Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Choook]

Thanks so much for all your comments - if they are crosses then it helps explain why I am having such trouble trawling through all the old posts and trying to match up the details with my chicks! On my other thread, a wheaten marans owner posted pics of her wheatens which *also* look nothing like mine. (I will clearly be looking for a new breeder for next time.) But I guess it also means I will be waiting longer to try and sex them, because presumably the early colour thing won't hold true if they are not real black copper marans. Hopefully at least that means they are not definitely roos based on all this copper colour I am seeing already. The breeder sells only black copper and wheaten marans, but if a loose wheaten rooster got "lucky" with a BCM (or, rather, "unlucky" for me) - could that explain what I'm seeing?

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
yes it could explain what you're seeing. early in the history of the breed in the United States around the turn of the century Wheaten Marans were crossed with black copper Marans. I believe it was done for biodiversity . the breed is still trying to solve the problem of Wheaton's cropping up from black copper matings.
I think this is a breeder who doesn't know what's in her gene pool and doesn't realize she's got impure Birds.
I had the same problem when I tried and failed to secure pure golden salmon Marans. people would tell me they had a nice flock. They knew what they were doing . they would send me these eggs and chicks . I'd look at them and say No ,no ,no, no. I once spent $150 for 12 supposedly pure inbred golden salmon chicks and every single one of them was a disaster. I gave them all away . so I get it.
Check the online poultry show statistics . see who's winning repeatedly in big shows with good competition.
then check the egg show online statistics. see who's winning repeatedly at the egg shows with quality eggs. cross reference the two lists and come up with a short list of breeders who are doing both. that's a good way to ferret out a breeder who knows what they're doing
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

The weekend of November 11th, the National Poultry Show in Columbus, Ohio is held. it's like the Westminster of poultry shows. very prestigious. I understand it's being broadcast live this year!! that should give you a chance to see some quality Marans. see who showing what . contact some of the winners afterwards and see if they have some retiring breeder birds or some started stock or maybe line them up for some chicks next year.
The show in Columbus is really something. it's held at the fairgrounds in a huge building. The year I went, there were 6500 Birds there. waterfowl ,chickens, geese, turkeys. it was just amazing.
Best,
Karen

 

[Tiegrsi]

Choook....are those birds supposed to be the same age? Because the bottom one appears to be about a week behind the other in feathering and size...if they are the same age, I'd say the bottom one is not thriving well and needs some extra help.

As far as gender...the larger one looks like a way over-colored pullet, or possibly a mixed bird. The smaller one, though it's difficult to see the comb, may be a cockerel, also with too much color or mixed.

If they are pullets and just have a lot of mossiness, it's still possible that they will lay nice eggs, though if they weren't bred specifically for egg color it's unlikely they'll be very dark eggs. Neither will likely be good enough for a breeding program.

 

[Choook]

Thanks - I'll be doing a bit more due diligence on the breeder next time!

Tiegrsi - yes, they are exactly the same age. The smaller one was smaller even on day one, and is generally more timid than the other one. S/he seems to be healthy otherwise though. That's part of why I posted - they look so different. I thought the smaller one might be a cockerel because its feathers are coming in much slower than the others. The apparently-not-really-wheaten marans I got from the same breeder has the same very slow feathering thing going on, and it is already obviously a cockerel. But the over-coloured one has a pinker comb than the little one...

Here are some better views of their heads (I am really going to have to follow up with this breeder since she is selling these as pure BCMs, which they look less and less like every day!):

 

[3riverschick]

As they get older you can tell the male because his Hackle feathers will be pointed at the end. you can tell the female because her Hackle feathers will be rounded at the ends .
Best ,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Demand refund ,!!she won't want the birds back because there not valuable to her.
Karen

 

[Chooks man]

Thanks - I'll be doing a bit more due diligence on the breeder next time!

Tiegrsi - yes, they are exactly the same age. The smaller one was smaller even on day one, and is generally more timid than the other one. S/he seems to be healthy otherwise though. That's part of why I posted - they look so different. I thought the smaller one might be a cockerel because its feathers are coming in much slower than the others. The apparently-not-really-wheaten marans I got from the same breeder has the same very slow feathering thing going on, and it is already obviously a cockerel. But the over-coloured one has a pinker comb than the little one...

Here are some better views of their heads (I am really going to have to follow up with this breeder since she is selling these as pure BCMs, which they look less and less like every day!):
View attachment 1173253 View attachment 1173254

those chicks are not a pure BCM .
they are BCM X Golden salmon . because they have the brown lacing .
if they where wheaten X BCM they will have a more uniform mossiness no lacing .

I recon your breeder has a Salmon rooster over her BCM . hard to tell if you don t know the breed .nly difference between this 2 rooster are the wing triangle .
the BCM rooster has a crow wing ( black triangle)
The Salmon Marans Rooster has a cinnamon colored wing triangle .

chooks man

 

[Cowlitz Chicken]

Pictures you say??????

Ya'll know Pink's got pictures.

You don't have any pictures of me, "neighbor"!

 

[Cowlitz Chicken]

Gonna' take me a while to get used to these changes...