Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[jphendrix]

same chick











These are pics of each of my chicks. I have 2 of the same one. What do ya'll think they are?

 

[chicken pickin]

So there are 7 chicks total?

None of them look like marans, maybe chick number 5 but Im thinking you have an entire group of mix breeds.

Chicks 2, 3, and 6 look like roosters
Chicks 1, 4, 5, and 7 so far look like pullets

 

[jphendrix]

Bummer!!!

 

[AandAranch]

I haven't noticed this trait in this breed. I find that all my males feather in at the same rate, sometimes faster than the pullets. I always go by early comb development, males tend to show themselves very early,. I typically start noticing males at by 2 weeks of age.

Okay. Thanks. I'll keep that mind once I start breeding them.

 

[sol2go]

same chick











These are pics of each of my chicks. I have 2 of the same one. What do ya'll think they are?

I think I see a crest or two? With the barring they could be marans x cream legbars.

 

[Runawaylobster]

Quote:
well it would be hard to say exactly but speculatively ...... i am thinking they might be the product of a blue copper female crossed with either a flaming orange/copper male OR a wheaten male (blue or black) mistakenly identified as a blue or black copper . After all they told you they were marans... soo... here i go speculating again LOL!!!

 

[jphendrix]

Yea, and they are from a breeder around here, wonder if the feed store got them mixed up? Maybe I will end up getting some pure! I sure hope so, I so want to start breeding pure breeds instead of mixes.

 

[blackbirds13]

My pullets are laying- the dark one is my first egg from my Marans pullets. The eggs were from Wynette. Can't say how psyched I am to start hatching this spring. The others are either Jubilee, Barnevelders or Splash Marans and a Cream Legbar. Gonna post this elsewhere. To excited to keep it to myself. Thanks for the great eggs Wynette!!

ETA: Would it be a good idea to use my BCM boy from the same eggs over my Splash girls to make a blue rooster and blue hens. What would be the best route to creating a blue flock? Should I then take the blue boys over the black and Splash hens or the BCM over his blue daughters and my original Splash hens. Or take my Splash boy over everyone - black, blue and splash?
I think I am starting to think I need two more pens but so do not want to get too big again. I love the blacks but don't want to keep a lot of birds overwinter so I am thinking more and more that blue/splash is the way to go and then concentrate on type and egg color.

 

[sol2go]

My pullets are laying- the dark one is my first egg from my Marans pullets. The eggs were from Wynette. Can't say how psyched I am to start hatching this spring. The others are either Jubilee, Barnevelders or Splash Marans and a Cream Legbar. Gonna post this elsewhere. To excited to keep it to myself. Thanks for the great eggs Wynette!!

ETA: Would it be a good idea to use my BCM boy from the same eggs over my Splash girls to make a blue rooster and blue hens. What would be the best route to creating a blue flock? Should I then take the blue boys over the black and Splash hens or the BCM over his blue daughters and my original Splash hens. Or take my Splash boy over everyone - black, blue and splash?
I think I am starting to think I need two more pens but so do not want to get too big again. I love the blacks but don't want to keep a lot of birds overwinter so I am thinking more and more that blue/splash is the way to go and then concentrate on type and egg color.

I can appreciate the need to limit scope and have faced that same need to prioritize. I guess I'm focused on the egg color and am satisfied with two pens of mixed blue and black coppers at this point. Does anyone think the egg color takes longer to develop than the feather options?

 

[pinkchick]

in the discussion for early "tells", does anyone have thoughts on tail feathers being indicative of boys or girls?

Usually, females tend to feather faster than males, however, by the age of 10 days to 2 weeks, these small distinctions are no longer noticeable. Many will say that this natural trait is not natural and is bred for....I say yes and no. I bred my birds specifically for the fast slow feathering genes, once I figured out which males and females to use over each other to keep the trait strong and true. Now....I also raised Welsummers and Wellies are sexable at hatch due to color and pattern characteristics, I would hatch babies from Marans and Wellies at the same time and study them as they grew out. I did not breed my Wellies for the fast/slow feathering genes.....the females and males from both breeds all showed the same natural characteristics, females from both breeds feathered in faster than the males. In my experience, females tail feathers, primary and secondary flights and shoulder feathers will start to show earlier than males and as I stated above, by about 2 weeks these differences are less noticeable because the boys catch up. Then again, by this age the males combs are usually a dead give away. Now...all that said, there are some males that fool a person for a long time....til they crow.