International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[chickengr]

Here's pics that the wife got all together. Any thoughts, opinions, and suggestion are surely welcome.
She says her favorites are with the feather wreath, I like them all lol. View attachment 3762637View attachment 3762638View attachment 3762639View attachment 3762642View attachment 3762641View attachment 3762642View attachment 3762643

you should enter some photo contest!

 

[wrathsfarm]

This big guy is 20 weeks now and has found his voice.

View attachment 3762702

Handsome fella...
Post more pics when you can. Or a video

 

[wrathsfarm]

you should enter some photo contest!

Well thank you, that means the world
All the credit goes to my wonderful wife....

 

[Tstraub]

I plan to collect eggs for hatching this week then set eggs on Tuesday. I was kinda hoping to do it for Easter but with my work schedule hatch on Tuesday means I’ll be home to enjoy the hatching process. I have been down to just one rooster for 2 weeks. I know that 2 weeks still leaves some doubt in who the sire is but do to upcoming obligations I would like to get started now.

My Marans eggs are just barely coming to normal size and only about 2 eggs a week out of each of the girls. I’m trying to decide if I should bother setting Marans now or just waiting and doing the Marans later when I can do a whole batch of just Marans.

I want to set some BCMxBR for the sex linked chicks and some eggs from any of my girls that carry a blue egg gene for OE chicks. Since those are mixed breeds anyway it’s not a big deal if it’s the wrong sire I’ll still get some sort of egg layer or chicken dinner out of whatever hatches.

I’ll attach updated pictures of the Marans I’m looking for options are these Marans decent enough to breed towards SOP or should I concentrate more on colored egg layers and possibly seek better stock for a Marans project.

Axl

Axl and Gena she is a Jersey Giant not a Marans. Penny is peeking in the lower left

Black Betty and Copper Penny

Betty

Penny, she has always looked kinda small and her head looks too small for her body

Penny and Betty

Yesterday’s eggs Penny’s top of picture a on the small size but more regular shape. Betty’s bottom of picture more rounded and larger

 

[wrathsfarm]

I plan to collect eggs for hatching this week then set eggs on Tuesday. I was kinda hoping to do it for Easter but with my work schedule hatch on Tuesday means I’ll be home to enjoy the hatching process. I have been down to just one rooster for 2 weeks. I know that 2 weeks still leaves some doubt in who the sire is but do to upcoming obligations I would like to get started now.

My Marans eggs are just barely coming to normal size and only about 2 eggs a week out of each of the girls. I’m trying to decide if I should bother setting Marans now or just waiting and doing the Marans later when I can do a whole batch of just Marans.

I want to set some BCMxBR for the sex linked chicks and some eggs from any of my girls that carry a blue egg gene for OE chicks. Since those are mixed breeds anyway it’s not a big deal if it’s the wrong sire I’ll still get some sort of egg layer or chicken dinner out of whatever hatches.

I’ll attach updated pictures of the Marans I’m looking for options are these Marans decent enough to breed towards SOP or should I concentrate more on colored egg layers and possibly seek better stock for a Marans project.

Axl
View attachment 3764815

Axl and Gena she is a Jersey Giant not a Marans. Penny is peeking in the lower left
View attachment 3764817

Black Betty and Copper Penny
View attachment 3764819

Betty
View attachment 3764822

Penny, she has always looked kinda small and her head looks too small for her body
View attachment 3764825

Penny and Betty
View attachment 3764818

Yesterday’s eggs Penny’s top of picture a on the small size but more regular shape. Betty’s bottom of picture more rounded and larger
View attachment 3764829

I'm not an expert and want to tell you one way or another on breeding your Marans or who to mate up for best results.
I can tell you that @Chooks man says "we work with what we have". It depends on how attached you are to your birds, or want to cull them and start over.

My thoughts on hatching your hens eggs now is only going to confuse you more if they are not 'cleaned' out from your other roos. I have hens here that I don't know the sire or dam and it's frustrating. Hence the reason I'm marking eggs and test hatching.
I'm setting eggs sometime here soon, I've got 29 eggs waiting but some are older than 2 weeks so I'm hoping to get a few more from Joannie this week, then set them.
If you do decide to set Tuesday I may be able to set also. We could do a double hatch day!!

Good luck with whatever decision you make, bud.

 

[wrathsfarm]

These are the eggs I've got to set so far. Notice where Joannie took a break for 2 weeks? Trying to get a few more from her before I set.

 

[Tstraub]

I'm not an expert and want to tell you one way or another on breeding your Marans or who to mate up for best results.
I can tell you that @Chooks man says "we work with what we have". It depends on how attached you are to your birds, or want to cull them and start over.

My thoughts on hatching your hens eggs now is only going to confuse you more if they are not 'cleaned' out from your other roos. I have hens here that I don't know the sire or dam and it's frustrating. Hence the reason I'm marking eggs and test hatching.
I'm setting eggs sometime here soon, I've got 29 eggs waiting but some are older than 2 weeks so I'm hoping to get a few more from Joannie this week, then set them.
If you do decide to set Tuesday I may be able to set also. We could do a double hatch day!!

Good luck with whatever decision you make, bud.

I definitely get the work with what you have philosophy but at this point only have 3 birds to work with. I’m not sure that that is enough genetic information to start a healthy bloodline. My incubator will hold somewhere around 2 dozen eggs. I think I’ll collect eggs for a week and see what I get. Then I’ll sort through them to fill the incubator.

 

[chickengr]

I plan to collect eggs for hatching this week then set eggs on Tuesday. I was kinda hoping to do it for Easter but with my work schedule hatch on Tuesday means I’ll be home to enjoy the hatching process. I have been down to just one rooster for 2 weeks. I know that 2 weeks still leaves some doubt in who the sire is but do to upcoming obligations I would like to get started now.

My Marans eggs are just barely coming to normal size and only about 2 eggs a week out of each of the girls. I’m trying to decide if I should bother setting Marans now or just waiting and doing the Marans later when I can do a whole batch of just Marans.

I want to set some BCMxBR for the sex linked chicks and some eggs from any of my girls that carry a blue egg gene for OE chicks. Since those are mixed breeds anyway it’s not a big deal if it’s the wrong sire I’ll still get some sort of egg layer or chicken dinner out of whatever hatches.

I’ll attach updated pictures of the Marans I’m looking for options are these Marans decent enough to breed towards SOP or should I concentrate more on colored egg layers and possibly seek better stock for a Marans project.

Axl
View attachment 3764815

Axl and Gena she is a Jersey Giant not a Marans. Penny is peeking in the lower left
View attachment 3764817

Black Betty and Copper Penny
View attachment 3764819

Betty
View attachment 3764822

Penny, she has always looked kinda small and her head looks too small for her body
View attachment 3764825

Penny and Betty
View attachment 3764818

Yesterday’s eggs Penny’s top of picture a on the small size but more regular shape. Betty’s bottom of picture more rounded and larger
View attachment 3764829

axl has a halo so betty is his perfect match. try to hatch as many chicks as you can from them.

 

[chickengr]

I definitely get the work with what you have philosophy but at this point only have 3 birds to work with. I’m not sure that that is enough genetic information to start a healthy bloodline. My incubator will hold somewhere around 2 dozen eggs. I think I’ll collect eggs for a week and see what I get. Then I’ll sort through them to fill the incubator.

mark betty's eggs and put them in some container for the last 3 days when you don't turn them. you can work with penny's eggs as well but expect to get some overcoloured chicks. you can always sell them to someone who wants dark eggs only. or you butcher them. we do need to eat every day, right?

 

[Tstraub]

mark betty's eggs and put them in some container for the last 3 days when you don't turn them. you can work with penny's eggs as well but expect to get some overcoloured chicks. you can always sell them to someone who wants dark eggs only. or you butcher them. we do need to eat every day, right?

Thank you, both Betty and Penny laid on Tuesday then again on Wednesday. That’s the most regular they have ever laid so I guess they are getting things sorted out. Betty is laying good sized eggs just over 2 ounces. Penny is still laying small/medium about 1.5-1.6 ounces. I’ll hold onto Betty’s for the incubator and try to come up with a container to hatch in so I don’t confuse them with the hybrids that I’ll be hatching at the same time