concave towards the rear

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 does not touch the nape

Barb

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 red-orange 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 and for the BROWN-RED and for the BIRCHEN Marans hens (grey or dark grey). 4 long and well separated toes with the outer one sometimes 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, straight or not comb







Plumage colours


BROWN-RED VARIETY (neither yellow nor mahogany coloured)

Cock

black plumage, plainly copper coloured lancets of the hackles and of the back. Either plain black or red spotted breast. Dark wing bays and wing bars

Hen

black plumage without highlights, copper coloured hackles; either plain black or red spotted breast


SILVER-CUCKOO VARIETY

Cock

cuckoo plumage much lighter than the hen’s one with some straw colour highlights

Hen

Fairly dark cuckoo plumage, with a rough pattern and irregular lines; lighter hackles; grey or lightly grey under colour


GOLDEN-CUCKOO VARIETY


Same plumage as the silver cuckoo variety, the white spots being replaced by a golden colour


WHITE VARIETY


Pure white plumage, but the cock’s hackles, lancets and shoulders’ feathers may have some straw colour highlights.


WHEATEN VARIETY

Cock

Golden-red to brown-red head, lancets and hackles, red wings’ covers; the large wings’ covers form a black wing bar . The black primary remixes are edged with brown; The secondary remixes with internal black barbs and external brown barbs form a brown wing bay. The breast is black and its lowest part is blackish.
Hen

Head and hackles are golden-red to brown; some black spots are possible. Back, rump and wings’ covers are wheat coloured. The feathers’ rachis is light and the edges may be lighter. The tail’s feathers and the remixes are black and edged with brown. The breast and the abdomen are cream. The under colour is whitish.


COLUMBIAN VARIETY


White plumage, black spotted hackles; remixes and main tail feathers are black, blended with white.


BLACK VARIETY


The whole plumage is black


BLACK-TAILED BUFF VARIETY

Cock

The whole plumage is fawn-coloured or brown to reddish. The head and the hackles are light golden-fawn coloured 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 remixes with external black barbs are edged with brown.
Secondary remixes with internal fully black barbs. Black tail with some brown edges. Under colour “salmon”

White-pink tarsi.

Hen

The whole plumage is fawn-coloured and plain. The slight difference between the hackles and the shoulders is less contrasted than for the cock. The head and hackles are golden-fawn coloured with black flames on the bottom feathers, which are more marked than for the cock. Black tail with main tail feathers edged with brown. Same remix , tarsi and under colour as for the cock


Other colours

Some varieties to be approved might be assessed as long as they make reference to already precise varieties as far as genetics and colours are concerned
Examples : Black-red, Birchen, Golden-Blue…





Serious defects



Lack of size; white or yellow ear-lobes; light-coloured or black eyes; black or yellow tarsi without feathers, triangular body frame; horizontal or leaning forward body.



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 or golden hackles and lancets.

Golden-cuckoo variety:

white feathers

Wheaten variety:

Cock : breast spotted with black or no wing bays .



Hen: washed off back colours

Brown-red variety:

Cock : brown wing bay; any other colour than black on the remixes; straw- coloured hackles.


Hen : brown spots on the body.

Black variety:

white or copper-coloured feathers.

Black-tailed buff variety :

Cock : black spots on the breast, smoke-like under colour.



Hen : Too light or washed off colours. Irregular plumage.