Although
they are very rare, bantam Marans do exist both in France and in this
country. The French standards specify the following for their bantams:
Same standard and varieties as for the larger ones.
Half the size of the larger ones.
Rings’ diameter: - cock: 16 millimetres; hen : 14 millimetres
Eggs to be hatched: 40 grams, dark-brown shell.
Cock: 1.1 kilo
Hen : 0.9 kilo
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Marans
Bantam, ABA standards
ORIGIN: England.
AMERICAN STATUS: Rare, if at all.
WEIGHTS: Cock: 32 Oz.
Hen: 28 oz. Cockerel: 28
Oz. Pullet: 24 Oz.
Shape of Male
COMB: Single, medium size, straight and upright, set firmly and evenly
on head, with five well defined and evenly serrated points, those in
front and rear shorter than those in middle, blade not closely
following shape of head.
BEAK: Deep and of medium size, well curved.
FACE: Fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.
EYES: Large, prominent, bright.
WATTLES: Medium in size, nicely rounded on lower edge, fine in texture,
free from wrinkles or folds.
EAR LOBES: Elongated oval, fine in structure.
HEAD: Moderately large in comparison to size of bird, round, broad,
carried well up.
NECK: Slightly long, nicely arched.
HACKLE: Copious, flowing well over shoulders, fronts and back.
BACK: Medium length, flat at shoulders, broad over its entire length,
carried nearly horizontal from neck to saddle where there is a graceful
concave sweep to tail.
SADDLE: Feathers long, profuse, covering a portion of wing tips.
TAIL: Main Tail -- medium length, nicely spread, feathers broad,
carried at an angle of 40 degrees above the horizontal. Sickles -- well
curved, covering tops of main tail feathers, following the shape of the
tail. Lesser Sickles & Coverts -- medium length, nicely curved,
abundant.
WINGS: Medium size, closely folded, carried at a slight angle, well
above lower thighs, tips ending slightly short of stern.
Shoulders & Fronts -- concealed by hackle. Bows -- well rounded,
smooth. Coverts -- two clear rows of broad feathers across
the wings. Primaries – medium width and length, held well
up. Secondaries -- medium length, broad, tapering convexly to slightly
short of stern, tips concealed by saddle.
BODY & STERN: Body -- slightly long, broad, deep, keel straight,
extending well, forward and to rear of legs. Stern -- fluff; rather
full, medium length.
LEGS & TOES: Legs -- set well apart, straight when viewed from
front. Lower Thighs -- large, medium length, well feathered, fleshy at
top and tapering neatly to hocks. Shanks -- medium length, well
rounded, stout , neatly scaled. Spurs -- medium length, stout at base,
set low. Toes -- four, medium length, straight, well and evenly spread.
APPEARANCE: Alert, upright, bold.
Shape of Female
COMB: Single, medium size, straight, smooth, set firmly and evenly on
head, evenly serrated with five distinct points, those in front and
rear smaller than those in middle.
BEAK: Short, stout, well curved.
FACE: Smooth, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.
EYES: Large, round, prominent.
WATTLES: Medium size, well rounded, fine in texture.
EAR LOBES: Medium size, elongated oval, smooth.
HEAD: Slightly large in comparison to size of bird, broad, round.
NECK: Medium length, nicely arched.
HACKLE: Moderately abundant, flowing well over shoulders with a slight
break at juncture of back and neck.
BACK: Medium length, broad its entire length, carried nearly
horizontal, moderate concave incline to tail.
CUSHION: Feathers broad, abundant.
TAIL: Main Tail -- medium length, feathers broad, moderately spread,
carried at an angle of 35 degrees above the horizontal, forming a
slight concave curve to tail. Coverts -- broad, well developed, flowing
well up tail.
WINGS: Medium size, closely folded, carried nearly horizontal, well
above lower thighs, tips ending slightly short of stern. Shoulders
& Fronts -- concealed by breast feathers. Bows -- nicely rounded.
Coverts -- two distinct rows of broad feathers across wing. Primaries
-- medium width and length, concealed by secondaries. Secondaries
-- broad, medium length, tapering convexly to a point just short of the
stern.
BREAST: Broad, full, deep, well fleshed.
BODY & STERN: Body -- rather long, broad, deep, keel straight,
extending well forward and to rear of legs. Stern -- fluff; full and of
medium length.
LEGS & TOES: Legs -- set well apart, straight when viewed from
front. Lower Thighs -- medium length, well feathered, fleshy at top and
tapering neatly to hocks. Shanks -- medium length, stout, neatly
scaled. Toes -- four, medium length, straight, well and evenly spread.
APPERANCE: Alert, active, graceful.
DEFECTS
Coarse, over refined and crow headed -- back sloping to rear -- low
wing carriage -- pinched and/or high tail -- flat or shallow breast --
shallow and narrow bodied -- general coarseness -- superfine bone.
COLOR OF MALE AND FEMALE BY VARIETY
Black Marans
COMB, FACE, WATTLES & EAR LOBES: Red. BEAK: Dusky
horn. EYES: Reddish bay..
SHANKS & TOES: White, dark shading is a defect.
PLUMAGE: Refer to black color description.
Cuckoo Marans
COMB, FACE, WATTLES & EAR LOBES: Red. BEAK: Very
light horn. EYES: Reddish bay
SHANKS & TOES: White. PLUMAGE: Refer to barred as
in cuckoo color description.
Golden Cuckoo Marans
COMB, FACE, WATTLES & EARL LOBES: Red. BEAK: Very
light horn. EYES: Reddish bay.
SHANKS & TOES: White. PLUMAGE: Refer to barred as
in golden cuckoo color description.
Silver Cuckoo Marans
COMB, FACE, WATTLES & EAR LOBES: Red. BEAK: Very
light horn. EYES: Reddish bay.
SHANKES & TOES: White. PLUMAGE: Refer to barred
as in silver cuckoo color description.
Silver Cuckoo Marans
Maran Varieties
(not printed in current 2006 Bantam Standard)
BARRED AS IN GOLDEN CUCKOO PLUMAGE
Color of Male
HEAD: Finely barred with golden and black bars.
NECK: Hackle -- bluish gray with lustrous golden and black bars. Front
of neck -- pale golden, golden and black bars.
BACK: Bluish gray with lustrous golden and black bars, golden fringe
permitted.
TAIL: Main Tail -- dark blue gray barred with black. Sickles, Lesser
Sickles and coverts -- dark blue gray barred with lustrous black.
WINGS: Shoulder, Fronts and Bows -- bluish gray with golden and black
bars; golden fringe permissible. Coverts -- bluish grey with black
bars, golden fringe permissible, forming two distinct bars across
wings. Primaries -- dark blue gray, lightly barred. Secondaries -- dark
blue gray, lightly barred with slight golden fringe.
BREAST: Bluish gray with black bars, pale golden shading on upper part.
BODY & STERN: Body -- bluish gray with black bars. Lower thighs --
bluish gray with medium black barring. Stern -- fluff, same as lower
thighs.
Color of Female
HEAD: Finely barred with golden and black bars.
NECK & HACKLE: Medium bluish gray with golden and black bars.
BACK & CUSHION: Dark bluish grey with black bars.
BREAST: Dark bluish grey with black bars, pale golden shading on upper
part.
REMAINDER OF PLUMAGE: Dark bluish grey with black bars.
BARRED AS IN SILVER CUCKOO PLUMAGE
Color of Male
HEAD: White.
NECK: Hackle -- lustrous silvery white. Front of neck
-- white.
BACK & SADDLE: Lustrous silvery white.
BREAST: Upper part white, lower part barred.
REMAINDER OF PLUMAGE: Bluish white. Each feather barred across with
irregular light and dark bars, the lighter ground color appearing
considerably lighter than the normal cuckoo color pattern. The light
and dark bars should be nearly equal in width and extend throughout the
length of the feathers. Each feather should end in a narrow dark bar.
The bars should continue through the shaft of the feather into the
under fluff. Barring of male sickles and lesser sickles should be
slightly V-shaped.
Color of Female
HEAD: White
NECK & HACKLE: White with some tendency toward barring.
BREAST: Upper part white, lower part barred.
REMAINDER OF PLUMAGE: Barred throughout, with lighter greound color
than the dark cuckoo.
