Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[tprice417]

Would this 4 month old Black Copper Marans Rooster make a good breeder?

[/IMG]

Any comments would be appreciated. I am just getting started and am unsure what to look for.Thanks

 

[Daisybearchicks]

Thank you that is what I thought..... but why dose she crow and call the other over? Is that normal for Marans? I have a few different breeds and none of my other hens do that only my Easter egger rooster.

 

[Alaskan]

Would this 4 month old Black Copper Marans Rooster make a good breeder?

[/IMG]

OK.. Let me try

First, there isn't anything that is clearly horrible about him, and that is awesome!

Second, he is still young, so he hasn't finished filling out, and because of that, I can't really guess on his body shape and form, except that I don't see anything clearly bad. (Clearly bad things would be a wry tail or a squirrel tail, a spring off the side of the comb, way too skinny or scrawny, badly shaped or positioned feet, clearly the wrong color or a clearly messed up color)

I think that I remember that the Marans website has a nice silhouette of a Marans Cock. Look at that silhouette and try to get that ideal Marans shape in your head, because that is the goal.

However, the full body shape etc, especially on a rooster, will not be there until about a year of age. Some might say you have to wait longer than that. You can start making educated guesses by 7 or so months... But you will not really know until they are older.

The best thing is to pick him up and feel him over. Feel his spine and his keel, how wide his shoulders are and how wide the hips/pelvic opening is. A Marans should have a nice large and blocky feel.

 

[tprice417]

OK.. Let me try

First, there isn't anything that is clearly horrible about him, and that is awesome!

Second, he is still young, so he hasn't finished filling out, and because of that, I can't really guess on his body shape and form, except that I don't see anything clearly bad. (Clearly bad things would be a wry tail or a squirrel tail, a spring off the side of the comb, way too skinny or scrawny, badly shaped or positioned feet, clearly the wrong color or a clearly messed up color)

I think that I remember that the Marans website has a nice silhouette of a Marans Cock. Look at that silhouette and try to get that ideal Marans shape in your head, because that is the goal.

However, the full body shape etc, especially on a rooster, will not be there until about a year of age. Some might say you have to wait longer than that. You can start making educated guesses by 7 or so months... But you will not really know until they are older.

The best thing is to pick him up and feel him over. Feel his spine and his keel, how wide his shoulders are and how wide the hips/pelvic opening is. A Marans should have a nice large and blocky feel.

Thanks so much for your reply. I appreciate the input.

 

[sideWing]

Is this a very dark cockerel or is it possible that it could be a pullet? I was thinking cockerel, but it's 11 weeks old and not a stitch of copper anywhere but the hackles. I have seen BCM pullets with big combs and wattles so I thought I'd ask.

 

[Zanna]

Quote:
I have one that I hatched this year that looks just like that. Usually I can tell with no question by this age but I am not sure about mine either. Leaning towards cockeral.

 

[snowbird]

Quote: This is a young Cockerel without a doubt. Don

 

[sideWing]

This is a young Cockerel without a doubt. Don

Then not a very good one it would seem.

Thanks Don! I will give him a little more time and introduce him to my new chicken plucker.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Then not a very good one it would seem.

Thanks Don! I will give him a little more time and introduce him to my new chicken plucker.

They can change a lot and he is quite young. He has some nice features at this age, and won't make much of a meal for a while yet. It's such a waiting game, especially with cockerels.

(I think BYC should create a baked chicken on a platter icon, don't you?)

 

[sideWing]

They can change a lot and he is quite young. He has some nice features at this age, and won't make much of a meal for a while yet. It's such a waiting game, especially with cockerels.

(I think BYC should create a baked chicken on a platter icon, don't you?)

YES!


Although some folks would fall apart over it.