Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[gilavina]

A few of the hens in the blue/black/splash copper breeding pen. Hope to have chicks to show in about 12 or 13 days..... its hard to be patient

 

[rainbowhatchery]

cant really talk about blue without talking about splash since most people use splash to create 100% blue chicks.

 

[Penumbra]

Hi, First post on backyard. I picked up 30 Marans chicks from a small hatchery two weeks ago. The order consisted of copper blue/black/spash but I was told I could also get wheaten. I was told that wheaten and copper were bred separately. Most of what I got visually fit nicely as one or the other (at least at this early stage), but I have a few that don't. I have gone through all 152 pages of this forum and some of the wheaten forum, but it would be nice to get some thoughts from those of you with experience on these off-types. I haven't decided how I will breed going forward (SOP, egg color, focus on blue coppers, or just keep a crazy mix) but the first step for me is to understand what I might be dealing with genetically. I was told that the hatchery purchased their Marans a couple of years ago from a breeder focused on show quality. I realize the quality can quickly break down if you switch to production breeding and don't cull heavy, but this is what I got right now, and its been fun learning so far. Here's three of the ones that have different coloring so far (apart from the blues coming in various shades)--any comments are appreciated. The first 6 photos are of a cockerel (vent sexed), the next 3 of a chocolate colored pullet with barring on the wings, and the last 3 of a 2nd pullet with less barring, but certainly not SOP for a black copper. Thanks!

 

[desertmarcy]

Hi, First post on backyard. I picked up 30 Marans chicks from a small hatchery two weeks ago. The order consisted of copper blue/black/spash but I was told I could also get wheaten. I was told that wheaten and copper were bred separately. Most of what I got visually fit nicely as one or the other (at least at this early stage), but I have a few that don't. I have gone through all 152 pages of this forum and some of the wheaten forum, but it would be nice to get some thoughts from those of you with experience on these off-types. I haven't decided how I will breed going forward (SOP, egg color, focus on blue coppers, or just keep a crazy mix) but the first step for me is to understand what I might be dealing with genetically. I was told that the hatchery purchased their Marans a couple of years ago from a breeder focused on show quality. I realize the quality can quickly break down if you switch to production breeding and don't cull heavy, but this is what I got right now, and its been fun learning so far. Here's three of the ones that have different coloring so far (apart from the blues coming in various shades)--any comments are appreciated. The first 6 photos are of a cockerel (vent sexed), the next 3 of a chocolate colored pullet with barring on the wings, and the last 3 of a 2nd pullet with less barring, but certainly not SOP for a black copper. Thanks!

I was hoping someone else would comment on these chicks. They do not look like any Blue Coppers I've ever hatched. I highly suspect they are mixed breed. That all copper head at such a young age, the coloring on the wings, even the head shape...something just doesn't look "Maran-ish" to me. I would like to know other's opinions.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Hi, First post on backyard. I picked up 30 Marans chicks from a small hatchery two weeks ago. The order consisted of copper blue/black/spash but I was told I could also get wheaten. I was told that wheaten and copper were bred separately. Most of what I got visually fit nicely as one or the other (at least at this early stage), but I have a few that don't. I have gone through all 152 pages of this forum and some of the wheaten forum, but it would be nice to get some thoughts from those of you with experience on these off-types. I haven't decided how I will breed going forward (SOP, egg color, focus on blue coppers, or just keep a crazy mix) but the first step for me is to understand what I might be dealing with genetically. I was told that the hatchery purchased their Marans a couple of years ago from a breeder focused on show quality. I realize the quality can quickly break down if you switch to production breeding and don't cull heavy, but this is what I got right now, and its been fun learning so far. Here's three of the ones that have different coloring so far (apart from the blues coming in various shades)--any comments are appreciated. The first 6 photos are of a cockerel (vent sexed), the next 3 of a chocolate colored pullet with barring on the wings, and the last 3 of a 2nd pullet with less barring, but certainly not SOP for a black copper. Thanks!

These do not look like any pure variety of Marans to me. You might be able to get some nice olive eggers from them if egg color is dark enough, but I would not waste the time to grow them out if you decide to breed toward SOP.

 

[snowbird]

Answering a question on these chicks is much like standing on the firing line waiting for orders to fire. I will look forward to some answers. Don

 

[Penumbra]

Those 3 chicks are the extreme anomolies, but that does represent 10% of what I got so I ponder whether there is hidden stuff in the genotype of the others that may or may not be expressed in phenotype as they grow out. SOP aside, I wonder where the color patterning may be coming from. All are leg feathered. In theory, could it result from a mix of coppers and wheaton marans?

 

[DMRippy]

Those 3 chicks are the extreme anomolies, but that does represent 10% of what I got so I ponder whether there is hidden stuff in the genotype of the others that may or may not be expressed in phenotype as they grow out. SOP aside, I wonder where the color patterning may be coming from. All are leg feathered. In theory, could it result from a mix of coppers and wheaton marans?

Not from wheatEns. That color would not show the first cross. Really there is no telling what the mix was. There are not good shots to show the whole chicks. My first thought when I saw them was that I was on my BLRW thread, the coloring looked more like those chicks would look.

Personally I would assume they are all not really pure Marans.

 

[Penumbra]

Looking through some of the other Marans threads, I see a couple of examples of similar patterning, described as mossiness (leaking of the copper). Might that be part of what I am seeing in these juvenile feathers (in the two pullets anyway)?

 

[snowbird]

Looking through some of the other Marans threads, I see a couple of examples of similar patterning, described as mossiness (leaking of the copper). Might that be part of what I am seeing in these juvenile feathers (in the two pullets anyway)?

Look on my profile page and you will see some wheaten--BC Marans I hatched to show what happens when you cross them.