Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[flgardengirl]

Birds & Eggs :

We are new to Marans, and wanted to know what age Marans typically start laying? Here are a picture of our Silver Birchen Marans. They are coming on 6 months old. Thanks for any info!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/101054_img_1181.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/101054_img_1165.jpg

Very nice birchens!
I have a pair of blue birchens that are still young and one black/silver birchen pullet who is gonna end up a little mossy I think.​

 

[MARANMAN2011]

OK have a question for you bc guys. I have 10 cuckoos and one bcm roo when will he start to get his colors?

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
How old is he, about 6-7 weeks? Some of mine usually start to really color in around 4-5 months, some slower, some way earlier. I have a little guy now, who at 9 weeks has nice coppering already in. That said, he also is the first one I've had with coppering on his breast.

 

[MARANMAN2011]

Hes almost 4 months now so pretty soon I hope.

 

[Kensfarm]

Quote:
Mine looked just like that at 6 weeks, but he had a few pin feathers in the neck and back that were coming in copper colored.

At nine weeks was when my Roo had copper in the hackles, saddle and wings not really pretty looking but you could tell that the copper was in the right places. He also had a bit on his chest which is not SOP.

I want to say that 4-6 months is when they start to get quite stunning with colors, but I imagine that they all grow at different rates.

**edit: check my page and you can see his growth. I dont have ages on the pictures, in order I think roughly; 3weeks/6weeks/9weeks/17weeks from top to bottom.

 

[Wynette]

Birds & Eggs :

We are new to Marans, and wanted to know what age Marans typically start laying? Here are a picture of our Silver Birchen Marans. They are coming on 6 months old. Thanks for any info!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/101054_img_1181.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/101054_img_1165.jpg

One of my very favorite color patterns!

Mine typically do not start (I have black coppers only) until right at 24 weeks. I do not prefer them to begin early, as they can end up with laying issues if they start too awfully early. If your gal hasn't started yet, looks like she will soon!​

 

[Arielle]

I "happened" to win a fewFBCM in a BYC auction.

Can anyone tell me if the cockerels have more leg feathering than the pullets? My boys seem to be very feathered down the legs, a single feather on the middle toe and on the web between the 2 toes. THe pullets have much less feathering on the legs. Born Jun 2nd.
I'm thinking the boys have too much leg feathering, how do I reduce it? ( You are welcome to refer me to back posts in this thread.) TY

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:
Depending on the line you have and who you talk to, you will see trends in both directions - some say they have a hard time getting feathers on their roo shanks, some have a harder time feathering the hens. It's not a simple process, there are multiple genes involved. You can pair heavy with sparse and cull for the best balance of the kind of feathering you prefer. Most folks would say avoid breeding with middle toe feathers. Some have used middle toe feathered roosters with not a lot of recurrence. Leg feathering is not particularly consistent or predictable in BCM compared to Wheatens where it is much more consistent. I believe BC lines have feather inhibiting genes involved that can reduce or eliminate leg feathering even if all the leg feathering genes are present.

 

[Arielle]

Village Chicken: do you know if the pullets and cockerels would have different amounts of feathering? Sort of like men have beards and women don't.

THe leg feathering is more complicated than I thought; If I remember correctly these are presley/wade jean lines. Can you tell me more about those lines?

I will need to add more breeding birds into the pool, so I would like to know, if possible, what lines compliment these bird that I have.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Quote:
Arielle I've been using a "Davis/Wade" cross rooster with stubs on his middle toe and 2/3's of his offspring have been without any middle toe feathering some of mine are perfect in the feathering others have gaps or are very sparse I will say I am working on getting the leg feathering and it's not that easy to get the feathers all the way down evenly and all my hens have feathered legs some just are very sparse.....

When ever you add new birds you just have to test hatch and then you never know for sure until you are crossing them back...