Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[sonew123]

Quote:
I think I will take this challenege on. ..

1st hatching 4/ 4 roos 0/4 hens
2nd hatching 7/ 16 roos 9/16 hens

3rd hatching ? ? ? ? ? I'll let you know. I am on a roll - - - somebody better stop me . . . . I LOVE little fluffy butts!
At some point in time, those famous home interior decorators are going to recognize how important
it is to have a kiddie pool for of chicks in your living room in the dead of winter

OK I think I have you all beat
My hatches ( not BCM's)
24/31 roos!!!!! 1 batch

out of 12- 8 roos next batch
out of 7- 5 roos!

the list goes on and on and I have been labeled queen of roos! rediculously picked on for it too-yet-when I ship eggs people are always getting back to me the high percentage of girls they get compared to boys??? whatev!!

This is a new year and Im praying my results turn the other way!

 

[VillageChicken]

Two things:
I read on this thread someone commenting about keeping a rooster because it came from the darkest egg that their hen layed that season. Is there a prevailing impressing that a rooster hatched from a darker egg will produce darker laying offspring than the other roosters that same hen produces but hatched from lighter eggs?

Geebs: Hen strategy wouldn't change, they're already pretty close to dark slate. Roosters are a different story. Let me chew on that one a bit. You don't want to have to start all over just to fix shank color.

 

[geebs]

Sonew123... can I order eggs from you??? (I don't have enough roosters)... LOL

Wow.. lets see some pix!!!

 

[pinkchick]

LoL! It's early and I'm still on my first cup of java.

 

[geebs]

Villagechicken... I feel honored to know you...

Absolutely the color of the rooster's hatching egg is the cornerstone of the flock... It is IMPERATIVE that you make a choice based on the color of the egg he hatched from... This means that you will likely have to hatch quite a few darkies to get a bird with good conformation... also the next thing on the checklist... and then thirdly we should be looking to balance the colors.

LoL! It's early and I'm still on my first cup of java.

Slacker!!!!

Villagechicken:.... 'While you are stewing on things.. Tell me this... If we keep the breeding strategy with the dark slate for the males and as you say the breeding strategy for females doesn't change... Wont that end up Polluting the lines further or allowing for pollution to create the morphed ideal cockerel? What breeding strategy would work for the male? I can only see that the use of the current hidden genes will be needed to create the "ideal" overmelanised male and it will be impossible to discern due to the factor itself?... or am I overthinking it???​

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:
Slacker!!!!

No, I mean my hen bessie lays 10 eggs, all from the same roo over her. Some of these 10 eggs are darker than the others. Are the genes of the roosters in the darker eggs any different than the ones in the lighter eggs? My biology 101 says the genes will all be the same! The fertilized egg inside doesn't know what his momma's oviduct is doing when producing the shell!

 

[geebs]

Your 101 would be correct...

However when they are in the bator....it is a good practice to use the darkies for good measure... But who has light egg laying hens anyway!!! LOL

Furthermore... you should send all the lighter ones to me.. providing the hens has a good proven performance record!!!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Slacker!!!!

No, I mean my hen bessie lays 10 eggs, all from the same roo over her. Some of these 10 eggs are darker than the others. Are the genes of the roosters in the darker eggs any different than the ones in the lighter eggs? My biology 101 says the genes will all be the same! The fertilized egg inside doesn't know what his momma's oviduct is doing when producing the shell!

Agreed! I believe the genes are the same.........I set some eggs last year from one hen that were on the lighter end of the scale, but still at the very least a 4, I also set some of her darker eggs as well. I did this so I could see if the offsprings eggs would be lighter yet.....nope......the girls that hatched from the lighter colored eggs, lay a nice egg that is darker than the ones that they hatched from, the pullets that hatched from that hens darker eggs lay about the same color as the eggs they hatched from. I crossed a dark egg gened rooster over that hen.

 

[pinkchick]

Now....when we are discussing lighter shanks are we talking the white looking shanks or are we talking the light grayish/pale looking shanks that almost appear whiteish, but are not white?

 

[VillageChicken]

Thanks. Yeah, I got the impression that some folks (especially newbies) thought they shouldn't hatch the eggs from the lighter end of their hen's cycle.