Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[chickengr]

I have one that hatched in February or March that still hasn't started to lay yet. All the ameraucanas that I hatched a couple of weeks after her have already started. Her comb and Wales have been red for weeks but no eggs. She hatched from a super dark egg though so I'm guessing I have to wait longer for the privilege to get any from her lol.

mine too hatched from a very dark egg. I got her from a breeder. I noticed that birds who come from the breeders start laying later. people in this thread who say their pullets started to lay early all got heir birds from the hatcheries.

 

[GaryDean26]

If that is a white wing feather he would be a cull at my place. I never breed to Marans with white in Hackle, Wing and tail.

What snowbird said. Don't breed any birds with white in the hackle, wing, tail.

Also don't breed any cockerels that have black saddle feathers. The saddle feathers should be the same color as the hackle feathers. That being copper. The wing bow also should also be copper although the wing bow typically breeds a shade darker than the hackle and saddle feathers.

 

[Red Banks]

How about the white wing feathers on chicks that disappear later? Not the chicks.... the feathers. Still cull? Is there something behind those feathers that could potentially bite you later?

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
I cull for white after the Juve Molt. Some wait until after the first full molt.

 

[Red Banks]

I cull for white after the Juve Molt. Some wait until after the first full molt.

Glad to hear that those white feathers are not a deal breaker!

 

[Bejammie]

Ok if this **** rain ever stops.....I want to post photos of pierre, my bcm roo. Hey dan how old is my blue am roo by the way? Lol

 

[scflock]

Ok if this **** rain ever stops.....I want to post photos of pierre, my bcm roo. Hey dan how old is my blue am roo by the way? Lol

He is right at 26 weeks. I'm waiting for his sisters to start laying any day now

 

[FeelsRightFarm]

After reading all this it seems there is so much I still need to learn! I only was able to get good photos of our Little Peddler rooster. It looks to me like he has too much copper on his chest judging from the other photos I've seen posted.

I have to find a way to actually separate one by one and take a photo of them but I was the only one out there today and it was over 90 degrees so chasing down individual roosters for a photo shoot wasn't on the top of my priority list

All of our black copper marans are right around 6 months old


and here is a better front view, seems like a lot of coloring on his chest, too much?



I am bummed we only got 2 hens and a rooster out of the 12 eggs we got from Little Peddler. It was one of the worst hatch rates we've ever had and I was hoping to get more to choose from. We have quite a few from Greenfire Farms so hopefully we will have better luck with those.

 

[TNBielefelder]

After reading all this it seems there is so much I still need to learn! I only was able to get good photos of our Little Peddler rooster. It looks to me like he has too much copper on his chest judging from the other photos I've seen posted.

I have to find a way to actually separate one by one and take a photo of them but I was the only one out there today and it was over 90 degrees so chasing down individual roosters for a photo shoot wasn't on the top of my priority list

All of our black copper marans are right around 6 months old


and here is a better front view, seems like a lot of coloring on his chest, too much?



I am bummed we only got 2 hens and a rooster out of the 12 eggs we got from Little Peddler. It was one of the worst hatch rates we've ever had and I was hoping to get more to choose from. We have quite a few from Greenfire Farms so hopefully we will have better luck with those.

Please keep us posted on you FBC Marans from Greenfire. I would like to see how they turn out. Thanks

 

[FeelsRightFarm]

I am making a separate post for a couple of our hens.

We have 3 that have almost zero coloring whatsoever. It's a shame because they are very pretty. I was reading it IS possible to breed the hens without as much, that they would still produce chicks that had it, but would you use a rooster that has too much coloring? I am totally clueless when it comes to this, there are so many more specifics to look out for in this breed and we are really just getting started with them! Any advice is greatly appreciated
Here is one, currently named "Black Betty" (partially due to her all black coloring but mostly her desire to 'go wild' around the yard. Get the song stuck in my head anytime I see her running!) She has one teeny tiny copper fleck and that is it. She is one of our LP hens


Here is our other LP hen, she has much more copper on her and is super sweet.




I will try to get pictures of the Greenfire stock tomorrow.

My main question is, will it be possible to still use the hens without any copper to produce decent chicks? How would I go about pairing them up with the right rooster?