Creating bantam marans!???

[xyresicchick]

So I have been searching for bantam marans for some time with no avail. And naturally because of this I am entertaining the thought of sometime in the future possibly attempting to breed some bantams.

I am wondering what bantam to cross it to in order to get the size down first. I was thinking a serama roo would get the size down VERY quickly... but I also do not know if this cross would even be possible as seramas are such tiny birds in contrast to LF marans.

Any opinions on this? I am most interested in Golden cuckoo marans but i am interested in the dark eggs from wheatens more than just feather color. I have no idea where I would even begin if I DID begin... But I have spoken to many other people about this and a lot of them are very very interested in bantam marans as I am so any info would probably be helpful to all.

 

[xyresicchick]

Any input? Marans people? Anyone?

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Pick a breed that has similar body type and color???

 

[RAREROO]

IMHO, I dont see a point in out crossing to get the bantam Marans becuase you are probably going to loose the dark egg color to breed down to bantam size and without the dark egg color, what would be the point of them being Marans? Even bantam Welsummers dont have the darker eggs like the Large Fowl ones do. But maybe if you were to only use marans and shrink them down like Robert Blosl did with his strain of RIR bantams, then they may retain the color. onthespot has a pair of BC Marans that appear to be bantamized somehow.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote:
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They are out there. Try searchign the archives of the Darkegglayers yahoo list. recently someone offered some for sale. if you want more info email me at [email protected] as i don't often get to this thread,
Karen Tewart in western PA

 

[flgardengirl]

I have one pure blue hen that is on the small side. I have to keep her because I don't have that many pure blues. I've been trying to get mine bigger!!

 

[EweSheep]

There ARE out there but they just don't publicized themselves that much. Even the Marans Club have some of the bantam breeders.

yes I do agree that the bantams do NOT lay dark colored eggs like their larger cousins do but it is more like a "work in progress". I would take several generations to get there.

 

[OSUman]

I have talked to a couple people that had bantam Marans in my hunt for them and they all said that they gave up because they didnt lay a dark enough egg. But the best way to do it would be to do like RAREROO said and get them down in size by inbreeding them like Robert Blosl did with his RIR but it took him 20 years and alot of culling to do that and you have to start with really good birds in the first place.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
That is true and sometimes a LF would be necessary to get to the dark egg colors. Not easy but with selective methods, serious cullings and be honest about your birds would be going in the right directions and it would take ALOT of work to get there. Some times it would take YEARS to get there and some would get lucky to achieve that goal with four to five generations later.

 

[FatChicksDigMe]

Any updates? I had this same genius idea today apparently lol. I'm sure SOMEONE has bantam marans now in 2021