Photos sous licence Creative Commons
type http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr CC by sa
The Columbian variety
|This old Marans variety which is
described and recognized in the breed standard, has
become one of the most rare variety today if not one of
those which have nearly disappear.
Even though it has summarly been described for a long time, this variety has never undergone and important development and in this respect we have to resign ourselves to deplore the absence of photographic testimonies about it.
The photo above dates back to 1931 and to date the MCF has nothing better.
From the plumage aspect and quality point of view, the phenotype of the Columbian Marans of origin is close to the phenotype of the original Bourbourg (which is its cousin).
|Moreover, their genotypes are
apparently different because according to the standard,
the Columbian (ermined) Marans, for its part, has a white
(or light) secondary plumage from the presence of the (Ewh)
or (ey), (S) and (co) factors whereas the Bourbourg (as
well as the Bourbonnaises, Brahma and Sussex…) have
the (Eb), (S) and (co) genes from which depend the
presence of a gray secondary color on the back.
presence of the white under plumage of the Columbian
Marans of the original standard to demonstrate the totale
absence of all origin in the real genetic "partridge"
So the ermined Marans might belong to the dominating (Ewh) wheat family if not the recessive (ey) wheat family accompanied by the (co) genes. As for the (S) genes, it is a matter of the present factor notably in the Silver-Cuckoo, the Silver-salmon and the Silver-black (Birchen variety).
The recessive (co) genes (like Columbian) reduce the black distribution zone in the feathers which new show itself only on the hackle, the tail, the wing remexs and possibly a little bit in the tarses feather. Moreover, (co) suppresses the sexual dimorphism to such an extent that the cocks and the hens see the distribution of their plumage color to be identical.
Finally, we must underline the fact that these genes modify the black and white distribution on the feathers i.e the marks divided into coherent drawing representing summarly a black spearhead with a white border or edge and not the contrary.
When it is
associated with the dominating wheat gene (Ewh), and when there
is no silver characteristic (S), the (co) reducing factor allows
to obtain the "fawn ermined with black tail" variety (called
"Buff Columbian" ).
See also the Marans official standard: Columbian variety
THE OFFICIAL VARIETIES OF THE CURRENT STANDARD
OTHER VARIETIES NOT APPROVED YET