Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[BookWorm243]

Hello,
I am the one with the pullet that I am worried can't see to well. I first noticed it when I took the cockerel ( Henry ) out and she froze in the middle of the run. She stood there calling out to him trying to find out where to go

She seems to really depend on him. She always seems to have her head tilted with her right eye looking up and her left eye facing the ground. I keep the food and water in one spot to make it easier for her. Tonight I took the food dish out to refill it and as I walked by she caught on that I had it. She ran over to where I keep it and was waiting for it, so I tried moving in to the other side. She had no clue where it was until Henry called her over. I also noticed when she tries to peck and something, say a piece of scrambled egg. It takes her a couple try's to actually grab it. When I talked to youngbiddy I was telling her there was a grass hopper that came into the run and while the chicks ran over trying to catch it she just stood there with no clue of what the deal was. I have looked at her eyes and they seem fine. They are not cloudy or anything from what I can tell. I am going to try and get some pictures of her eyes tomorrow, and hopefully a video of her as well.

Thanks

 

[geebs]

Debbi: so interesting!!! Wow... Well there goes my whole theory out the window... LOL I guess that is why we do things like compare notes... Where did this stock originate??? I do see the dark legs on all of the chicks. I guess I have the other corner down the street!!! LOL!!! Thanks for posting those!!!! That last chick... the pullet... Such a fine example... Send her on over Deb...Love to have her... Low rider, long graceful neck and the toenails... Girl has got it all and did you see the junk in the trunk.... She's got it going on!!!


Allaboutyoupetsitting

Now for the blind pullet I absolutely believe that bird is having trouble.... It's stance is that of my blind bird... Possible eyeworm??? Was it this way from birth??? or is this a recent development? Please excuse me if this has already been answered.

 

[Debbi]

Well Geebs, I don't know about your whole theory down the tubes, I lack in percentages here with my little hatches. I think a lot of it has to do with the lines and crosses of lines. My first clutch, and seeing as these look the same, this clutch, were a Davis/Jeane cross, and with this clutch, bred back to the same. Make sense?

Now the lone chick I got the other day, is a cross of the Davis/Jeane pullets, by a Jeane/Presley roo(s). This one is darker, and has a spot on the head? Not a clear spot now that I looked at Cuckoo chick pics, but a spot none the less. It's kind of in between the really light colored and a dark chick. Tried to get pics of him/her today, but it was like taking pics of a blur in motion!

Will wait till it calms down a bit and try again. More of a penguin color to me, yet not as dark as some I've seen. This was a dark x dark bird breeding, so I'm anxious to see what it colors up like. Weeeeee, what an enigma!

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
I agree with Geebs here, this bird has a visual problem. Is there any kind of glaze or film over the eye?

 

[geebs]

The bird may never be fertile... very doubtful... may not even be able to produce eggs... let us know... Without light the roosters go sterile and the hens go dormant... I wonder if she will even lay.

 

[seabreeze]

OK, if we ever get sunshine or decent weather again....I'm pretty excited over some of the pullets and cockerels I got from a breeder back east (shipped chicks since I am handicapped about hatching eggs...sigh...

) so I want to get some pics but have to find an extra set of hands and decent weather, a few hours to set aside etc.,

I would like to post the pics and ask that folks give constructive comments if they are so inclined to comment which will be appreciated. A couple of our BCM hens from Andy have gone broody and seem to be staying that way so may try to hatch a few that way! I just need to shift the roos around, putting the splash and blue in with them, removing the birchens back to the small barn until they can have their own blue flock.

My hand raised Narangansett hen from last year has proven a better hatcher than I

....she had 12 eggs under her and so far, hatched out 8 or 9 but of course, she is a fierce mom and I don't want to get bitten or beaten up by a turkey!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
I hear you on that- our turkeys always follow us when we enter the pen! Just had a 5 month old cockeral(different breed) just attack my hand this morning when I was checking the water- volunteer for crockpot! Will try and post some up dated pictures of the 3 chicks from Pink!

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I have a light brahma named Pickles (who was always getting herself into a 'pickle' when she was little). Turns out Pickles was always left behind or lost because she cannot see well. She exhibits the same signs that your pullet has. She was born this way as far as I know. She does not perch she does not jump up on stuff..ever. She doesn't use the nestbox. She just lays her eggs in the corner of the coop. She knows where the food dishes are because she listens for the pecking of the other hens and follows the crowd. She has bad aim trying to eat individual pieces of food and will not eat food off the ground she goes for the food dish.
She is a year old now and seems to get along just fine and the little Phx rooster I have in with my egg laying group, keeps a special eye on her to make sure she is following the others back into the pen and keeping up when she freeranges. It is really cute.

 

[flgardengirl]

I have 3 turkey poults that dh brought home from the feedstore. I don't even know what kind they are lol. If I posted a pic do you think one of you could identify them? They are turning out to be alot friendlier than I thought turkeys would be. I kept hearing the horror stories from dh of the big evil white turkey he had as a kid. These are sweet and follow us like puppy dogs.

 

[BookWorm243]

Thanks for answering Geebs, Debbi, and flgardengirl. What do I need to look for if it's eye worms? How would you treat that? Youngbiddy never noticed her having problems, so I am not sure if it is a new development or not

She doesn't perch with the roost or eat food off the ground, just the feeder. Her eyes are very dark and I can't see any color coming in yet but besides that they look fine from what I can see, I will have to go out and check again. If it ends up being that she was hard of seeing from birth, could I still use her for breeding? I was going to breed her and the cockerel I got but is this something that can be passed on?

Thanks