Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[snowbird]

Kim, I will never have the number of fowl I had in the past, but will try and be more ready to cull each hatch to just a few keepers. I can cage 250 large fowl in single pens until they mature. Will just use small breeding flock so I can single mate.

I think I have told you before that I do not use pullets for breeding once I get my flock set. They have to live through one winter before I breed them. Will put down in writing the method I use so anyone that wants can try the method.

 

[jendodd79]

Here's my blue copper marans pullet! She just started laying this week. The breeder is working on sold blues, so we got the pleasure of bringing her home. Her name is Eloise and she's pretty lovely! This is from when we first brought her home over Christmas and she was awfully muddy. Her comb and wattles have reddened up. I'm just learning about genetics and body shape, so I'd love a critique, so I can start learning more!

Bumping because I'm really curious to salutary learning about what is good and bad about my Pullets!

 

[austyn_stephenson]

Here is my new starting flock of Blue Copper Marans! Super excited to start breeding these wonderful birds and can't wait to help make the breed better!

 

[dutchbunny83]

I've wanted a blue copper maran for awhile, and could never find chicks so decided to try to incubate.
I got a basic incubator for like $50 from TSC.
We bought 4 blue copper maran mail order eggs, and only one hatched, but it's a cutie!

 

[pinkchick]

i hope this helps im not very good at takeing pics and worse on my cell phone

but i spoke to the breeder and she said that the black copper that they have do have some blue in their backgraound and every now and then one of them pops up. they even offered to trade the 2 chicks for some more but i like these and want to see how they turn out. but i hope this pic. is better but not sure

Thanks for the extra photos. She is still young and her comb will start getting bigger pretty soon but it will seem slow going, until she starts laying or just before she starts, blammo...it seems overnight they instantly have a comb. She has lovely hackles. I have copper hackle envy of everyone right now, it is one of my primary focus' in this years breedings. To touch on the blue being in the background and every now and then a blue pops up. There must be a blue bird there now and currently being bred or a blue bird cannot be produced. My guess is that the breeder has a blue bird that is so dark blue that the blue actually appears black. I have for very near 5 years been working with Blue Coppers and been working with this very dark blue that appears black. I had a male (was suppose to be Black Copper) that was dark blue- looked black and I used him as the patriarch rooster in my Marans, it can still be tricky from time to time discerning the very dark blue from the black. Blue can vary, from a very light blue... to the so dark it looks "black" blue. When these very dark blue birds are bred to a black bird they can produce more blue birds that appear black and not knowing how the blue gene works or how to spot it on maturing birds, it is very easy to think they are all black birds. If this young gal came from Black Copper parents....guaranteed one of the parents is not Black Copper, but Blue Copper. When the breeder thinks one is just popping up every now and then, it's only because the shade of blue came through a lighter blue so it was noticed.

 

[pinkchick]

wow thanx

im gonna save this because i know i will have to reread it a few times lol thanx again

Your welcome! Don't ever stop asking questions if you have them. No worries on rereading...........I am still rereading everything many times and then many times again. Sometimes, more often than not, it takes many trips around the inside of the ol' cheerio (my brain) for me to get it. Seems the only time it comes easy for me is when it is written in crayon. This is an awesome place this BYC and lots of great folks willing to take us newbies under their wings and advise and guide us with their expertise and experiences.

 

[pinkchick]

Okay Mr. Don....we have got an answer!


Yes, a blue can happen from 2 white parents.


Quoting my friend Henk69. I often ask Henk for help when I am stumped and can't quite grasp things genetically, what a great guy and always very helpful in putting big terms in to smaller terms where I can put 1 and 1 together. Thanks again Henk!


"White (both rec. and dom.) can hide blue, so if one parent is heterozygous dom. white then this can happen."




Will get you some info now about crossing the blue to the white.

 

[pinkchick]

Ok, thanks

Donna is right, I was not sexing them by leg color, I was guessing their gender based on how they are growing out and how they look.

Dark or light legs can happen on either sex.

 

[MeanV2]

Katie, This thread has been pretty active until we posted pics. Maybe everyone is gone on vacation or maybe they just don't know either.

Dan

 

[slick4591]

Katie, #1 is a pullet and the others need better pics for me to guess.