Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Red Banks]

Quote: We need to ask Bond..... James Bond.

 

[BlixbabyFarm]

Hey I have a question about BCM eggs I'm hoping some one here has an answer or thought....Ruby was hatched August of last year (2016) and has started laying this spring, for about 3 weeks. She gets Purina 16% layer feed, access to oyster shell, water, occasional treats like dried mealworms/corn/strawberry tops, grapes, plain greek yogurt-as well as free ranging time most every day. I have other hens that get the same everything, Ruby is my only BCM hen.

My question is: do BCMs normally have dark raised speckles? I've looked this up on here and they say its calcium deposits on the shell and could be due to tress or poor diet? I guess I don't see how that could be since like i said all my hens get the same everything and none of them has ever laid an abnormal egg and ALL of Ruby's eggs look this way. Is this just normal for a BCM? I do have 2 roosters, they'd be the only source of "stress" I can think of. But i've never noticed Ruby being more piked on or anything. I don't really see any hen being "picked" on honestly.

Just wondering if thats just the way BCM eggs are or not....

thanks for any help you can give!!

 

[Red Banks]

Hey I have a question about BCM eggs I'm hoping some one here has an answer or thought....Ruby was hatched August of last year (2016) and has started laying this spring, for about 3 weeks. She gets Purina 16% layer feed, access to oyster shell, water, occasional treats like dried mealworms/corn/strawberry tops, grapes, plain greek yogurt-as well as free ranging time most every day. I have other hens that get the same everything, Ruby is my only BCM hen.

My question is: do BCMs normally have dark raised speckles? I've looked this up on here and they say its calcium deposits on the shell and could be due to tress or poor diet? I guess I don't see how that could be since like i said all my hens get the same everything and none of them has ever laid an abnormal egg and ALL of Ruby's eggs look this way. Is this just normal for a BCM? I do have 2 roosters, they'd be the only source of "stress" I can think of. But i've never noticed Ruby being more piked on or anything. I don't really see any hen being "picked" on honestly.

Just wondering if thats just the way BCM eggs are or not....

thanks for any help you can give!!

Some of my hens have very uniform red color. Some have large raised dark spots. Some have small dots. I believe all the spots are color deposits because of how the color is applied to the eggs.

 

[Spartan22]

@BlixbabyFarm

Just out of my few years experience with chickens, couple of my layers on the first year of laying had bumps (calcium deposits) on their eggs specifically the 2 RIR. They were rough bumps I was actually concerned at first. I posted the q in one of the threads and an old timers BYC poster/blogger graciously linked me to a very helpful info regarding egg laying, I will try to look it up and link you in.

Regarding my two year old 3 Black Copper Marans (all feathered legs) 2 lays dark normal eggs, one lays lighter egg w/ dark speckles. In my opinion eggs, temperaments, and physical attributes of specific hens depends on the genetic strains and from time to time there are deviations from that norm maybe has some other breeds mixed to them.

Now I purchased 3 more BCMs 6 weeks ago from a different breeder than the previous, I was kind of puzzled that only one has the leg feathers w/ some copper on her neck and the other 2 are clean legged and all black, they look more like Black Australorps than BCMs.

 

[Double Barrel]

Some my hens have very uniform red color. Some have large raised dark spots. Some have small dots. I believe all the spots are color deposits because of how the color is applied to the eggs.

Nice eggs! Can't wait to get my own. The one on far left is very nice. I know pics can be deceiving. Where did it fall on color chart?

 

[Red Banks]

Quote: It was an eight. I have had one 9.

 

[BlixbabyFarm]

Some of my hens have very uniform red color. Some have large raised dark spots. Some have small dots. I believe all the spots are color deposits because of how the color is applied to the eggs.

@BlixbabyFarm

Just out of my few years experience with chickens, couple of my layers on the first year of laying had bumps (calcium deposits) on their eggs specifically the 2 RIR. They were rough bumps I was actually concerned at first. I posted the q in one of the threads and an old timers BYC poster/blogger graciously linked me to a very helpful info regarding egg laying, I will try to look it up and link you in.

Regarding my two year old 3 Black Copper Marans (all feathered legs) 2 lays dark normal eggs, one lays lighter egg w/ dark speckles. In my opinion eggs, temperaments, and physical attributes of specific hens depends on the genetic strains and from time to time there are deviations from that norm maybe has some other breeds mixed to them.

Now I purchased 3 more BCMs 6 weeks ago from a different breeder than the previous, I was kind of puzzled that only one has the leg feathers w/ some copper on her neck and the other 2 are clean legged and all black, they look more like Black Australorps than BCMs.

thanks guys! i was concerned about her but i feel better that it may just be a common thing with them

 

[Sylvester017]

Hey I have a question about BCM eggs I'm hoping some one here has an answer or thought....Ruby was hatched August of last year (2016) and has started laying this spring, for about 3 weeks. She gets Purina 16% layer feed, access to oyster shell, water, occasional treats like dried mealworms/corn/strawberry tops, grapes, plain greek yogurt-as well as free ranging time most every day. I have other hens that get the same everything, Ruby is my only BCM hen.

My question is: do BCMs normally have dark raised speckles? I've looked this up on here and they say its calcium deposits on the shell and could be due to tress or poor diet? I guess I don't see how that could be since like i said all my hens get the same everything and none of them has ever laid an abnormal egg and ALL of Ruby's eggs look this way. Is this just normal for a BCM? I do have 2 roosters, they'd be the only source of "stress" I can think of. But i've never noticed Ruby being more piked on or anything. I don't really see any hen being "picked" on honestly.

Just wondering if thats just the way BCM eggs are or not....

thanks for any help you can give!!

One chicken owner says she feeds all her chicks, juveniles, hens and roosters starter feed as a steady diet (so the roo and non-laying chicks/chickens don't get extra calcium from the usual layer feed) and then she leaves oyster shell separately at-will for the laying hens that want the calcium. That way there's not too much calcium concentration as found in layer feed and only the laying hens will eat the oyster shell nutrition they need during their laying cycle. Roos, juveniles, and non-laying hens usually ignore the oyster shell/calcium carbonate but hens will consume when they are ready to start laying. If layer feed is the only feed offered it is too much calcium concentration for pullets, cockerels, roos, or for hens that have a calcium spotted egg shell. Offering non-layer starter feed and having oyster shell at-will is the way one chicken owner solved her calcium-spotted egg shell problem. For my little flock I offer Turkey grow/gamebird feed, and unprocessed layer feed, and layer pellets, and oyster shell at-will, and calcium carbonate at-will. I have some old hens that don't lay so much any more and new pullets newly laying so I have a variety of feeds offered for them according to their different nutritious wants/needs. They pick what their body needs the way they do when they naturally forage on their own. Animals seem to have an instinct about what nutrition their body needs. Hope this helps some!

 

[Red Banks]

Quote:

 

[oregonkat]

Some of my hens have very uniform red color. Some have large raised dark spots. Some have small dots. I believe all the spots are color deposits because of how the color is applied to the eggs.

Wow, those are some beautiful eggs. Is the darkest one from very early on in the laying cycle? If so, do you know how much lighter that particular hens eggs get later in the cycle? Gorgeous!