Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[volusiachickens]

 

[dutchbunny83]

To me it looks like the offspring of a cuckoo marans and a blue copper marans.
There's definitely some blue in the coloring but the barred pattern is from cuckoo marans.
Either way, it's a pretty bird, I have never seen one like it.
I don't know what you would get as offspring though because the roo looks mixed.
Could be fun to experiment with
I'm surprised the legs are clean

 

[volusiachickens]

I thank you again...I think I will experiment with him till I get my hands on some good stock, at least my hen seems ok. More pics of her..she has more feathers on her dark legs but hard to see in photos.. Love this site!

 

[volusiachickens]

She seems to have one white feather tucked under or on her wing. Is that bad?

 

[Chad Cool]

Hello y'all I just got 6 Marans 3 blues & 3 black. I have a rooster of each I also have 2 Cuckoo Marans 1 hen & 1 rooster. I'm looking to do some showing like at fairs and chicken shows so an help y'all can give me would be greatly Appreciated. I have never showed any animal and this is all for my daughter. I would love to learn about breeding for that prefect chicken. I do plan on expanding my folk so what kinda bator do y'all recommend? I will post pictures tomorrow of my boys and girls along with there new coop. Thanks for taking the the time to read and help the newbie out.

 

[rexy]

Hello y'all I just got 6 Marans 3 blues & 3 black. I have a rooster of each I also have 2 Cuckoo Marans 1 hen & 1 rooster. I'm looking to do some showing like at fairs and chicken shows so an help y'all can give me would be greatly Appreciated. I have never showed any animal and this is all for my daughter. I would love to learn about breeding for that prefect chicken. I do plan on expanding my folk so what kinda bator do y'all recommend? I will post pictures tomorrow of my boys and girls along with there new coop. Thanks for taking the the time to read and help the newbie out.

Hi Chad. you are starting with a bang.

That blue roo in your avatar has a very impressively large comb.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Hi Chad!

I don't have much advice on exhibition since I've never done it, but QUARANTINE your birds EVERY time you bring them back from any type of show or whatever for 30 days before letting them re-join the other chickens. There is SO much that can be picked up at these events that is highly contageous and can even be fatal. I've known people that have ended up losing entire flocks by not doing this.

Also, I can't be much help on exactly how to "perfect" the breed, but it does take several generations. You must cull birds that don't have the darkest eggs, the fullest shank feathers, etc. Which if your daughter is doing this it may be hard to keep having to kill birds that are fine just because they don't contribute to making the perfect chicken (this is the main reason I don't show or breed, I just have them for pets. I couldn't kill something just because it wasn't the best).

Finally, I do have some advice on an incubator. You really don't need an expensive one, it's all about maintaining the temperature and humidity. I know people who have made their own, though that seemed risky to me. I bought the basic Farm Innovations model for like $45 and it's worked great for me! After the first couple hatches I did add the automatic egg turner (which I think was another $30-$40 can't remember exactly). The egg turner is a lot more convenient, but you have to watch the temp so it doesn't get too high and don't place eggs right around the motor.

Best of luck to you!!!

 

[dutchbunny83]

I thank you again...I think I will experiment with him till I get my hands on some good stock, at least my hen seems ok. More pics of her..she has more feathers on her dark legs but hard to see in photos.. Love this site!

Do you know how old she is?
I have some 10 week old blue marans that looks just like your pullet with the amount of red in the face and small wattles, but she doesn't have a tail like that yet.
She is a tricky bird, keeps me guessing for sure on her gender!!!
By the way, pretty girl!

 

[DMRippy]

Hi Chad!

I don't have much advice on exhibition since I've never done it, but QUARANTINE your birds EVERY time you bring them back from any type of show or whatever for 30 days before letting them re-join the other chickens.  There is SO much that can be picked up at these events that is highly contageous and can even be fatal.  I've known people that have ended up losing entire flocks by not doing this.

Also, I can't be much help on exactly how to "perfect" the breed, but it does take several generations.  You must cull birds that don't have the darkest eggs, the fullest shank feathers, etc.  Which if your daughter is doing this it may be hard to keep having to kill birds that are fine just because they don't contribute to making the perfect chicken (this is the main reason I don't show or breed, I just have them for pets.  I couldn't kill something just because it wasn't the best).

Finally, I do have some advice on an incubator.  You really don't need an expensive one, it's all about maintaining the temperature and humidity.  I know people who have made their own, though that seemed risky to me.  I bought the basic Farm Innovations model for like $45 and it's worked great for me!  After the first couple hatches I did add the automatic egg turner (which I think was another $30-$40 can't remember exactly).  The egg turner is a lot more convenient, but you have to watch the temp so it doesn't get too high and don't place eggs right around the motor.

Best of luck to you!!!

culling does not always mean KILLING a chick or chicken. can just mean move them to a layer flock....at my place usually means they will NOT be in my BREEDING PENS.

 

[dutchbunny83]

culling does not always mean KILLING a chick or chicken. can just mean move them to a layer flock....at my place usually means they will NOT be in my BREEDING PENS.

That's good!!!

The people I know who do it, have to kill the chickens. They spend several generations picking only the top birds if they were to keep all the others there wouldn't be space. You figure that's probably a good few hundred chickens over the years..... plus a lot of extra roosters