Home › Registration › Maran colors. Maran chickens are chocolate egg layers. More about eggs

Maran colors. Maran chickens are chocolate egg layers. More about eggs

The Maran chicken breed attracts farmers with its meatiness, tasty large eggs, combined with an attractive appearance. The bird lays eggs of a unique chocolate color, is distinguished by its unpretentious maintenance and good health.

The Maran chicken breed was bred in 1895 by breeders from France. The chickens got their name from the city of Marans. The climate in this city is closer to tropical, so the breed bred there adapts well to heat combined with high humidity. But Maran chickens can hardly tolerate the cold.

In 1905, the breed standard was approved. The breeder who created the breed received a gold medal for it at the La Rochelle exhibition in 1915. Now current standard approved in 1930. In the same year, chickens took prizes at exhibitions in Liege, Paris, Lille and Lyon. The bird was brought to Russia quite recently and has not yet gained popularity.

Description and characteristics with photographs

The appearance of the Maran chicken breed is very attractive. The birds are large, graceful, with a variety of colors. The color of chickens ranges from black and copper-colored tan to silver and snow-white.

Color options for the Maran breed:

Black and copper. Chickens of this color variant have absolutely black feather all over the body, on the neck - a gold-colored necklace. The rooster is covered in black feathers with bright golden spots on the chest. The back is red, the tail is black with a bluish tint.
Black. Absolutely black feather color throughout the body without a pattern.
Black-tailed. The carcass is reddish with a golden tint, the tail is black with brown spots.
White. The feather is uniformly white, without a pattern. The Colombian version of the coloring of chickens is interesting: the body is white, with a black “necklace” on the neck.
Cuckoo (hawk-like). The color is divided into two varieties: gold - a golden-colored feather with cuckoo spots, silver - a white-silver feather with a clear pattern.
Wheat. The rooster has a bright golden neck and head, a black chest, a brown-red outline feather, and black tail feathers. The chicken is uniformly colored golden-reddish, the head and neck are a couple of shades darker, the breast and belly are beige.
Silver-black. The pattern matches the copper-black.
Blue. The feather is light ash with a bluish tint, the head is copper.
Salmon. Pinkish-yellow color throughout the body. The head and mane are brownish-golden. The rooster has red-brown feathers on his wings.

Beautiful cockerel of the Maran breed

Cuckoo-colored Maran chicken

The photo shows a wheat-colored Maran chicken

All listed colors of Marans are approved by the standard. Blue with silver mane and silver coho colors are currently under development.

The breed standards are as follows:

The body is long, with wide and high shoulders.
The tail is short and set at an angle of 45 degrees.
The paws are strong, muscular, without feathers, white, sometimes with gray or dark spots.
The plumage is thick, tightly fitting to the body.
The head is medium in size, slightly flattened.
The comb is of medium height, pointed, red.
The earrings are long and red.
The face is red.
The eyes are red-orange.
The beak is strong, slightly curved, yellow in color.
The weight of a rooster is 3.8-4 kilograms, a chicken is 2.6-3.2 kilograms.

The following are considered unacceptable defects:

Unfeathered metatarsus or yellow metatarsus.
The weight of a rooster is less than 3 kg, a chicken is less than 2 kg.
Light or black eyes.
White or pink earrings.
Triangular body.
Hump on the back.
The tail angle is more or less 45 degrees.

Maran birds are large, graceful, with a variety of colors.

Reference. The dwarf maran has the same standards. The weight of the rooster is 1.1 kg, the chicken is 0.9 kg.

Maran chickens are unique in the eggs they lay. The egg gets its unusual red-brown color in the bird's oviduct. If you rub the egg with a wet finger, the paint will rub off slightly. For this quality, Maran eggs are called “Easter eggs”. There are currently no birds in nature that lay eggs of this color.

On average, a Maran chicken produces 130-150 eggs per year. Chickens reach sexual maturity at 5-6 months, but the first eggs are small - 55-60 grams. Egg adult chicken on average weighs 80-85 grams. Some specimens reach a mass of 95-100 grams. The color of the eggs also becomes more saturated as the bird matures.

A special feature of maran eggs is their perfectly oval shape and extremely thick shell. Due to the thickness of the shell, salmonella cannot penetrate the egg. Due to the original color and size, eggs from Maran chickens are in great demand.

Marans are the only chickens that lay chocolate-colored eggs.

Maranas grow quickly and gain weight . At one year of age, roosters already grow to 3-3.5 kilograms. The carcass is attractive in appearance: the skin has a delicate, yellowish-white color. Maran meat is tender and moderately fatty.

Maranas do not tolerate cold well, so it is recommended to keep them in an insulated, and in cold regions, even a heated chicken coop. The air temperature in the room should not fall below plus fifteen degrees.

The floor in the chicken coop is made of wood or adobe. A bedding of sawdust or straw is placed on top of the floor. Perches are installed inside the chicken coop at a height of 50-60 centimeters from the floor.

The bird loves space. Therefore, the chicken coop should not be overcrowded, and the enclosure for outdoor exercise should be large in area. Regular walks are vital for Maran chickens. You can keep them locked up only in severe frosts. For free access to the aviary adjacent to the chicken coop, manholes are equipped. In severe frost and at night, the holes are covered with shields.

Regular walks are vital for Maran chickens.

In winter, birds should have at least 11 hours of daylight, in summer – 14-15. To increase daylight hours, there must be light in the chicken coop.

The diet of the Marans is no different from the traditional chicken diet. The basis of nutrition is grain mixtures. In addition to grain, boiled fish, grated vegetables, meat and bone and fish meal, shell rock, and chalk are added to the food.

In summer, the bird additionally searches for food during walks. Chopped greens and fresh grass are useful for marans. In winter as vitamin supplements You can give the bird grass meal or granules, chopped hay.

To breed chickens with characteristic breed characteristics, eggs with the most intense and darkest color are selected. Chickens have a fairly strong maternal instinct and can hatch eggs on their own.

Maran chickens can care for their chicks on their own.

But in order not to exclude the laying hen from the productive process, it is recommended that eggs for hatching chickens be placed in an incubator.

The thick shell often does not give the chick a chance to get out of it, so a large percentage of the chicks die. To help the chicks break the shell, the humidity in the incubator is increased to 75% from the 15th day of laying. At the moment of hatching, the owner should be nearby and help the chick break out.

On the first day after hatching, the chicks are placed in a dry box and a lamp is installed to maintain the temperature at 30 degrees. After a week, the temperature begins to be reduced every two days by 1 degree, gradually bringing it closer to the ambient temperature.

Week-old chicks are ready to go outside. Starting from the third week, chickens can be left in an outdoor cage all day and brought into a warm place at night. At 1.5 months, Maran chickens can be moved to a permanent place of residence in a barn.

The photo shows small chickens of the Maran breed.

Chickens of the Maran breed are fed according to the following scheme:

1-3 days - boiled yolk and cottage cheese every two hours. The chickens are also given food at night.
From the fourth day, crushed millet and corn grits are added to the feed. Chickens are fed 5-6 times a day.
From the sixth day, grated shells, ash, and crushed shells are added to the food.
From the tenth day, the chickens are transferred to four meals a day. From now on, they can be given chopped clover, alfalfa, and grated carrots, previously scalded with boiling water.
From the age of one month, grated beets are included in the diet.
Chicks must have fresh water at all times. 2 times a week, the chicks are given water with the addition of potassium permanganate. To improve digestion, they should have access to sand and fine gravel.
At three months, the chickens are completely transferred to the diet of adult chickens.

Chicken diseases can be prevented by keeping the chicken coop clean and by organizing their proper feeding. Important point– timely vaccination of young animals.

Cleanliness in the chicken coop is the main prevention of various diseases.

The most common diseases of the Maran breed are:

Dropsy of the abdominal cavity. An infected bird's abdomen becomes enlarged and tense, and its gait becomes tense and sluggish. The disease is treated by pumping out water from the abdominal cavity and adding diuretic herbs to the drink: horsetail, bearberry).
Ascariasis. . It is treated with Piperazine and Hygromycin. If worms are found in the chicken coop, all surfaces are sanitized with boiling water.
. The paws become covered with scales and bumps due to the scabies mite embedded under the skin. The most effective is the use of aversictin or neververtin ointment.
. An infectious disease that causes loss of coordination and increased body temperature. The bird begins to constantly rotate its head, its feathers are ruffled. Mucus discharge is observed from the beak of a sick bird. Infected birds are immediately isolated from the entire population, or better yet slaughtered to prevent the spread of infection.

The advantages of the Maran breed include:

High taste of meat and eggs.
High ability to adapt to different climatic conditions.
Good health.

The main advantages of the breed are high productivity and good health.

The only drawback of the breed is the difficulty of hatching eggs due to the thick shell.

photo Stanislav Kuraev MCR

photo Maria Kuraeva MCR

photo Stanislav Kuraev MCR

photo Maria Kuraeva MCR

Sorry, this page is under construction.

Disqualifying defects:

Metatarsus without feathers, yellow or black. The weight of a rooster is less than 3 kg, chickens are 2 kg. Light fisheye or black eye color. White or other than red earlobe, triangular body shape, also flat or with an inclination to the head, back with a hump “carp body”, the angle of the tail in relation to the horizon is more than 45 °, upturned “squirrel tail”

Serious defects:

White color (B.L.) - presence of colored feathers. Lead blue or blue metatarsus.

Colombian color (H) - fuzzy feather color, double edging (white with black edges). Golden reflections.

Black with silver mane (N.A.) — other plumage colors besides the standard ones, chicken with silver on the body. A golden tint is not acceptable, the color must be silver-white

Silvery cuckoo (SCA) - green or fawn feathers. Not bright color for the rooster. Golden feathers on roosters and chickens.

Golden - cuckoo (SSN) - white feathers.

Golden wheat color (FD) - rooster, chest with brown spots and wing feathers that do not fade into brown. Horn-colored beak and metatarsus. Chicken: blurry black tail color. Not bright colors on the back. Downy feathers of a smoky color. Not a creamy belly color.

Black with copper mane (NCC) - rooster: brown wing, brown triangle in the wing, any other color except black in the tail and chest, straw-colored neck feathers, golden or straw plumage of the back and saddle. Hen: Brown edging or feather on chest and body.

Black (N)- white or dark colored feathers.

Fawn-Blacktail (FAQN) - rooster: black spots on the chest, smoky or creamy color of down feathers. Chicken: colors are too light or washed out. Uneven plumage.

Blue with copper mane (BCC) - other colors in the plumage, a brown triangle mirror in the wing, a chicken with a brown feather on the body.

Description of defects taken from standardsMarans Club de France (MCF)

Official Maran color options

registered by the European Poultry and Rabbit Union (EE):

1 Maran "Silver Cuckoo" (SCA)

2 Maran “Golden Cuckoo” (СCD)

3 Maran “Black” (N)

4 Maran “Black with a silver mane” (NA)

5 Maran “Black with a copper mane” (NCC)

6 Maran “Golden Wheat” (FD)

7 Maran "Fawn Blacktail" (FAQN)

8 Maran “White” (BL)

9 Maran “Ermine” (N)

10 Maran "Blue with a copper mane" (BCC)

11 Maran "Golden Salmon" (SD)

Color options for Maran in its infancy:

____________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Silver Cuckoo" (SCA)

_________

Maran "Golden Cuckoo" (СCD)

Maran "Black" (N)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Black with silver mane" (NA)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Black with copper mane" (NCC)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Wheat Golden" (FD)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Fawn Blacktail" (FAQN)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "White" (BL)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Ermine" (N)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Blue with Copper Mane" (BCC)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Maran "Golden Salmon" (SD)

========================================================================================

Color options for Maran in its infancy:

Maran "Silver Coho" (SA)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Maran “Blue with a silver mane” (BA)

Approved standard “Entente Europé enne des Standards”, an organization to coordinate a pure poultry breed standard in Europe. (HER)

Origin

This breed is named after the port city of Marans near the Atlantic Ocean. Approved standard January 15, 1931. Characteristics of hatching eggs Eggs should be large, ranging in size from about 65 grams for young chickens to 70-80 grams for an adult chicken. The egg must have an intense dark red-brown shell color. Ring diameter Rooster: 22 millimeters Hen: 20 mm Weight. Rooster: 3.5 to 4.0 kg Hen: 2.6 to 3.2 kg One-year-old cockerel: 3.0 to 3.5 kg Pullet: 2.2 to 2.6 kg General view: Bird, medium height. The plumage fits tightly to the body. The bird has a beautiful show appearance, hardy and strong build. The eggs should be large and dark brown in color.

Ideal type

A well-built, strong bird of medium size, despite its strong appearance, will not look clumsy and heavy. The plumage is close to the body. Best eggs should be very large and dark brown in color.

Standard

Rooster: Body: - rectangular, powerful, quite strong and long, wide and high shoulders. Neck: - long, strong, covered with long feathers covering the shoulders. Back: - long, wide, slightly concave towards the tail. Saddle: - large, slightly raised, covered with a large number of small, sharp pendulous feathers. Chest: - deep, large and strong. Belly: - wide, well developed. Wings: - short, not drooping, tightly pressed to the body. Tail: - powerful at the base, slightly short, slightly raised but in relation to the back does not exceed an angle of inclination of 45 ° horizontally. Head: - strong, slightly flat, slightly elongated. Comb: - straight, leaf-shaped, simple, slightly larger than average in size, has sharp teeth from four to seven. Lobes: - red, medium size. Earrings: - medium size, red. Face: - red, has fine plumage. Eyes: - orange-red. Beak: - strong, slightly hooked, light or horny. Paws: - with slight feathering of the metatarsus, medium size. The color is slightly pink (meat-colored) for all color variants, with the exception of black, black-copper and black-silver Maran color variants. For these colors, slate gray or dark graphite gray metatarsals are acceptable for both sexes. Four long and well separated toes. With possible sparse feathering of the outer finger, and the outer side of the middle finger. White soles for all color options. Chicken: smaller than a rooster, with a large, strong and more rounded body, a straight back line with a smooth line turning into a collected dense tail, a well-developed belly, a moderately developed crest - straight and slightly lowered in the rear, it is allowed to fall over.

Color options

1) Black with copper mane (NWITHC) Also called brown-red. The main color option for the breed has been for many years, and has the most large number. More than 80% of farmers from the French club Marans Club de France (MCF) chose this particular color. Rooster: The chest is black with many red spots, which may not be yellow or brown. Black wing triangle. Copper-colored feathers on the neck and back. Shoulders are red. Hen: Black with a faint red necklace. Faint small spots are allowed on the chest, a large number of bright spots like a rooster’s are not allowed, as well as bright shiny black.

*2) Silvery cuckoo (SCA)) Rooster: Completely black and white cuckoo color. The plumage is much brighter than that of a chicken. Hen: Fairly dark cuckoo plumage, with a vague pattern and dark or light gray down feathers.

*3) Golden cuckoo (SS)N) The pattern is the same as for the silver cuckoo; instead of silver and white, the plumage is red and gold. The cuckoo pattern is more pronounced on chickens.

*4) White (B.L.) Rooster and Hen: The plumage should be white throughout the body without any red, black or tan feathers. The metatarsus should be white or pinkish, as with most Maran varieties. Roosters may have a straw-yellow tint to their necks and shoulders, which is tolerable in the Maran breed.

*5) Golden wheat (FD) Rooster: Head and neck golden red to reddish brown. The beak is light horny. The wing feathers are red fading to brown, the tail feathers are black. Mandatory brown mirror in the wing. The upper part of the chest is black with a tint, the lower part is blackish. Hen: Head and neck golden red to brown, some black spots acceptable. The back and wing outline are wheat-colored. (Color of wheat grains) Down feathers are lighter. The tail feathers are black, edged with brown. The chest and belly are a creamy, creamy color.

*6) Colombian (N)(also called Light or Ermine) Rooster and Hen: White plumage, black lace necklace; The tail feathers and main tail feathers are black mixed with white. The belly is white.

*7) Black (N) approved in 1949 Rooster and hen: all plumage is black, no green sheen is required, dark shanks are allowed on hens and roosters.

*8) Fawn-Blacktail (FAQN) Rooster: The entire plumage is a bright golden-red or red-brown fawn tone. The heads are bright gold in color, the necklace on the neck is a little darker, and a black feather edge is allowed. The shoulders and wings are darker, a deep red chestnut color. The tail feathers are brown with black edges. Secondary feathers with some brown edges. Salmon/buff down feathers. The tail is black and brown. Chicken: fawn plumage different shades. Slight difference between neck and shoulder feathers. The head and neck are golden fawn with a black border, which is more pronounced than that of a rooster. The wings, legs, and down feathers are the same as those of a rooster.

*9) Black with silver mane (NA) approved in 2007. Identical colors as in the Maran black color with a copper mane, only the copper plumage is replaced by silver. Dark horny beak and metatarsus are allowed in chickens and roosters. Rooster: Plumage, black dressed in silver, chest black with a tint, slightly decorated with white is allowed, wings black. Hen: Black plumage, silver necklace on the neck. The chest is black.

*10) Blue with copper mane (BCC) approved in 2011. Identical colors as in the Maran color of black with a copper mane, only the black plumage is replaced by blue with light stripes. The copper plumage is clearer compared to the black copper Maran. Dark horny beak and metatarsus are allowed in chickens and roosters. Rooster: The plumage is blue, the chest is blue or slightly decorated with copper, the wings are copper. Chicken: Blue plumage, copper-straw necklace on the neck. The chest is blue.

*11) Golden salmon (SD) Approved 2016

Dwarf maranas Same standards as for big birds. Ring diameter: - cock: 16 mm; chicken: 14 mm Hatching eggs: 40 g, with dark brown shell. Rooster: 1.1 kilograms Chicken: 0.9 kilograms

Note: The English selection of the Maran breed, created without feathering on the metatarsus, is not recognized in Europe.

Colors such as Blue with Silver Mane (BA) and Silver Coho Salmon (SA) are in their infancy and have not yet been approved.

Description of the standards taken fromMarans Club de France (MCF).

This breed is named after a city near the Atlantic Ocean in the Charente-Maritime department: Port Marans, which was primarily commercial port. The main specialization of the port is grain trade.

Marans is at the center of all marshy regions (the French words "Marans" and "Marais" (swamp) have the same etymological origin).

The inhabitants of these wetlands lived in huts, which is why they were called "Hutti". Every week they sailed their flat reed boats along the canals to sell food. This is where Marans chickens came into the world.

Since monks from nearby monasteries (and there were many of them) often had to quickly deliver food and eggs, this region had all the advantages in the field of poultry farming. In addition, ships often sailed here laden with colorful birds, which the sailors took on board as a source of food. These ships brought unknown breeds of chickens from Africa, Asia, England and other countries.

In the 12th Century, Elinor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet, later Henry II of England. As a dowry, she brought England part of the lands in the southeast of France: Poitou, Saintonge, Aunis, Périgord and Limousin.

British rule lasted two centuries and led to the formation of what historians call the "Plantagenet Empire".

English ships often called at the port at La Rochelle (near Marans) and brought fighting cocks ashore. They were highly valued by sailors because cockfight brightened up their loneliness at sea.

In turn, the roosters were crossed with hens, which came with fresh meat and eggs.

Apparently, fighting cocks were crossed with birds of the Moors, and the descendants of these crosses genetically determined the shape and color of the egg.

The numerous colors of Marans were created by the descendants of these fighting cocks, which had many colors. Perhaps they are responsible for the body shape, massive figure, and often hot temper of the Marans - roosters.

Second half of the 19th century. The century is crucial for the development of the French chicken breed, which was influenced by the importation of Asian breeds.

Breed lovers were delighted with the quantity and quality of meat and their very beautifully colored eggs. No one could remain indifferent to them.

Since then, the main characteristic of Marans has been their colored eggs: large, dark reddish-brown. Maranas also inherited a wide variety of plumage colors from fighting cocks.

During this time, rivalry between egg suppliers affected the Marans' reputation. Russia - being one of the largest producers and suppliers of eggs to Europe - lost to France, and France supplied the market with larger, fresher - given the distance to Russia, and more beautiful eggs. It was a success for the Marans. Since they were sold at a higher price, this stimulated farmers' interest in this breed.

After the war, egg shipments slowed, new export regulations were introduced, and finally stopped. This is how French markets were attracted to the reddish-brown egg.

The theory of the origin of the Marans is still considered in the world as a cross between a Marans-partridge (a black hen from Bocage (a type of landscape in the west of France) of the Vendee or in the Saintonge region. Of course, the breed was influenced by the introduction of English birds of the “old” Langchan type, but others are also recognized theories of the origin of the breed - for example, an admixture of blood from the Faverol breed - made the Marans better. The genes of the Coucou de Rennes chicken (cuckoo chicken from Rennes) added the amount of meat and weight.

In 1914, during the National Exhibition in La Rochelle, the first presentation of this bird took place under the name “poule de pays”.

In 1921, a breeder from the island of Rouseau Elle (Vendee), choosing the future of the Maran chicken, decided to go in the direction of improving the size and color of the egg, and then work on the color of the plumage.

In 1928, Madame Rousseau showed some birds of cuckoo plumage to La Rochelle, and brought back the magnificent large dark brown eggs that they laid. Fortunately for the future, Marana took part in the exhibition editor-in-chief magazine "French Bird". He published several articles on this topic in his magazine L’Aviculteur.

Thus, 1929 is considered the year of origin of the Marans breed.

In order to preserve the quality of the breed, the French association “Maran” was created in September 1929.

The Englishman Lord Greenway acquired several chickens of black, white, ermine and cuckoo colors during the Paris Exhibition that same year.

For several years he dealt only with cuckoo-colored Maranas. Due to the instability of the plumage, it was necessary to divide it into three subspecies.

In 1930, the Maran chicken took prizes at exhibitions in Liege, Paris, Lille, and Lyon.

In the same year, the Control Committee adopted the Marana standard.

On November 22, 1931, it was recognized by the General Assembly and the General Register of SCAF (Central Association of Poultry Farming of France).

From this point on, Marans as a breed spread throughout France, especially in the northern region, from where eggs reached England.

Unfortunately, there are no birds left in nature, except marans, which lay the same red-brown eggs.

A special feature of this breed is the coloring of the egg shell in the oviduct. If you rub the shell of a newly laid Marana egg well with a damp finger, the color can be slightly washed off. Marana roosters, when crossed with hens of other breeds, produce offspring capable of laying darker eggs. The egg of Maran chickens is very large (the norm is 75-80 grams) - but it can reach 100 grams! The breed is famous for its good egg production.

Source http://tsypatsypa.rf

The Maran breed of chickens is especially loved by poultry farmers due to the fact that the bird produces unique eggs, and its meat has excellent taste characteristics. The article discusses the external characteristics of the bird, its varieties, breeding and maintenance.

How did the breed appear?

The Maran breed was developed by breeders from France in 1895. But the unique qualities of the animals could only be assessed after 29 years. In 1914, the creators decided to present their new breed at the La Rochelle exhibition. Since then, the birds have become popular all over the world.

Many poultry farmers still prefer this breed. The bird was bred in the city of Marans, located in western France. This has contributed to the fact that animals adapt well to unfavorable conditions. weather conditions.

Description of the Marans

Externally, Maranas look very attractive. Throughout the year, the birds' plumage remains just as bright. These are animals with a powerful body, but they do not seem “heavy” and clumsy; on the contrary, they look noble and majestic.

The body size is medium, the build is good, the plumage is dense. Birds have a long body, wide and high shoulders. On the strong and long neck there are many long feathers that form a kind of collar. A powerful chest, a developed belly, wings pressed tightly to the body - these characteristics indicate that the bird is strong. The legs are shortish, white or slightly pinkish in color. But birds with dark plumage may have gray or dark gray legs.

The Moran's head is small, slightly elongated. On the head there is a middle ridge with sharp ends. Earrings and earlobes are red. Distinctive feature– orange-red eyes, strong, curved yellow beak.

The birds are active and mobile, at the same time calm and non-aggressive. This is convenient for poultry farmers breeding several breeds at once.

Features of the bird

Maran chickens have many extraordinary features. Here are some of them:

Birds lay eggs with thick and strong shells - it becomes a barrier through which harmful microorganisms cannot penetrate. But this feature is a significant disadvantage on the other hand, because it is very difficult for chickens to peck at this barrier when hatching.
If you cross a male Marana with hens of other breeds, the laying hens will produce the same “chocolate” eggs.
The animals have beautiful and bright plumage, its color does not change throughout the year and remains as bright as at birth.
The darker the Marana eggs, the higher the quality of the product. Because of this, poultry farmers struggle to provide their birds with good conditions to get dark eggs.

What is the breed's productivity?

Adult laying hens gain up to 2.5-3.3 kg in adulthood, roosters gain about 4 kilos. Meat carcasses have high taste characteristics. Soups and various main courses are prepared from meat. At the same time, the carcasses have an attractive appearance, covered with white-yellow skin.

Marans are almost never used for meat, although they are universal chickens. Birds are primarily kept for egg production.

Chickens reach sexual maturity at 6 months or a little earlier. The first eggs are not so richly dark, and their weight usually does not exceed 60 g, but over time the indicators change in better side. Over the course of a year, a laying hen can produce from 130 to 250 eggs weighing about 85 grams. Sometimes the number of eggs increases, it depends on the type of feeding and living conditions. One-year-old hens lay eggs with richly colored eggs.

Breed varieties

There are Maranas of cuckoo, black, white, wheaten, Colombian, silver-black and others. There are also dwarf subspecies. All varieties differ in color. The varieties of Marana are discussed below.

Wheat

The birds have a uniform golden color. The males of this species look much more elegant - wheat-colored necks, black chests and red tail feathers.

Cuckoo

Males are cuckoo-colored according to the French standard, lighter than laying hens. The birds have uniformly variegated plumage throughout the body and a slightly rufous tint. British standards indicate that the rooster's neck and upper breast are a lighter shade than the rest of the body. Because of this, black chickens may appear in the offspring of cuckoo Marans. When a silver cuckoo rooster mates with a black hen, the offspring will be dark males and silver cuckoo females.

Copper black

Almost the entire body of the birds is distinguished by a reddish tint with a golden tint. These birds have a black tail with small spots on it.

Black-tailed

The birds have a red body and a black tail. Males have emerald braids, females have brown feathers.

Colombian

Colombian birds are distinguished by their pure white body with snow-white down. On the neck there is a black feather mane with a white edge. The flight feathers have white upper parts and black lower parts. When the bird folds its wings, it is impossible to see the black tint. The metatarsus is pinkish-white.

Lavender

Lavender color comes in several variations, because it is based on red and black pigments. Lavender chickens can have either black or red colored feathers.

Black

Throughout the body, including the feathers on the tail, their hue is jet black. Sometimes there are individuals interspersed with feathers of a different color - these are rejected birds.

White

White Marans have predominantly snow-white plumage. Roosters sometimes have yellow tints on their mane, tail, and rump feathers. The white Maran has pink metatarsals. If the chick has a gray or blue-gray rose, it is a non-faded lavender member of the breed.

Blue copper

The color is very similar in appearance to copper-black birds, but in this case, the feathers of the birds are silver-copper in color.

More about eggs

Farmers value the Maran breed for the brown-red color of its eggs. The richer the color, the higher the quality of the product. In this case, there are special indicators, the minimum acceptable value is 4-5 points. But for hatchery products the indicator must be at least 7 points. The best representatives of the breed can boast of a shell color of 9 points. These eggs have almost charcoal shells.

Some farms claim that if you feed birds carrots, beets, and onion peel decoction, the eggs will turn out dark, but this is a mistaken opinion. But when crossing a male Marana with laying hens of another breed, the eggs will be dark in color.

The eggs are dominated by such an unusual shade, due to the fact that during laying they pass through the oviduct. If you try to scratch the outer layer of the egg's protective shell, it will take on a light shade. The additional color is a kind of protection for the product itself.

But the main features of egg products from Marans are their excellent taste and a durable shell, which makes it possible to transport and store eggs with minimal risks.

Content Features

Before purchasing birds, the farmer must become familiar with what living conditions the animals prefer:

The Maran diet is based on the same feeding principles as other chicken breeds. In order for the birds to gain weight well and the egg production rate to be stable, the livestock is provided with a balanced diet.

Underfeeding and overfeeding are harmful to laying hens. Poor nutrition can lead to... The farmer needs to take seriously the preparation of menus for young animals and adults.

What to give to young animals?

Chickens must be fed properly - proper development and growth depend on this, and therefore it is necessary to follow a certain pattern:

From days 1 to 3, feed babies boiled eggs and cottage cheese every 2 hours.
From days 3 to 6, corn grits and crushed millet grains are added to the cottage cheese and eggs.
From days 6 to 9, crushed eggshells and shell rock are added to the birds’ food. The chicks are fed up to 6 times a day.
From day 10, chickens are fed 4 times a day.
From the 14th day it is recommended to feed the chicks with food of plant origin.

Once a week, chicks need to be given a weak solution of potassium permanganate as a drink - prevention of gastrointestinal diseases.

Young animals need serious conditions of detention. From the moment of birth until the 7th day of life, they are kept in brooders where the temperature is at least 30 degrees. After a week, the chicks are released for a walk for a couple of hours in case of good weather.

From the second week of life, the chicks are left with the adults, but placed in a warm place at night. When the birds are 1 month old, they are considered adults, and then they can be kept in a common house.

Nutrition of adult birds

One chicken needs up to 75 grams of feed per day, if the main diet consists only of such food. But it is extremely undesirable to pour out the entire amount at one time, so that the birds do not eat everything and then remain hungry. Meals are divided into several meals. Also, the diet must include green mass and vegetables.

In the warm season, be sure to provide grass, chopped vegetables, and cabbage heads. Laying hens need feeding. The birds are fed several times a day. The intensity of the color of the yolk in eggs directly depends on the amount of green mass consumed by the laying hens.

Feed for chickens can be purchased ready-made or prepared independently. In the second case, farmers save significantly on bird food.

The dry mixture should contain the following products:

table salt – 0.3%;
feed yeast – 5%;
herbal, fish and bone meal – 5%;
sunflower meal – 7%;
feed chalk, shell rock, limestone – 7%;
barley grains – 7%;
pea grains – 8%;
wheat grains – 12%;
corn grains – 45%.

For better digestibility of feed in poultry houses, it is recommended to equip containers with shell rock, gravel or quartz sand.

Diet domestic chicken consists of 70% carbohydrate feed, the remaining 30% protein. Young laying hens should be fed more nutritious feed at the beginning of the laying period. Ready-made industrial feeds already contain all the additives necessary for birds. As an additional source of calcium for the formation of a strong shell, birds are provided with special supplements. They are fed the following foods:

crushed eggshells;
feed chalk;
bone meal;
shell.

Such feeding can be in a separate container or added to food. Still, it is better to provide additional food separately so that the birds have the opportunity to independently decide when and in what quantity to eat the supplements.

Breeding

Choose large eggs weighing at least 65 grams. Choose the darkest ones - this allows you to preserve hereditary qualities. At the same time, it is very important that the parents meet the breed standards in terms of external appearance.

The only problem that farmers face is the thick and strong shell of eggs. If the chicks are weakened, it is very difficult for them to peck through the shell or break the shell membrane. If you don't help the kids get out in time, it can lead to their death.

Avoid fatal outcome from a lack of oxygen under a thick shell, the farmer can through good ventilation in the second half of incubation - on days 10-11. To prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell, the eggs need to be turned more often. Spraying with water will help maintain air humidity in the last period of the incubation period. IN last days The humidity indicator should not be lower than 75%.

To avoid overheating of the embryos and defects in the chicks (for example, crooked fingers), reducing the temperature by 0.2 degrees per day, starting from the 16th day. By the time of hatching, the temperature in the incubator should be 36.8-36.9 degrees.

After biting begins, you need to make sure that this place does not rest on the floor or any other surface. Some farmers help the chicks by breaking shells around the hatching area. If the incubation rules are followed, chickens of the Maran breed hatch together - 21 days after laying.

Diseases and prevention

It is possible to prevent chicken disease by keeping the chicken coop clean and by organizing proper feeding. It is equally important to vaccinate young birds on time. The table describes the most common diseases of chickens and methods of treating them:

	Symptoms	Fighting methods
Bird flu	Infectious disease. Birds lose coordination and their body temperature rises. There is constant rotation of the head and ruffled feathers. Mucus is released from the beak of a sick bird.	Isolate the infected bird or slaughter it before the infection spreads to other birds.
Hydrocele of the abdominal cavity	An infected bird suffers from an enlarged and tense abdomen. The animal feels weakened and lethargic. The gait is tense.	The disease is treated by pumping water from the abdominal cavity. Diuretic herbs such as bearberry and horsetail are also added to the drink.
Knemidocoptic mange (growths on the paws)	A disease in which scales and bumps appear on the feet of chickens. This occurs due to the introduction of scabies mites under the skin.	The most effective drug for solving the problem is considered to be aversictin or neververtin ointment.
Ascariasis	Birds become infected with helminths.	It is advisable to treat the disease with drugs such as Hygromycin or Piperazine. Having discovered worms in the chicken coop, it is urgent to sanitize all surfaces with boiling water.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The breed has almost no disadvantages, the only one negative point the shell is considered to be a strong one that prevents the chicks from getting out to freedom.

In comparison, Maran has much more advantages:

In addition to these advantages, many poultry farmers note the activity and mobility of chickens, which has a beneficial effect on the fetus.

Breeding profitability

Maran are meat-egg-producing chickens. But most farmers argue that raising birds for meat only makes no sense. Regarding egg products, dark laying eggs are in incredible demand, especially because of their large size.

The eggs of females have a unique taste; the strong shell ensures safe transportation to long distances, which cannot be said about the product obtained from chickens of other breeds.

Breeding will be profitable only if the goal of the business is to sell unusual dark eggs to gourmets and interested buyers. But it is important to take care in advance of finding potential buyers (hobbyists or restaurateurs).

Where to buy and at what price?

Farmers often turn to trusted suppliers to purchase hatching eggs. Today, many poultry farms offer the purchase of high-quality Marana eggs, as well as chicks and adults of this breed.

Approximate cost:

hatching egg - about 300-350 rubles per piece;
seven-day-old chickens - from 400 to 470 rubles;
two-week-old chicks - from 480 to 500 rubles;
six-month-old individuals - from 5500 to 6000 rubles.

Farmers can become more familiar with the products of poultry farms by visiting their websites, studying offers and price lists. The websites contain all detailed information with a description of the breeds that the farms offer. It is also possible to place an order online.

Modern poultry farmers breed a wide variety of chicken breeds, and each of them always has its own unique characteristics. But among all this diversity, the Maran - a breed of chickens, the description of which we will give below - stands out because it is specific, and the specificity is that these chickens lay ... “chocolate” eggs! What causes this phenomenon and what does it represent? Let's try to figure it out.

Maran chickens belong to the egg-meat breeds, but excellent meat and high-quality eggs of a unique color are not all the advantages of the bird described in the article. Chickens also have an excellent character; they are resilient and unpretentious. The latter qualities of birds are especially important in domestic climatic conditions.

This rare and unusual breed was bred back in 1895 in France, more precisely in the town of Marans. At the time of the demonstration of the breed, experts had not yet decided what exactly the birds would be called. But soon the breed received the memorable and unusual name “Maran” (in honor of settlement, where she was taken out). After another 10 years, the chicken standard was officially approved.

As for the description of chickens, it probably needs to start with the gait - in this case it is truly special: smooth, proud, almost “royal”, which makes the birds look independent and important. And you can see this for yourself if you look at the photo and video materials.

To the distinctive external signs Maran males can be classified as:

comb hanging to one side;
large earrings;
toes on the paws (they are covered with down on roosters);
large “collar” on the neck.

If we talk about colors, there are several types. In most cases, representatives of this breed are black in color with a slight green-blue tint (like). But, characteristically, the beard and neck of males are abundantly covered with reddish feathers, but females do not have such decoration, but have a “necklace” of the same color on their neck.

Pay attention! In addition, Marana chickens can be black and white and golden gray, with feathers of different colors arranged in a “checkerboard” pattern, forming a special pattern (known as a cuckoo pattern).

The general plumage is dense, the eye color is red-orange, the tail is not very long and stands at an angle of 45°C. There is also light feathering on the outer thigh. The birds have an elongated body of medium size; the weight of a chicken reaches 2-3 kg, the weight of a male is 3-4 kg. The eggs laid by hens are quite large and dark brown in color (more on this later). In the first year of a bird’s life, the weight of one egg is approximately 60 g, while later it can reach even 100 g.

Pay attention! Another feature of chickens is that during molting, eggs can become lighter.

The paws of chickens are strong and well developed, with a clear separation of the toes. There is no feathering as such on the paws themselves, but there is a small amount of fluff on the big toe.

What is the productivity of the breed?

We found that representatives of this breed can hardly be considered small. All chickens are quite large, and they gain weight quickly. Due to the fact that the Maran is an egg-meat breed, the egg production of chickens is relatively high. So, one hen can produce from 150 to 160 eggs per year.

The eggs themselves, according to experts, are the safest. In addition, in France - the homeland of this breed - they are even consumed raw. This high level of trust is due to the very strong shell - its thickness reliably protects the contents from the penetration of viruses and various kinds of microorganisms.

Other Features

The strong and thick shell mentioned above is an impassable barrier for harmful microorganisms, but at the same time it is a serious disadvantage. It is difficult for chickens to overcome this obstacle when they are born.
If you cross a male Maran with representatives of other breeds, you can get the same “chocolate” eggs.
The plumage of chickens is bright and beautiful, and, characteristically, it does not change throughout the year.
Finally, the darker the eggs, the better quality they are. It is for this reason that poultry farmers try to ensure best condition, in order to consequently obtain eggs of a darker color.

Video - Marana chickens laying Easter eggs

More details about “chocolate” eggs

The color of the eggs of laying hens of this breed, as we have already noted, is red-brown. And the more intense it (the coloring) is, the better the quality of the product. There is even a special scale by which this indicator is measured, and in accordance with it, acceptable indicators are 4-5 points. However, to preserve the characteristics of the breed, as well as for incubation, it is recommended to use eggs in which this indicator is at least 6-7 points. The best representatives of the Maran breed produce “9-point” eggs, the shells of which are dark, almost black.

What explains this shell color? This is a consequence of passage through the oviduct, which is proven quite simply: if you scratch the surface of the egg, the traditional light shell opens. Thanks to the presence of such a pigment “shirt,” in fact, the thickness of the shell increases.

Pay attention! There is an opinion among poultry farmers that it is possible to allegedly influence the color of eggs if you introduce dark-colored food products into the diet. These are, first of all, beets, a decoction of onion peels, carrots and other vegetables characterized by dark pigmentation.

In the homeland of chickens, competitions are often held where eggs are judged on indicators such as shape, shell color, and brightness. By the way, another feature of these eggs is their regular oval shape, that is, it is not easy to determine where the blunt end is and where the sharp end is.

The eggs of Maran hens are very popular, mainly because of their color and large size. And thanks to the thick and durable shell, transportation of eggs becomes safer, as well as storage.

How to properly maintain and what to feed?

Although the Maran breed is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and endurance, there are a number of rules that must be followed.

Chickens should be provided with a spacious enclosure.
The temperature in the chicken coop should not fall below +15°C.
In summer, birds should be provided with sufficiently long walking time.
Finally, the length of daylight in winter time should be at least 10-11 hours.

Chickens tolerate cold climates well, but high air humidity is strictly contraindicated for them. Representatives of the breed develop quickly and gain weight.

boiled fish;
fish or meat bone meal;
grated vegetables;
shell rock

Breeding Features

With regard to Maran chickens, the breeding principle does not play a special role - you can use an incubator or leave the eggs under the laying hens. Although the second option is preferable, because the eggs will develop better. For breeding, it is recommended to use eggs of a rich dark color - these will produce chickens with pronounced characteristics of their breed. If you choose an incubator, you will “free” the chickens and ensure subsequent growth.

Important! To make it easier for newborn chicks to cope with thick shells, increase the humidity in the incubator to about 75% two to three days before they are due to hatch.

Master class. Compact egg incubator

Store-bought incubators, as a rule, are expensive, since they are designed more for breeding chickens in industrial scale. And for small farm Such a compact mini-incubator is perfect; it’s easy and simple to make.

So, to work you will need:

foam box;
small capacity;
light bulb connector (with plug and cable);
furniture stapler (as an option, you can use a hammer);
sticky tape;
honey;
old photo frame;
wooden blocks;
fabric that is highly breathable;
screws/nails;
humidity/temperature sensor;
hacksaw.

After preparing everything you need, you can proceed directly to production.

Step one. First, the foam box is measured - you need to find out the width/length of the bottom part.

Step two. A frame is constructed from bars in accordance with the obtained dimensions. The finished frame should be slightly higher than the container that was prepared for water.

Step three. The fabric is taken, laid out on a flat surface, and the finished frame is placed on top. The fabric is cut to fit the frame, but you should leave some room for fastening.

Step four. The fabric is attached to the frame using small nails or staples and a furniture stapler.

Step five. A hole is made in the wall of the box for the lamp socket. It should be located as high as possible so that the lamp does not come into contact with the fabric screen. As for the power of the light bulb, this parameter will depend on the size of the box. In our example, the dimensions are 25x30 cm; a lamp with a power of 10-40 W is enough for such a box.

Step six. The lamp socket is inserted into the hole, and it should fit as tightly as possible. The surface of the lamp should not come into contact with the foam. After this, the light bulb is screwed in and checked for functionality.

Step seven. Two ventilation holes are cut in each wall, and four more are made on the lid.

Step eight. The glass is removed from the photo frame. Then it is measured, and 5 mm are subtracted from the resulting dimensions. A rectangle of similar dimensions is cut out in the lid.

Step nine. The glass is fixed with adhesive tape.

Step ten. Now you can assemble the incubator. A container of water is placed at the bottom of the box, a frame with a fabric screen is placed, and sensors are attached. Then eggs that are suitable for hatching are laid out on the screen. Finally, the incubator is covered with a lid.

The chicks should hatch in three weeks, but must be kept in a mini-incubator to do so. certain conditions. The temperature should be between 37.5-38.5°C. It is convenient to control this with a thermostat, which will turn off the lighting in case of excessive heating. To reduce the temperature in the box, it is recommended to make more holes that can be sealed when necessary.

What to feed chickens?

Chickens of the Maran breed, like adults, are unpretentious, and therefore there is nothing particularly difficult in feeding.

Table. Chick feeding scheme.

Age, days	What to feed
0-3	Cottage cheese and boiled yolk. New portions should be added every two hours, not only during the day, but also at night.
3-5	Corn grits, millet (necessarily crushed). You should feed five to six times a day, but give no more than the chicks can eat.
6-11	Grated shell, crushed eggshells and wood ash. From ten days of age, the number of feedings should be reduced to four.
From 11	Carrots, clover, alfalfa (chopped and scalded with boiling water). It is better not to give beets before one month of age, as they have a laxative effect.

Pay attention! Several times a week it is necessary to additionally give a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.

You can also add fine sand and gravel - this way the food will grind well. The introduction of an adult diet is allowed from the age of four months.

Video - Features of the output of marans

How to properly keep chickens

Traditionally there is nothing complicated here. Hatchery chicks must first be placed in a box, after covering the bottom with a lint-free towel. The box should be closed with an iron grille, and a light bulb should be installed on top of such power that the temperature inside is approximately +30°C. It is important that the chicks do not freeze (if this happens, they huddle together). Every day the temperature should be lowered by 2°C.

From the age of one week, chickens can be taken out into the fresh air, starting from several hours. Chicks as young as two weeks old can stay in the barn all day, but they still need to be taken indoors at night. Final transfer to the barn is allowed from the month. Chicks should be allowed to walk outdoors under supervision until they are two or three months old.

Maran chickens were bred in the city of Marans (France), and then the breed was officially registered in 1895. Their main feature– unusual, very large eggs. They have a rather dark, red-brown shell and high taste. Today they are bred all over the world. They are most common in European countries (England, France, Germany); in Russia, Maran chickens have become very popular over the past 10 years.

Description and characteristics of the Maran breed

Maran chickens have a massive, medium-sized body. The structure is elongated, the skeleton is strong. The shoulders are high, as is the back, the chest is wide and powerful. The stomach is tucked up and does not sag. The wings are well developed, pressed to the body. The tail of roosters is not very large, but has several rather long feathers; in chickens it is dense, small, located high, so it is clearly visible. The legs are white or pinkish, of medium length. In representatives of dark color they are light or dark gray.

The neck is not very long; an elongated head is located on it. The comb is medium-sized, red, smaller in hens than in roosters, grows evenly, has pointed ends and a rough texture. The earlobes are red, as are the earrings. The face is red, the eyes are orange-brown. The beak is yellow, not very curved.

Important! There is a subspecies of dwarf Marans, which differ from the original only in the small size of the individuals themselves and the eggs they carry.

The plumage of Maran hens and roosters is dense, bright, remains throughout the year, does not fade, and does not deteriorate when molting. On the neck, the feathers are longer, due to which a kind of collar is formed, which is most noticeable on roosters, and not on hens. There is also down on the metatarsals. Maran chickens come in many different colors: silver and black or birch, black and copper, gold and silver cuckoo, white, Columbian, black, wheaten, black-tailed buff.

Productivity of Maran chickens

Also check out these articles

Chickens of the Maran breed have high productivity, which has led to their wide distribution. The breed belongs to the meat-egg species and hence all its positive qualities.

Important! The breed is of the meat-egg type, but it is very rarely used for meat. She gives a lot of eggs high quality Therefore, only sick or excess individuals are usually slaughtered.

What is special about Maran chicken eggs?

Maran chickens produce unique eggs with an unusual color and some other features.

They also have a rich, intense color, red-brown, as if the shells were tinted with onion skins. The interesting color of the egg is acquired as it passes through the oviduct. This color coating not only improves appearance eggs, but also serves as an additional protective layer.

Interesting! Scratching the surface of an egg releases the white shell underneath. That is why it is important to carefully handle eggs for sale, since white scratches will certainly not give them a marketable appearance.

Color intensity is measured on a special scale from 1 to 10.

Eggs from 4 to 10 points can be used for sale and are an excellent characteristic of the species.
To incubate and preserve the characteristics of the Maran chicken breed, eggs with a color intensity of 6-10 points are used.
The best individuals are those that lay eggs with a color intensity of 8-10 points. The shell color of such eggs is very dark, almost black.

It is believed that the color of eggs can be improved or increased by adding beets to the feed, decoction of egg peels, carrots, or crossing a Marana rooster with other types of chickens.

Important! In France, competitions are sometimes held to evaluate the color intensity of the eggs of Maran hens. The main criteria for receiving a prize are: size, color and shape of the egg.

All the qualities of Maran eggs described above have a positive effect on their transportability and marketability. But the price for them is very high due to these same qualities, but this does not reduce the high demand for them.

Walking is required; this breed cannot be kept in cages. Daylight hours in summer should be at least 11 hours. Therefore, the chickens are allowed to graze in the fresh air all day. The enclosure is made spacious; cultivated grasses (clover, alfalfa, cereals) can be sown inside.

How to feed the Maran breed?

The most complex diet is prepared for chickens and young Maran hens. They require meals at regular intervals and only certain foods.

In the first days, chickens are fed cottage cheese and a boiled egg every 2 hours.
On the 4th day, ground grain (millet, corn) is introduced, feeding is reduced to 5-6 times a day.
On day 6, grated shell and ash are introduced.
From day 10 you can include already chopped greens, grated carrots, the diet is divided into only 4 servings per day.
Grated beets should be introduced no earlier than 1 month, otherwise digestive problems may occur.

A complete diet of an adult bird is suitable for young birds only from 3 months. Adult Maran chickens should have in their diet: grain, wet mash, crushed shells, gravel, greens, which they can get on the run. It is also recommended to include vitamin, mineral supplements, bone meal, and insects. Feeding is divided into 4-5 meals per day.

What are the difficulties of breeding?

Maran individuals grow and develop quite quickly and without problems; they only need a normal temperature in the brooder and high-quality feeding. But incubation development is difficult. Due to the strength of the shell, young animals do not always have the opportunity to get out of the egg in time and the breeder should help them with this. To do this, you need to follow several rules:

In the second half of the incubation period, eggs are turned more often to prevent the fruit from sticking to the shell.
Ventilation in the incubator must be constant and good.
Humidity in recent days must be at least 75%. To increase it, if necessary, the eggs are sprayed with water once a day.
By the time the young are hatched, the temperature in the incubator should be no more than 36.9 degrees; for this, a few days before the chicks hatch, it is gradually reduced.
Chicks appear at about 21 days and it is advisable to strictly monitor this process.
If it is clear that the chick cannot get out of the egg, but has already made a hole in the shell, you can help him get rid of it.

You can avoid unnecessary hatching problems by simply entrusting your eggs to a good hen. Chickens of the Maran breed have proven themselves well in this regard, but they will not be able to hatch very many eggs at one time.

The first days of the chicks’ life in the brooder the temperature is set at +30 degrees, and every day it decreases by 2 degrees until it reaches normal temperature environment. From the age of one week, they can be taken outside for a short time to get used to walking. From the age of one month they are transferred to a common chicken coop, at this age they are considered adults.