Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[BarnGoddess01]

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I think it may be the egg colour that attracts a lot of "newbies" to BCMs. I wasn't brand new to chickens but I am (and was) still pretty wet around the edges. I was looking to make olive eggers and knew I needed a dark egg layer. Had someone with Blue Copper Marans suggest her dark eggs as a good place to start with my EEs and Ameraucanas. I didn't know what questions to ask. She volunteered - not show quality but lay VERY dark eggs. Offered up photos of all the birds my eggs would come from and a sample of her eggs. Now that I have these birds, I HAVE done a load or research. Seems the chicken comes before the research in my case!!

I now have a handful of Black and Blue Copper Marans. I do believe I have pure Black and Blue Copper Marans. Not likely going to win any Marans awards but they certainly aren't the worst birds I've seen. Biggest fault by far; clean legs on my Blue Coppers. Black Coppers all have feathers albeit extremely sparse. The pullets are all over melanized which seems to be a common problem. I'm happy to have something to work with, at any rate.

There is also a geography issue for me - Canada. Not nearly as many specialty breeders in Canada and none doing Marans as far as I can tell, that actually have any clue what they have or even what SOP is. I know eggs and birds can be imported but that is complicated and expensive - and no guarantee that I'm going to end up with anything better than I got.

I AM looking forward to attending the Crossroads show at the end of October. THAT, I hope, will provide me with a decent education in Marans.

 

[turbodog]

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Well "Surprise!" here's another one.

Yeah, it was the egg color that brought me to the breed and I was lucky to have a breeder of FBCM's close by. Now I love em for their nice coloring and sweet disposition.

 

[Wynette]

Barngoddess - this comment from you hits home:

I'm happy to have something to work with, at any rate

We need to all remember that this breed is BRAND spanking new - only having been included in the APA's SOP this past April! When ou think about it, we have a very very long road ahead of us. I also have a heritage breed - silver penciled plymouth rocks - these were accepted into the APA I BELEIVE (I don't have my SOP here with me) in 1912 - truth be told, there is almost as much wrong with THEM as there is with Marans! I have been told by three judges and several old-time breeders that my line is among the best out there - I can't take credit, as I have only had them a few years. But - the list of items I'm working on with them is just mindblowing for a breed that's so old!

My start in Marans was a slow one; I started with a pair. It can be done, and I'm still culling very heavily,, and likely will be for many years to come, and that's alright with me.​

 

[stoopid]

ok, so while we're on the subject... I thought feather legs were kind of, well, optional. I read up on the new MCCusa website, and it looks like it's been changed to a DQ? Did I read that right?

 

[snowbird]

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Yes, the clean shank and toe is a DQ. Now that the Marans standard has been approved by the APA clean leg fowl will be DQ.

 

[fowlman01]

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We need to all remember that this breed is BRAND spanking new - only having been included in the APA's SOP this past April! When ou think about it, we have a very very long road ahead of us. I also have a heritage breed - silver penciled plymouth rocks - these were accepted into the APA I BELEIVE (I don't have my SOP here with me) in 1912 - truth be told, there is almost as much wrong with THEM as there is with Marans! I have been told by three judges and several old-time breeders that my line is among the best out there - I can't take credit, as I have only had them a few years. But - the list of items I'm working on with them is just mindblowing for a breed that's so old!

My start in Marans was a slow one; I started with a pair. It can be done, and I'm still culling very heavily,, and likely will be for many years to come, and that's alright with me.

I looked at some pics of your line of SP Rocks yesterday and they looked very good. Could not tell size, but everything else was very good. (some you shipped to a BYC member here in the SF/Bay area of CA) Good job!

Walt

 

[marquisella]

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Feathering on the middle toe is a disqualification. Beyond that his tail set is wrong. tail should be carried 45 degrees above horizontal. He does appear to have vulture hocks which also is a D/Q. His colour is also weak but he is young & that may change as he matures.

Unfortunately this boy has more going against him than for him.
Yes, he has vulture hocks and that is why he has "booted" feet. They go hand in hand. Marans should be "lightly feathered".
And therei s something definitely wrong with the tail hanging down like that.

 

[fowlman01]

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Yes, the clean shank and toe is a DQ. Now that the Marans standard has been approved by the APA clean leg fowl will be DQ.

When judging, the only clean legged Marans I run into seem to be just the cuckoo. I know it happens in other colors, but it is strange that I only see it in cuckoo's. I judged some very nice BC Marans yesterday. Very well colored males and one really nice female. I am sure they belonged to someone on BYC.

Walt

 

[stoopid]

Ok, that's what I thought. Being such a new breed, there is just so little reliable info out there, even IF you go to the Marans websites. The topic I brought up, like 2 weeks ago, wasn't clear on that site. They have just updated it, even though the BCM was approved months ago. Please correct me if I'm wrong, as I am new myself.

 

[fowlman01]

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The incorrect BC description that Dickerson is complaining about in Poultry Press was taken directly from their web site, so I'm not sure I would trust everything you see there.

Walt