Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Lotsapaints]

The Marans club has an egg chart you can buy that's what we are talking about when we give #'s 4 is the lightest a Marans egg can be for the bird to be considered a Marans. My Marans lay very well until it gets hot here that is over 100 they lay just like my Delawares an egg every day taking a day off maybe every 10 days or so mine get broody so then you don't get eggs for a week or 2 if you can break them from broodiness. I've hatched out chicks as I was over run with eggs having hatched out all I really wanted so now I'm only getting a few eggs as 3 of my hens are raising chicks and I only have 2 other Black Copper hens. My Cuckoos were laying just like that for 8 months and they are doing a partial molt so from 5 hens I'm getting 2 to 4 eggs a day. Egg color is not great right now either the were laying 5/6's and now they are just 4's except for one Golden Cuckoo hen who lays a 7 her's are now 5's and from 4 hens I'm getting 2-3 a day with my dark girl laying everyday she's a keeper..... In my case Marans will drop off laying when there is big weather swings more than my Dels and they are broodier once it gets hot and says that way my egg production goes back up. Only hatch from a rooster that came from a good layer and only hatch from hens that lay well also to improve your production and mine all started to lay close to 5 months also 18 to 20 weeks.

 

[seabreeze]

OK ladies and gents, I have a couple of questions based upon my recent observations.

I acquired my first hens from a breeder in Corvallis, OR. They lay some very lovely terra cotta red-brown eggs but nothing over a 6 per the chart. But these hens and their subsequent offspring by our no-longer-here Mr. Sprig (big bodied, tanky young roo but bumps in his comb), are SUBSTANTIAL. I don't mean just tall, I mean they are WIDE as well and definitely *low slung*. The pullets have just started laying and seem to lay a shade darker egg than moms so I am guessing this darker paint could be the genetics behind Mr. Sprig? I know what color the moms lay consistently now that I've been gathering eggs from them for almost 18 months.

Secondly, I purchased 13 chicks from a breeder back east and I cannot remember them saying if they were Jean Wade or Bev Davis lines (but I am thinking they indicated WJ), but they are quite a bit different the ones I started with from Corvallis and also sired by Sprig. The ones from back east, pullets appear to have just started to lay and their eggs are very nice color, 6 and 7 and one or two 8s, for the few I've gotten because they are just 4 months old.

BUT......compared to the offspring from Sprig, who are about 3 days older, these east coast birds are small in stature, breadth and just don't have that *homemade cake* heft to them that Sprig's babies do.

So, is there one line that lays a darker egg than the other, overall?

What is most desirable, darkest eggs or broad, low slung bird (with correct comb, coloration etc)?

Any suggestions for finding a way to get both? Or will I have to keep the WJ separate from the BD birds? Any benefit to hatching the crosses (WJ/BD) out? Anyone else have experiences with this cross and outcomes?

Thanks

 

[Bravo]

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She's not tail-less, she just has a poor tail set. If you look you can see the tail feathers flap downward, like a quail. I have a cull girl in my city flock that has the same tail issue. Not sure what caused it but I wont be breeding her as I don't want to risk it popping back up later down the road.

As long as she's happy and healthy, she will give you delicious eggs without a problem

 

[seabreeze]

My tailless ones actually have NO tail bone!

 

[Noymira]

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I have one BCM that looks tailess too, though not quite at bad as yours. Does look kind of funny!

 

[buckabucka]

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My black copper marans is a dud (from a hatchery). I was not expecting show-quality, or super dark eggs from a hatchery bird, although her first egg was somewhat dark. My main complaint is lack of eggs altogether! We've had this hen for a year, and it would be optimistic to say that she averaged as many as two eggs per MONTH! And now she stopped laying, as she has gone broody. Not sure what is wrong with her. She looks healthy, and all of our other hens are laying like crazy.

 

[Keara]

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I have one BCM that looks tailess too, though not quite at bad as yours. Does look kind of funny!

Two of the chicks I got (with the group I ended up giving you, Noymira), had no tail too. I have no idea where they ultimatly had come from or if the rumpless ones were related to the rest of the group. That is one of the reasons I was giving the rest away. Though I have to admit the ones you got turned out nice and lay a pretty egg.

I wonder if rumplessness is showing up from inbreeding?

 

[Kensfarm]

Checking in again, with my chickens. New pictures of the roo and hens, no eggs yet but should be due for some at any moment. Would like more input if anyone thinks they are Black copper Marans. Obviously not show quality, but I do think they are still Marans. Also if I get dark brown eggs out of them, would that be confirmation as a Marans?

 

[Bravo]

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They look like Marans to me

I don't think many of the posters on here have show-quality birds. I know I don't but I'd like to get there some day.

Hope you get your first eggs soon! Looks like you may have a few weeks to go based on comb size. The waiting part is SOOOOO hard!! I have several 5 month old pullets with combs that are as big as your roos and STILL NO EGGS!!

Argh...this waiting game is so hard

 

[Arielle]

Waiting is very hard when you're waiting for something so special!! WE have been collecting our first eggs, the pullet sized, and giving cartons away to friends ( all have grammer school aged kids) so they can experience the thrill of cute little eggs too. Waiting for chocolate eggs is extra special.

To Buckabucka

My black copper marans is a dud (from a hatchery). I was not expecting show-quality, or super dark eggs from a hatchery bird, although her first egg was somewhat dark. My main complaint is lack of eggs altogether! We've had this hen for a year, and it would be optimistic to say that she averaged as many as two eggs per MONTH! And now she stopped laying, as she has gone broody. Not sure what is wrong with her. She looks healthy, and all of our other hens are laying like crazy.

Is she the only BCM you have? Ironically, I would have expected the hatchery bred hens to produce loads of eggs because that is how they make their money, on volume of eggs hatched; and how is the color, light? or darker?

To Lotsa paints:

The Marans club has an egg chart you can buy that's what we are talking about when we give #'s 4 is the lightest a Marans egg can be for the bird to be considered a Marans.

LOL, I thought he was talking about egg size!!!! It's the darkness of the coloring.I get it now.​