Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[marchick]

The couple oldest were hatched on new years weekend and then a few every week for a month or so. So they'd be 12-16 weeks roughly? Maybe a few a little younger?



Thank you

he's the one that I'm watching the closest. I like his size, type and color. I think he's the only one that's showing some copper saddle feathers so far. He's one of two from shipped eggs and the only cockerel from them. All the rest are from my own eggs. I'm really hoping for a good group.
You're Right, a lot of the girls are too dark but there are a couple with really nice copper hackles. One has a little tiny bit of mossiness but such a tiny bit that it's hard to see unless you're looking for it. Most of the girls are daughters of the rooster that I had last fall. He was too dark but had good type. Their mother is of ok type with decent hackles.

Thank you everyone for your comments

I'm feeling pretty good about this group!

They are very nice! I hope I get some nice ones out of my 15 chicks.

 

[marchick]

I'm just learning. I'm curious to hear what Don has to say. That one cockerel is gorgeous to me

x2

 

[happyfrenchman]

hi all!
I don't post on here much, I tend to be more of a lurker but I will say that I have learned a ton from reading what you all post and the pictures that you share! I've had Marsns for about 5 years but feel like I'm just starting to understand the breed but with that said I still have newbie questions! so here's one! lately I've been seeing a lot of people post on different groups about their BC's being crossed with Wheaten & hatching out wheaten chicks from BC stock, what would happen if you used the wheaten chicks that were hatched from BC stock in a wheaten program? or if you started a flock out of those wheaten chicks? I have no intention of doing this I'm just very curious as to what would happen? thank you!

Do you have pics of these Wheatens farmgirl?.... I guess you are asking why someone would cross the Wheaten and the Marans..... As you observed... A lot of people say that their Black Copper roosters have wheaten in them (usually referring to the gold halo in the cape feathers.....) The veracity of this I could not say... but I would think the chicks would show it somewhat if the father was half or part wheaten. I think the Wheaten could perhaps be the source of what some people call Mossy chicks.... (reddish brown in the black). I don't think anyone would mix them intentionally at this point. But back in France, where these birds were more common, there was probably a lot more intermixing and a lot less fussiness about parentage by the average chicken raiser.... in this country they are exotic. People try to get them purified... but I imagine it was not always that way in France.

Wheatens are nice looking birds in their own right.... No? What do you think you would get?

 

[farmgirl78]

Do you have pics of these Wheatens farmgirl?.... I guess you are asking why someone would cross the Wheaten and the Marans.....  As you observed...  A lot of people say that their Black Copper roosters have wheaten in them (usually referring to the gold halo in the cape feathers.....) The veracity of this I could not say... but I would think the chicks would show it somewhat if the father was half or part wheaten. I think the Wheaten could perhaps be the source of what some people call Mossy chicks.... (reddish brown in the black).   I don't think anyone would mix them intentionally at this point. But back in France, where these birds were more common, there was probably a lot more intermixing and a lot less fussiness about parentage by the average chicken raiser.... in this country they are exotic. People try to get them purified... but I imagine it was not always that way in France.

Wheatens are nice looking birds in their own right.... No?  What do you think you would get?

Thanks for your thoughts!
I don't actually have any BM that are throwing wheaten chicks but I'm on a lot of forums & FB pages for Marans & it seems as though people are breeding what they believe to be true pure BM but then occasionally a yellow chick hatches out... what I'm curious about is what would happen if you took several of these Wheaten chicks that were hatched from black copper stock grew them out & tried to breed them? I'm still trying to wrap my head around genetics & only understand a little...Would they only show Wheaten or would Black Coppers show up in the hatches? Like I said in my original post I have no intention of doing this! I have a curious mind and would like to know what would happen or how things would work out?

 

[happyfrenchman]

Thanks for your thoughts!
I don't actually have any BM that are throwing wheaten chicks but I'm on a lot of forums & FB pages for Marans & it seems as though people are breeding what they believe to be true pure BM but then occasionally a yellow chick hatches out... what I'm curious about is what would happen if you took several of these Wheaten chicks that were hatched from black copper stock grew them out & tried to breed them? I'm still trying to wrap my head around genetics & only understand a little...Would they only show Wheaten or would Black Coppers show up in the hatches? Like I said in my original post I have no intention of doing this! I have a curious mind and would like to know what would happen or how things would work out?

Thanks for your thoughts!
I don't actually have any BM that are throwing wheaten chicks but I'm on a lot of forums & FB pages for Marans & it seems as though people are breeding what they believe to be true pure BM but then occasionally a yellow chick hatches out... what I'm curious about is what would happen if you took several of these Wheaten chicks that were hatched from black copper stock grew them out & tried to breed them? I'm still trying to wrap my head around genetics & only understand a little...Would they only show Wheaten or would Black Coppers show up in the hatches? Like I said in my original post I have no intention of doing this! I have a curious mind and would like to know what would happen or how things would work out?

Well... like you already observed.... people are saying that they have BCMs and then they get a yellow chick. It is a miracle.... LOL. People get birds they hope are pure but as you have observed, you bring in a cross at your own risk. I think a bird that truly had wheaten in it, would show it. They are red and tan correct? There are other things in there that may not even be Marans.... I have seen a rooster from my own birds that had white cheeks. That is a mediterranean thing. Pendenesenca maybe? Soup..... I had some Blue coppers and some black coppers (hens) from a fellow who had BCMs and I noticed they had yellow legs.... so I gave those away. They still lay a nice dark brown egg for my friends wife who loves them. It is darker than many of mine. But Genetics in general IMO is a total crap shoot. It is interesting to see how you can do on your own. After all they are just chickens. There is likely all kinds of stuff in there genetically. I like them cause they lay a dark egg, and they are nice looking birds. And I like to have a hobby. I have always kept birds. I would like to see your pics if you have any. The Wheatens is to my understanding much less commonly seen. They are probably beautiful in a flock.

 

[chickengr]

Do you have pics of these Wheatens farmgirl?.... I guess you are asking why someone would cross the Wheaten and the Marans..... As you observed... A lot of people say that their Black Copper roosters have wheaten in them (usually referring to the gold halo in the cape feathers.....) The veracity of this I could not say... but I would think the chicks would show it somewhat if the father was half or part wheaten. I think the Wheaten could perhaps be the source of what some people call Mossy chicks.... (reddish brown in the black). I don't think anyone would mix them intentionally at this point. But back in France, where these birds were more common, there was probably a lot more intermixing and a lot less fussiness about parentage by the average chicken raiser.... in this country they are exotic. People try to get them purified... but I imagine it was not always that way in France.

Wheatens are nice looking birds in their own right.... No? What do you think you would get?

my cockerel has some yellowish feathers but he looks like bcm. my pullet is too dark with some nice copper. I got 3 chicks from them: 2 look like perfect bcm and 1 was born with a copper spot on head. that spot is wheaten now and she has wheaten tips on her wing feathers. I think she is going to be like this:


the breeder had some hens like this with his bcm.

I wonder if my pullet is pure bcm and my cockerel is a bc/wheaten marans cross, are my 2 chicks pure bcm? I am not sure if I understand the prunnet square well.

 

[farmgirl78]

Well... like you already observed.... people are saying that they have BCMs and then they get a yellow chick. It is a miracle.... LOL. People get birds they hope are pure but as you have observed, you bring in a cross at your own risk. I think a bird that truly had wheaten in it, would show it. They are red and tan correct? There are other things in there that may not even be Marans.... I have seen a rooster from my own birds that had white cheeks. That is a mediterranean thing. Pendenesenca maybe?  Soup..... I had some Blue coppers and some black coppers (hens) from a fellow who had BCMs and I noticed they had yellow legs.... so I gave those away. They still lay a nice dark brown egg for my friends wife who loves them. It is darker than many of mine. But Genetics in general IMO is a total crap shoot. It is interesting to see how you can do on your own. After all they are just chickens. There is likely all kinds of stuff in there genetically. I like them cause they lay a dark egg, and they are nice looking birds. And I like to have a hobby. I have always kept birds. I would like to see your pics if you have any. The Wheatens is to my understanding much less commonly seen. They are probably beautiful in a flock.

what pictures would you like to see?

 

[happyfrenchman]

I like pictures of a flock, maybe out on some green grass.... A couple roosters looking over the hens. Gives you an idea what a flock is like. Some people like detailed pictures of individual chickens which is fine too. It is hard to get them to pose though.

 

[farmgirl78]

I like pictures of a flock, maybe out on some green grass.... A couple roosters looking over the hens. Gives you an idea what a flock is like. Some people like detailed pictures of individual chickens which is fine too. It is hard to get them to pose though.

I don't have any wheaten Marans in my flock right now. I sold them off several years ago when I wanted to focus more on my Wheaten Ameraucana.
I got to thinking & maybe it's possible that people crossed BC to wheaten to darken the Wheatens egg color? I'm in the process of Adding Silver Ameraucana to my flock & one of my projects for next year is to cross a Silver Cock over some Wheaten hens & then cross the daughters back to the father so that the offspring will have a better egg color, from my limited understanding if I do this the offspring will all show Silver because it is dominant to wheaten... but I'm not sure if that applies to BC & wheaten Marans...
like I said I have a curious mind but unfortunately limited knowledge of genetics

One of my goals this year is to really start understanding genetics so that I can really improve my flocks...

p.s.
I do have lots of pics of my Wheaten Ameraucana but since it's a Marans thread I won't post them! lol

 

[snowbird]

Don, I like the one in the second and third picture. They are the same one right? I don't know anything! You already know that! But I know what I li

Don, I like the one in the second and third picture. They are the same one right? I don't know anything! You already know that! But I know what I like!

I like the male in second pictures. I believe some of the other chicks will feather up more yet. The type on these all looks real nice from what I can see in the picture. These dark female work great for breeders if you use the right male over them. This is another example of why we should double mate the BC Marans.Are these your strain or from someone else.