Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[blackbirds13]

I know that breeding splash to splash will give 100% splash, and that continuously doing this will lessen the quality. I keep getting requests for "splash eggs" for hatching and I'm wondering if this is just a fad?

I met a woman that does only breed Splash and she claimed no loss of quality and was very proud of her flock. She says her requests for them have increased over time and that she's been breeding them for years. I am curious about this and what exactly the loss of quality would consist of? Since there is no Standard for them and I would be breeding the healthiest and best type possible from each generation I'm assuming that this is in regards to a feather issue. What does one need to look out for in breeding Splash to Splash overtime. I currently have 2 splash pullets and 5 BCM pullets that I'd like to breed and maintain a Splash flock. I don't want to breed blues but will need to do so to increase my splash flock and hopefully the Blacks will help with egg color. In a perfect world I could keep both a Splash and a Black Copper flock.

 

[DMRippy]

color quality. when you breed splash to splash you will lose color. they will fade to almost white after about 3 generation. you can use a blue with them to keep the color nice. but breeding splash to splash will not work out well in the long run.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

color quality. when you breed splash to splash you will lose color. they will fade to almost white after about 3 generation. you can use a blue with them to keep the color nice. but breeding splash to splash will not work out well in the long run.

Thanks, Donna. This is true with most similar colored animals. White Boxers, harlequin Great Danes, etc. will not only lose color but there are genetically linked difficulties (blindness, deafness) from this practice. Horses also have lethal genes connected to the white. I don't know if that is true with chickens.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
I don't KNOW that this is true, but I have heard of Fertility issues with Splash. I had a splash roo when I first got Marans and NEVER got a chick from him. Inbreeding will cause that too. Not sure WHO that roo originally came from. He was nice colored though





This is a splash Cuckoo I had.... wish I still had him. He was really nice.

 

[Viollettt]

My Colette has laid her first egg today. She was hatched June 24th. Making her 25 weeks old. It's sort of highly speckled with very dark color. The egg color itself is also quite dark.

 

[rexy]

My Colette has laid her first egg today. She was hatched June 24th. Making her 25 weeks old. It's sort of highly speckled with very dark color. The egg color itself is also quite dark.

Congrats. Lovely egg from a lovely pullet.

 

[Viollettt]

Congrats. Lovely egg from a lovely pullet.

Thank you. She laid her second egg today. It is a bit darker than the first. It's more the color of the speckles from the first egg. Her darker color just had to get going a little better.



Dark egg on top is her first egg. Darker egg under that one is her second one she laid today. The rest of the eggs are what my other hens laid today.

 

[draye]

Thank you. She laid her second egg today. It is a bit darker than the first. It's more the color of the speckles from the first egg. Her darker color just had to get going a little better.



Dark egg on top is her first egg. Darker egg under that one is her second one she laid today. The rest of the eggs are what my other hens laid today.

Mine darkened up some too, but I still think they are a bit too reddish colored. They look more like a Welsummer's egg in color. I'm going to continue for now with these but just try to find better color layers to add to them.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

I know the answer, but thought I'd ask anyway because over on another thread there is talk of BCM producing wheaten chick color. In the middle of a hatch now and in the group I separated as being just BCM there is a white chick. I probably got an egg mixed up in there from a blue copper X blue copper and it's a splash, but...if this chick doesn't develop splash characteristics what do I have? Can't take photos just yet as still hatching ("back AWAY from the door!").

 

[DMRippy]

yellow would be a wheaten colored chick and splash would be more white/gray colored. post a pic.