Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[sideWing]

I'm trying to size up the potential of this cockerel and some nice folks told me I should post it over here and get some feedback. I have learned a lot reading back through these posts and I will continue to do so. I'm open to honest feedback and appreciate any of your time. If you need new or different angle pics let me know. I have a new respect for wildlife photographers after trying to get the right shot in the right lighting.

He came from one of the darker eggs on the left here. I got him already hatched from an awesome lady named Lisa.








More comb close ups.








Thanks!

 

[Alaskan]

As to egg color though.... I had a rooster from a super dark egg over hens that were laying just "meh" color eggs.... The hens from that cross lay very nice color.

 

[scflock]

As to egg color though.... I had a rooster from a super dark egg over hens that were laying just "meh" color eggs.... The hens from that cross lay very nice color.

I'm trying to picture BCM hens as a paint booth. I'm hoping the sprayers aren't bled yet, and they're just splattering the eggs. If what I end up with is birds that are way off SOP + light eggs, then I am starting over, which I think a few people told me to do 4 months ago...

 

[Alaskan]

Yeah... It is tough.

What gets me too, is you don't know until the end of the laying season if your hen is a true keeper color wise..... Some genetics are just darn aweful about maintaining their color, and by the end of the season the eggs look like those from a RIR.

I also hate having to wait that long before knowing if my breeding choices have/had merit

 

[scflock]

Yeah... It is tough.

What gets me too, is you don't know until the end of the laying season if your hen is a true keeper color wise..... Some genetics are just darn aweful about maintaining their color, and by the end of the season the eggs look like those from a RIR.

I also hate having to wait that long before knowing if my breeding choices have/had merit

I knew that color would drop off throughout the season, but I expected them to start very dark. I have gotten 6 eggs so far and they look more like my copper marans eggs with very dark speckling. I didn't know if pullets eggs started like that, then got darker before lightening, or if this is just another sign that I have badly bred birds. If these lay light eggs I'm going to eat them, then drive to TN, apologize to DMRippy, and beg her to sell me some birds

 

[Alaskan]

My girls have been laying since about late Dec. to January... And all are still laying very nicely.... Except for one...I need to cull her.. Didn't do it at the beginning of the breeding season because she is nice and "blocky" (probably wrong terminology, but good wide hips and tail). Anyway, enough of her genes...

The lighter egg in that basket is my "must cull her" the darker egg on top is very nice... Better than it looks in the photo, and typical of the rest of my girls... One of which is really too pinched in the hips....

I am hoping my current crop grows out into nicer specimens.

 

[Alaskan]

So you understand how washed out that photo is (dunno why...) the rest of the eggs in that basket are white leghorn eggs and nice brown Dominique eggs...

 

[snowbird]

I'm trying to size up the potential of this cockerel and some nice folks told me I should post it over here and get some feedback. I have learned a lot reading back through these posts and I will continue to do so. I'm open to honest feedback and appreciate any of your time. If you need new or different angle pics let me know. I have a new respect for wildlife photographers after trying to get the right shot in the right lighting.

He came from one of the darker eggs on the left here. I got him already hatched from an awesome lady named Lisa.








More comb close ups.








Thanks!

I'm trying to size up the potential of this cockerel and some nice folks told me I should post it over here and get some feedback. I have learned a lot reading back through these posts and I will continue to do so. I'm open to honest feedback and appreciate any of your time. If you need new or different angle pics let me know. I have a new respect for wildlife photographers after trying to get the right shot in the right lighting.

He came from one of the darker eggs on the left here. I got him already hatched from an awesome lady named Lisa.








More comb close ups.








Thanks!

I will say that he has a lot of size to him. Little too much color on the chest. The thing I dislike most he appears to be roach back.. check his back and see if he has a rise on the back where you can see the feathers ruffled up. He has a nice long back and tail set. Don

 

[sideWing]

I will say that he has a lot of size to him. Little too much color on the chest. The thing I dislike most he appears to be roach back.. check his back and see if he has a rise on the back where you can see the feathers ruffled up. He has a nice long back and tail set. Don

Thank you for the feedback. I was worried about that so I checked him and it was just feathers. Watched him for a couple days and saw a few of the hens chasing the poor guy around and all of them pulled on that same dang spot. He crowed this morning so I don't think they will be chasing him for long. I think the tables will turn in about a month here.

Someone told me he might have a little too much color on the chest too so that's not a big surprise. His tail is looking a little lower than 45 too me right now, but I don't know if that's normal for this age.

 

[desertmarcy]

Thank you for the feedback. I was worried about that so I checked him and it was just feathers. Watched him for a couple days and saw a few of the hens chasing the poor guy around and all of them pulled on that same dang spot. He crowed this morning so I don't think they will be chasing him for long. I think the tables will turn in about a month here.

Someone told me he might have a little too much color on the chest too so that's not a big surprise. His tail is looking a little lower than 45 too me right now, but I don't know if that's normal for this age.

You want the tail low at this age. The tails tend to rise as they age. Too high a tail or squirrel tails are rampant in this breed, so if it is low now, that is a good thing