Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[magdelaine]

Thanks. One of my hens has a little bit of brown shading. I guess this is where the problem comes from. Will the brown leave?

Anecdotally, I've heard of this, but most likely no. Plus it's an indication of split genes (ER/eWh) vs. (ER/ER) which is what BCM are supposed to be. My mossy chicks ended up looking like this: See the straw colored hackles, the color on her chest and the brown stippling on her back feathers? She's at POL now and I'm hoping she lays a nice, dark egg. I might use her for my OE project, but I'm seeking eggs from different sources for breeding BCM. The obviously split rooster that we had we ate; he had a solid copper chest! His hatch mate brother is turning out very nicely though. He will have to be tested, but the more he grows the more he seems to be worth it.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

I'm looking for some really dark FBCM hatching eggs. Does anyone have pics of what they have available? I'm open to an adult breeding trio as well if the hens are proven to lay Very dark eggs.

 

[Alaskan]

help me out here.....


My brain is going, and I am looking at a sea of black chicks..


Black Copper Marans ALWAYS:

- have NO white on the back of the head (like what a Barred Rock, or Cuckoo colored chick would have)

-have a creamy belly that goes all the way up the front of the neck, this should be mostly white

right????

Do they always, or just often, have white markings by the eye???

 

[Zanna]

help me out here.....


My brain is going, and I am looking at a sea of black chicks..


Black Copper Marans ALWAYS:

- have NO white on the back of the head (like what a Barred Rock, or Cuckoo colored chick would have)

-have a creamy belly that goes all the way up the front of the neck, this should be mostly white

right????

Do they always, or just often, have white markings by the eye???

Correct, Correct and in my birds, I find the ones with the nice white eyeliner colour in better. Less white in mine indicates more melanized birds (less copper and/or more mahogany colour).

 

[Alaskan]

Thanks!

I hatched some Marans along with Olive Eggers (3/4 Black Copper) and Dominiques (they are Cuckoo colored), and now my eyes are crossing trying to tell who is who.

My brain was starting to turn to jelly with all the black bodies.

 

[Zanna]

Thanks!

I hatched some Marans along with Olive Eggers (3/4 Black Copper) and Dominiques (they are Cuckoo colored), and now my eyes are crossing trying to tell who is who.

My brain was starting to turn to jelly with all the black bodies.

My olive eggers have more grey on their bellies, here are some pics. First of the Olive Egger, next of a group of BCM:

 

[Alaskan]

Exactly what I needed! Thanks!

edited to add: SUPER cute photos!

For Olive Eggers.... Do you'll like to try for a certain percentage of Marans?

I am thinking of maybe keeping a few Olive Egger chicks (I currently have only one Olive Egger hen) but then, if I breed those back to the rooster, their chicks will be 7/8 Marans... will they then look EXACTLY like the Marans?

 

[Zanna]

Exactly what I needed! Thanks!

edited to add: SUPER cute photos!

For Olive Eggers.... Do you'll like to try for a certain percentage of Marans?

I am thinking of maybe keeping a few Olive Egger chicks (I currently have only one Olive Egger hen) but then, if I breed those back to the rooster, their chicks will be 7/8 Marans... will they then look EXACTLY like the Marans?

I don't breed them seriously so not sure, just try to keep different colours in the egg basket for the eating customers. If a hens eggs are getting quite dark olive, I might cross her back to one of my ameraucana or a delaware to lighten/green up the colour. If I want darker, I breed to a BCM Cock. If they have enough Ameraucana in them they often have the puffy cheeks, then it is easy to tell them apart. So much depends on the crosses. I just play with it for fun.

 

[karobcharob]

Hi been reading for hrs can anyone tell me if these are black copper Marans they were sold to me as black broilers but they are 14 almost 15 weeks old and are still not even close to broiler size. I think they are BCM.

 

[scflock]

Ok, we established that two of my roosters had yellow feet, and I am still debating whether to keep the rest of the flock, or start over. They aren't for show, just a backyard flock. They are a little more developed now, and I want you guys to say if this is something I can work with, or should I scratch the whole flock and start again.



This is the first of two roosters that, with my limited knowledge, I think look pretty good. He is starting to get a little color in his saddle, and his hackles are darker than the other, but still has some lighter streaks. I'm not saying copper, mahogany, or straw, because I'm still not sure exactly what the difference is in those colors and where they are desired. They are around 15 weeks old


This is the second that I think looks ok, but I just don't know. Same profile as the other, both of them have nice, straight combs, but this one is much lighter in the hackle and just a little bigger than the first one. Going by my personal taste and what I think looks good, I'm leaning towards #1, but I could be totally off the mark. You can also see a couple of the hens behind him


These are the two extremes of my pullets. Two are almost totally black, one has copper flecking in her neck, but you can see this one is showing much lighter.
Is this something I can work with, or should I scrap the whole flock and start over? I will never show these birds, or sell their offspring as show birds. I just want a nice flock that will lay dark eggs and not produce chicks that are just totally off