Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[LilJoe]

Is "smuttiness" in FBCM wings normal? And are mottled chests normal?

 

[3riverschick]

I "think" the eye color can sometimes change in year one to orange and then fade in year two.. There is a good article from which this info came. It is over at
forum.thepoultrysite.com
the article is called "green eyed chickens". This is a British site. Greg is highly regarded in poultry genetic circles. He authored the book, " 21st Century Poultry Breeding".
No, "I" would not put green eyed birds in an SOP program. But if the birds have some trait you covet, I would converse with Greg about it before I culled them.
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

No, Liljoe, they are both not normal.

 

[LilJoe]

No, Liljoe, they are both not normal.

I have no Idea where those genes came from... especially the mottled chests.

 

[3riverschick]

LilJoe,
Try asking Brenda Little over at Little Peddler Marans . Brenda knows a
** lot ** about Black Copper Marans and I think she might be able to help you out . It's not just the science. it's the history of the breed in America that's involved here. just tell her Karen Tewart sent you .
not a problem.
Best ,
Karen

 

[Red Banks]

Can anyone tell me if eye color changes from chicks to adulthood? From olive/greenish to the proper orange. I have some 6 week old BCM chicks with green eyes. They were purchased from a breeder not hatchery. I can't remember if my adult BCM looked like this at their age.

Absolutely..... that is what you want to see, blue or green. The eyes will change to the correct color. My chickens are Little Peddler and Greenfire Farms.

 

[Red Banks]

I have no Idea where those genes came from... especially the mottled chests.

There are a lot of BCM people on BYC that can help you too. A black chest with a few persimmon colored spots is what you want to see. A rooster like that will put the copper hackle back on your pullet chicks when you breed a hen with a black hackle. You want to see a copper colored ear tuft on the rooster too.... not black.

 

[Red Banks]

I have no Idea where those genes came from... especially the mottled chests.

I have very nice BCM, some of my roosters are overcolored but that can be breed out just like any other fault and in my opinion better than most faults such as bad type, squirrel tails, etc.
Blue or green eyes is what I want to see in my young chicks.

 

[Red Banks]

Can anyone tell me if eye color changes from chicks to adulthood? From olive/greenish to the proper orange. I have some 6 week old BCM chicks with green eyes. They were purchased from a breeder not hatchery. I can't remember if my adult BCM looked like this at their age.

Yes

 

[Red Banks]

Thank you, Karen, for replying so quickly and expertly.

Let me just rephrase what you said to make sure I understand. Their eye color will not change. It's a recessive trait. Any birds from this line that do have orange eyes should not be used for breeding until 18 months. To make sure that they don't have the recessive green. But any way you slice it these birds should be culled from SOP breeding?

No they shouldn't be culled, the eyes will change.