Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[scflock]

I will, I am exciting. Slowly replacing my hatchery layers with quality birds.

That's what I have been doing for the last 18 months. I kept chickens for 5 years before learning about SOP. I got my first batch of breeder quality AMs last year, and have been so impressed with those birds. This year I ordered my first flock of BCM from a breeder, and am growing them out right now. Working with the breeder quality birds, and trying to learn about desirable and undesirable traits, has taught me more about chickens than I ever thought I would know. I am more fascinated and involved with my flocks now than I have ever been

 

[curious chickee]

I will be getting some black ameracauna from a breeder this year, her culls, so I will have blue copper maran rooster, black ameracauna rooster, with assorted hens. I will pull out trios throughout of both breeds to keep a pure line going. Now just need to find some Barred rocks to create more sex link. My goal is to get a rainbow of eggs.

 

[dvoice]

First eggs from one or two of my BCM. Yippee. Will they always be spotty or will the color even out?

 

[scflock]

First eggs from one or two of my BCM. Yippee. Will they always be spotty or will the color even out?

I have had them go both ways. Some pullets will even out, and some lay speckled. I have noticed that my better bred birds lay more solid

 

[scflock]

Week 4

 

[snowbird]

Week 4

SC, What did you end up sex wise with these. Looks like one male and fail to see another one.Looks like another one in one of the pictures. Do you have any Copper hackle showing up. In the bottom picture looks like you might have more than one Blue Copper.

 

[snowbird]

First eggs from one or two of my BCM. Yippee. Will they always be spotty or will the color even out?

Most of the time when you have these speckled eggs it is caused by them being too light in color.. I do not believe these will darken up very much.

 

[rooboo]

First eggs from one or two of my BCM. Yippee. Will they always be spotty or will the color even out?

I'm of the understanding that welsummers are known for dark speckled eggs. I believe that some breeders may have crossed welsummers with some not so dark laying marans to try to get darker laying marans. I have marans from two different blood lines that one line lays dark even colored eggs while the other line lays dark eggs with even darker spots. I don't know if that has anything negative regarding the breed standard, but I love both types of eggs just for the uniqueness. It also makes a beautiful basket of various colors.

 

[scflock]

SC, What did you end up sex wise with these. Looks like one male and fail to see another one.Looks like another one in one of the pictures. Do you have any Copper hackle showing up. In the bottom picture looks like you might have more than one Blue Copper.

Don, one male is maturing faster than the others. I think there are two more but those are pullets in the picture. One male is mossy, it was as a chick, but the other two are solid black so far. I see a hint of copper feathers in a few, including the blue. I'm fairly certain she is the only blue. Only one had the lighter down, and the other's downy feathers are being replaced with black. I'll see if I can get some better pictures for you to judge them by

 

[scflock]

Ok Don, here are some more pics. There is only one blue. I see what you are saying, but that really is the lighting in the pictures. All others are black

Blue is on the far left

Close up of Blue

Best cockerel on the left, mossy on the right. There is one more that I'm still 50/50 on. Could be a slow developing cockerel, or quick developing pullet

Mossy cockerel

The rest are just random shots