Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[geebs]

They could be...However... I will say this: .. They look like they contain something else as well.... The dark eye etc.. I would wait and see if they lay a dark egg... If not.. crosses... Still could be good for the breakfast pen... (no offense intended just shootin from the hip here) The beaks on these birds seem somehow short and the heads round... they eyes are big... They look "different" to me... The tail feathers on the males seem too asiatic... Very shortly coupled... I just don't know.... I would take a good look at their combs for side sprigs etc...

Also there is something funny about how the feathers from the chest cover the wing on the male.... They seem a little too upright.

Maybe someone else can chime in here so I don't look like a fly in the milk.

 

[Arielle]

I apologize, I'm jumping into the middle of a thread. I really wanted marans for the lovely dark egg color but now i'm uncertain. I've read different accounts of the temperments of the birds--just want to know what I'm getting in to! LOL So if you would share about your birds: flightly, friendly, like confinement or not, good foragers, calm. Which of these describes the marans. THank you.

 

[Zanna]

Quote:
X2 I could make a stab at some of these answers but I am sure some more experienced breeders would have more complete answers. I am not even a breeder yet, just a wannabe

Somebody??

 

[geebs]

A proper marans is friendly and good pet quality... the mixes are where you get a flighty bird... The dark eggs are so worth it... My marans are downright pesky friendly. I have the Wade Jean line, however the bev line I had were friendly also. You will have to ask the breeder you purchase from about exact temperment. I like my Bayhorsebonne line birds for their friendly demeanor. My rooster will crawl up in my lap to get goodies for the girls.


That is quite a list and I don't know the exact questions so I have to opt out. sorry... A couple questions at a time wouldn't be so overwhelming...

 

[math ace]

I had to call it quits last night - - -so I will jump in here and pick up where Geebs left off.

I just can't leave the woman floating in the milk. . ..

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I agree with Geebs, something just is not "right" and makes me think they are mixed with something.
Ignoring the question about pure or not. moving on to the question about looks and color. .. .

The cockerel and pullet have too much brown on the chest. The pullet should not have any brown ( copper) on her chest and the cockerel to be SOP should knly have a tiny amount, a sprinkling of copper on his chest.

If you breed these two, the offspring will have even MORE copper. They are not complimentary opposites.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I adore my hens. .. .They are very CALM. They are talkers and will flatly tell you when they think they are being done wrong - - i.e. the others get to free range and they don't.

Roosters, well let me say I have hatched my fair share. I have hatched a few that were nasty and became soup pot material. My main roo is adorable and I would trust him around children. He is very trainable. They all seem to go through the teenage, " I am as bad as they come" stage. This stage is around 4 - 6 months for me. Most come out of that stage recognizing that I am Alpha - - - not them.

I have no trouble with my marans with other breeds either. . . They are the "Don't mess with me and I won't mess with you" breed. Now, if you mess with them . .. . They will hold their own!

 

[wannabchick]

Hey Mathace.. didnt hear from you on what you think my lovely it.. has grown to be..LOL... whatch ya think ??would love to know what you think too

and everyone else too.. please.. so many of you are black copper maran lovers.. but only a couple responded to what they may have thought my it might be..LOL

if its more like a boy.. then it suppose to be shipped out this week.. but if its more like a girl then I will hold on to her..so the more views and comments.. would be very much appreciated

hope all are here are doing awesome
xoxo

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I think some of these things can not be attributed to a particular line . ...

BODY TYPE - -- some lines tend to look the same because the breeder was culling for things that appealed to them.
Once the line leaves the breeder's hands, the new owner start culling to appease themselves and the line deviates from its original charactertisics.

EGG SIZE and EGG COLOR - -- Once again this is hereditary and can change from breeder to breeder depending on what they are culling for.
For a long time there have been two catergories of people raising marans - -
1.) Those wanting the darkest egg.
2.) Those wanting the truest conformation.

With the aprroval of the standard for marans, these two catergories are starting to merge.
My girls lay JUMBO eggs, but they are not super dark. I would love to see my eggs get dark,
but not if it meant that my eggs got smaller. This is my choice because we eat a lot of our eggs.
We LOVE having an egg so big that we can't close the lid on the egg cartion

That is just us
and that is what is important to us. . . . Someone else might not carry about size and they would
only hatch from the darkest egg. . .


LEG FEATHERING - - - can not attribute this to a particular line. . . .This dependings on what the breeder likes.
Before the standard came around, there were two types of feathering
1.) No leg feather was called ENGLISH style
2.) With any leg feathering was called FRENCH style.

NOW we have an AMERICAN standard that calls for light feathering. .. . which is open to interpretation.
This is all NEW. That is why you are finding inconsistency.

OK , I am done. . .. if someone wants to add more or tackle the rest of your questions, then jump right in.

 

[robnms]

How many different quality lines of black coppers are out there?