Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[AyeUpChuck]

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OF COURSE I want to do that! I need to call Andy and see if these boys are from his Gherke pen. Hope the horses do well this weekend! I'll let you know what my schedule is like this week.

 

[onthespot]

My "small" marans are from pure Gherke pen. I have sold off all but the "small" pair and Tipsy, my bestest besteste EVER marans. Her egg color is dark, like my "small" pullet, so I'm hoping she is the mother of the two. Anyhow, she is in with the small pair. I actually gave her away to someone, but she didn't lay for them right away, and they brought her back. I was SO GLAD to get her back, and had kicked myself all around the block for giving her up. I put her in with the small pair, and a week later she is back to laying her gorgeous red mahogany eggs. WOOT!

 

[geebs]

Cooleo.... I have said it before and I will say it again... THis applies to my pen... But it may have relevance for others as well. If everything isn't right for laying... be it friendships, dark cavelike lay box, diet (enough protien, calcium) they will not lay... It is about the environment in my pen/yard... They don't like to lay with some hens and have lay buddies.... Onthespot... your hen sounds like she is from my house...

About feedstuffs: Take this with a grain of salt, but, I have found that my hens lay darker and better when there is a stress free environment that does include healthful herbs. I use Tumeric and Cinnamon ALWAYS in thier feed. My egg color does change when I pen them and get cheap on the feedstuffs.

 

[AyeUpChuck]

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Yeah. I totally agree. I think more than egg color is affected by diet and surroundings but thats just me and I'm no expert by any means. That massive yard will be finished by tomorrow and the ladies will have free range. I'm going to either build them a little cave or use buckets. I can use those blue containers for storing potatoes etc. So not a waste. I love my little mixed flock but I really want to focus on the Marans more. Can't wait to go ahead with these projects.

 

[geebs]

Going Completely off topic here but AYEUP... Would you please post pictures of those rubber ducky cakes... We could really use a thread about amazing cakes.. If you have a blog spot that these folks could see your amazingness...

Ya'all will not believe these cakes!!! and they have fowl on them... Now to get her to make a marans cake for Stevenson!!!! RAH!!!

 

[shesaredroan]

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Yes, Yes!!!!
AyeUp, pics PLEASE!!!

 

[Zanna]

Here are some pics (actually lots, it was beautious this AM and I got Pic happy!) of my two very different boys that have made the cut so far with all of your invaluable advise. They are 6 mos. old tomorrow

, pure Davis lines. How do you think we are doing?

Roo #1 Very dominant but a good boy, smaller than the other boy, has fairly heavy feathering on legs and I would consider them a darker shade of slate. He is compact but chunky.

getting ready to crow........

Just can't help but sing the Rocky theme song when I see this pic! Roo #1 in Front, #2 in back

Roo #2 Least dominant of all 5 of my roos, he is trying to woo the 8 week old Dels into becoming his flock, he is a total sweetheart. He got in a tussle not too long ago and I thought he was blinded in one eye. I could not have asked for a better patient while treating and while isolated and it healed perfectly!
He has very few feathers on his legs (not clean legged though) and some stubble and I would say a lighter colour of slate. Has a much longer back than other roo, also chunky!

Looks like some white feathers in a few of the pics but they are only reflections, there are no white feathers or undercoat on either of these birds.

 

[onthespot]

# 1 Is my preference, from the pics and what you wrote. #2 would be an automatic cull for me, barely feathered shanks, light hackles and saddle feathers, not as nice a comb, and sometimes the "sweetie pie" roos are lower in testosterone and have lower fertility, less breeding drive and miss here and there, lazy breeders. They do make great pets though, and do well with fewer hens.

 

[OHmamma]

#1 is pretty beefy looking! I love the fleshiness of his head, he seems to have the same problem that my favorite roos do and that is the tail angle. I am having some luck straightening it out but it is hard to tell how much yet.

I like the gamelike headshape of #2 and his eyes. I think his tail is actually the better of the two but his comb looks thinner towards the back, it may just be the angle. I have found that the feathering is not that hard to breed back into them but I would worry a little more about his coloring, it looks more golden to me. It may change some.

He looks a lot like one of my Free Ranger "pets" which is also pure Davis lines, his legs are almost identical too. Mine is also a sweetie but he does well with the ladies

He actually used to protect me from my MEAN Blue Copper roo and he does all the chores with me.

 

[math ace]

Zanna, I only keep "sweetie pie" roosters. . .
If they aren't good to their ladies and me. . . .. well there are more roos waiting to take their place !

I prefer a bigger roo. This is just my personal preference because my hens are not as big as I think they should be.

I like the coopering on roo #1. HOWEVER, is there a difference in the BLACK of these two roos ? ? ? ?

Look closely tomorrow and let me know if you can see a difference. It looks like roo #2 might be darker black in the fluffy feather areas.

What do the ladies look like that you plan on matching these boys up with ?? ?