🐣🐥Black Copper Marans and Whiting True Blues. Lots of videos🎥

[TexasBlues]

Now the flock consists of 2 BCM pullets and 4 wtb pullets with 1 wtb cockerel.
The Marans and true blues have been co-mingling in the yard for a few months, but they use 2 separate coops at night. I’ve got them all together in the big coop today. I added some saw horses so the little ones can get away from the bigs.
I think I’ll try to keep them locked up for a day or 2 while I fix some areas in the backyard fence where the true blues have been getting into the neighbor’s yard. The cockerel is good about staying close so he’s loose in the yard while the hens work out their social status in the coop/run.
Not long after I killed the big rooster, the true blue cockerel was grabbing and mounting the older marans hens.
Btw the rooster was delicious, I simmered him for 3 hours in the Dutch oven and made chicken noodle soup. Feet and all.
I’m collecting pretty much 2 eggs a day from the 2 marans so I will wait til I have 8-12 then fire up the incubator. I’d like to hatch another 4-6 BCM pullets to add to the flock.
Hopefully they will continue to lay eggs fertilized with the BCM rooster’s sperm. The first 10 eggs I’ve eaten looked fertile to me, some were hard to see though.

 

[TexasBlues]

I’ve got 14 bcm eggs and 12 of the mixed colors in the incubator.
I picked up the mixed eggs from a local farm called Hilltop Homestead. They have brilliant colors and blooms.
Bigger than my pullets’ eggs also.
I really like the golden green color of the moss egger and the pink eggs have some purple speckles that are unique looking.

 

[TexasBlues]

Dear Chicken Diary, it’s me again.
The WTB chickens have been integrating into the same coop for about 2 weeks now.
The WTB rooster has taken over the 2 marans hens now that I killed the last marans rooster. The WTB is rough with the WTB pullets though and they run from him. The marans hens follow him around and he covers them a few times a day. He tidbits and smooth talks them.

The eggs are going well, the incubator is holding temps better than normal. I’m thinking it’s because of the larger number of eggs in there.

 

[TexasBlues]

I candled the eggs tonight at day 4 and could see the classic spider shape in all but 1 egg. I’m taking that single marans egg out of the incubator. That sure would be a success if 25 chicks hatch.
The olive egg was the hardest to candle and then the darkest marans, but they all were visible with the incubright light.

 

[TexasBlues]

1st egg from the true blues today at about 18 weeks of age.

 

[wrathsfarm]

1st egg from the true blues today at about 18 weeks of age.
View attachment 3802245

Those are some gorgeous eggs..congrats

 

[wrathsfarm]

Curious what color egg that FOE is...looks tan/beige to me? Very interested to see that one hopefully hatch. I need some fibros in my mixed flock...

 

[TexasBlues]

The fibro olive egger is the circled one with light speckling. It’s a little more green than the photo shows. These six eggs are relatively drab greenish khaki. I couldn’t get the color just right in the photo.
The person I got them from said these hens were covered by 2 fibro roosters carrying the blue gene and 1 other rooster, I think she said Easter egger but can’t remember right now. I am planning only keeping the pullets from these mixed eggs. I wouldn’t mind keeping BCM rooster from my eggs… if I get a good one.

Those are some gorgeous eggs..congrats

Thanks! I really enjoy the Marans eggs, they are top notch. My girls have layed about 2 dozen or so eggs each and I think the colors are stabilizing.

 

[wrathsfarm]

The fibro olive egger is the circled one with light speckling. It’s a little more green than the photo shows. These six eggs are relatively drab greenish khaki. I couldn’t get the color just right in the photo.
The person I got them from said these hens were covered by 2 fibro roosters carrying the blue gene and 1 other rooster, I think she said Easter egger but can’t remember right now. I am planning only keeping the pullets from these mixed eggs. I wouldn’t mind keeping BCM rooster from my eggs… if I get a good one.
View attachment 3814049

Thanks! I really enjoy the Marans eggs, they are top notch. My girls have layed about 2 dozen or so eggs each and I think the colors are stabilizing.

Yes, it's hard getting pic colors. I notice my Marans eggs always seem lighter in pics than in real life.
And you may have a better chance this time with a roo in with the older girls. I hope you get a good one, it was a shame you had to cull the others. Would've been neat to see them grow out.
When is your expected hatch date?

 

[TexasBlues]

Monday is hatch day. Today they went in lockdown. I upped the humidity to 67% and unplugged the turner. I have been thoroughly impressed with the incubator holding close to 99.5 the whole time. The first 2 hatches in this $30 incubator, I was having to adjust daily for swings in temp but I’ve only touched it maybe 2x this time.
I’m excited to see if all the marans chicks are purebred from the BCM rooster or if the Whiting rooster sired some of the chicks. I started collecting the eggs the day after the BCM rooster was culled. If the WTB rooster did sire some chicks, there should be some barred chicks.
Btw I am very happy with the WTB rooster right now. He doesn’t crow a lot, isn’t very loud either. He follows the Marans hens 24/7 and is relatively gentle now when he mounts them too. He has pecked at my wife and mother in law’s legs, but nothing serious right now. I imagine the next rooster in line will be even better.