BC Marans coloring question?

[futurefarmer08]

Hi I am relatively new, My BC Marans are now 2 months old. We know we have at least 1 Roo. He is getting some beautiful Copperry Red feathers. We have another one that we think is a roo because it has the comb and the oh I forgot my chicken terms the red chin growth ( I feel so stupid now) but he doesn't have the same markings, he hasn't tried to crow, Does he just know he is not the dominant rooster? Oh and my Marans question...When do they all start getting their copper streaks? They are still pretty little. I will have to get pics up. There are some on my page but not of my Roos coloring. Anyway, hope this makes sense...Still working on my coffee!!

 

[cottagegarden]

Just do the best you can with whatever you get. There is a variation in the coloring of the Copper Blacks, so pictures of the parents are very important when selecting your stock. I have seen BCM chicks from breeders on this site that hatch with the coppering. The breeder you got your BCMs from and the breeder I got my BCM from got the BCMs from the same place(who is a good breeder) . Mine do not have alot of the Copper color because they came from hens that did not have Copper Hackles, which I didnt really realize until lately. My chicks are now 4 months and are solid blue, solid black and BCM very faint copper. Which became noticeable at 8 weeks. Depending how yours mature, you could get additional stock and improve on the coloring if they dont develop it. You certainly can select for better coloring. Also, some of the best lines do throw a solid now and again.
I think one should learn and breed for the Standard and not put out poor quality birds, whatever breed you have. With the money to be made off selling eggs
you cant really trust that everyone is going to do that though. The best thing you can do is learn about the breed. These birds arent plug and play yet, which is. I know frustrating for some people.

 

[klf73]

the chin things are wattles. Some of my marans don't have any copper and they are 5 months old....

 

[onthespot]

If you are going to be breeding Copper Black Marans on an ongoing basis, you need to keep back at least one of those Copper Breasted roos to put color back into your flock. Sometimes you lose the copper hackles on the hen if you only keep breeding the "ideal standard" roos.

 

[cottagegarden]

I love you guys. it's like the instant Encylopedia of all things Marans..
onthespot I am going to quote you from a different thread if its ok in the interest of better Marans for all
The birds in question and mine are from Wade Jeane lines. op's breeder has standard BCM
Roo in with what looks like solid black hens or so faintly coppered you cant see it in a photograph.
My birds breeder has a standard Blue Copper Roo with two solid black hens and a solid blue hen.
You said..
"from what I have read, mixing pure blacks with copper of any color is a no-no and just screws up the color on both varieties. Mixing blue copper with black copper is perfectly accetpable breeding practice, or plain black with blue or splash NON COPPERED birds is also acceptable. Sometimes people go with what they got and some less than perfect birds are produced in the process, like using a cuckoo to cross with a black to get more cuckoos, (or blacks, whichever way you are trying to breed) you will get some blacks with purple barring in the green on their feathers, even though they look "black" it messes them up and it takes generations of selecting away from purple barring to undo what was added by a single cross years ago."

The hens from these breeders appear to not have copper in the hackles or be solid blacks, so the chicks may not end up that colored. Op may have to find an overly colored Roo to put the Copper back in the hackles.

 

[futurefarmer08]

Wow,
I am learning a lot. My chicks are just 2 months. The one Roo has some really beautiful copper coloring. The girls not so much. I don't doubt that they are BC Marans, however, I am interested in improving the breed and if I sell some hatching eggs I will want my customers to be happy as well. So I will need to read up on this some more. I do have another set in the bator and hope to have enough to cross breed safely and improve my stock (hopefully) Thanks for the good info and if you have any more comments please continue or PM me THANKS!

 

[Krys109uk]

The issue with not breeding black Marans to the copper blacks has more to do with genotype. However, some copper black marans do not show the copper in the hackle but there is no problem breeding these with the copper blacks which show the copper in their hackle.
The true black marans are of the same genetic family as the dark cuckoo i.e. (E/E), whereas the copper black, silver black, golden cuckoo & silver cuckoo are supposed to be from a different genetic family (ER/ER).
Some of my copper splash birds do not seem to show much copper but they are ER/ER
Copper in the breast of the males seems a common trait in the Marans in France.

 

[cottagegarden]

Excellent information and very appreciated. That's why I have so much respect and admiration
for all of you working on the progress of these birds.
Education is the key. This breed is being developed, colors are being developed, egg color is being developed and it is a lot for anyone new to the breed to take in
I just think that for MOST people, the people who just want to own and maybe dabble in breeding, all they want is something predictable that will breed true to the standard that will be set and that lays dark eggs.
They have expectations that Black and Blue Copper Marans Roosters and Hens should have Copper on them, hence the name. Maybe they dont really understand its a work in progress.
If this is going to be the standard-then that's what people need to shoot for.
The Hen Matured-

Black plumage without highlights, copper colored hackles, and with a plain or red spotted breast.

Weight right at 5-6 pounds matured.

Legs: Plumage on Shanks—Black

Shanks & Toes- Grayish

 

[blackdotte]

I wouldn't make any judgment on a bird until it is in mature
plumage, at least 9 months old. Breeding most birds is a combination of science,knowing the genetics, and art , such as matching opposite faults. Solid black Brown-Red (Copper Black) hens should be mated to cock birds that are overly red.
David

 

[futurefarmer08]

Thanks again everyone! Just last week I noticed that one of the chickens in question was starting to get the copper coloring in the neck feathers Yeah. So i think some of them may still develop it. Again they are only 10 weeks old. So there could still be some changes as they mature, I guess.