Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Arielle]

I was told the opposite by a couple of VERY respected "master breeders".

I'm not sure clean legs are worse than legs that are too heavily feathered . So far, in my LIMITED experience, I am finding it is easier to get some feathering on bare legs than it is to calm down too heavy feathering.

The frustration continues ! For one that says one thing there is another that says the opposite! Hence, my comment on breeding Easter Eggers!

 

[culler]

We can beat this subject to death but the standard is still going to be there when all is said and done. Will say one thing being a Master Breeder has nothing to do with this unless you know someone that got it showing Marans.

I was told the opposite by a couple of VERY respected "master breeders".

I'm not sure clean legs are worse than legs that are too heavily feathered . So far, in my LIMITED experience, I am finding it is easier to get some feathering on bare legs than it is to calm down too heavy feathering.

 

[DMRippy]

The frustration continues ! For one that says one thing there is another that says the opposite! Hence, my comment on breeding Easter Eggers!

There are always people that want certain things in EE too.... but in general me too.... I have to get some bearded EE to add to my pens.... I just wanted the blue eggs..

I hope that is easier than the feathered leg thing....

 

[DMRippy]

We can beat this subject to death but the standard is still going to be there when all is said and done. Will say one thing being a Master Breeder has nothing to do with this unless you know someone that got it showing Marans.

That makes perfect sense to me.... that is why breeders only REALLY KNOW certain breeds. No one can be an expert on ALL breeds. Like Vicki was telling me about limiting the breeds is better so you can hone your skills with those breeds and not spread yourself too thin. Like I have done

 

[Arielle]

There are always people that want certain things in EE too.... but in general me too.... I have to get some bearded EE to add to my pens.... I just wanted the blue eggs..

I hope that is easier than the feathered leg thing....

I noticed on my EE chicks many are without muffs and tuffs, WTH? I remember your post and figured I can use the Ameraucana roosters to put the muffs and tuff back, or only use muff and tuff EE roosters on those hens without. I do like the clean looking faces though. No waddles. In the fall everyone is dumping the extra roosters. I have 4 boys stashed in the rooster pen along with a back up BO.

 

[Arielle]

That makes perfect sense to me.... that is why breeders only REALLY KNOW certain breeds. No one can be an expert on ALL breeds. Like Vicki was telling me about limiting the breeds is better so you can hone your skills with those breeds and not spread yourself too thin. Like I have done

Donna, I only got into chickens 13 months ago. I was fortuane to be befriended by someone who connected me to a master breeder for a breed I am still interested in. He was very clear about how to become a very capable and good breeder. It was: get your hands on the birds, learn. He wasn't saying I would become an instant master breeder, but rather that we all start somewhere, just get started with what you have. Look how much you have learned already with 1 year. I purposely picked 5 breeds to enjoy and the chicken math added all my favorites and more. I have learned so much in this last year.And I'm trying to find the breeds that are interesting to me and work on my particular farm so that I can arrive at " . . . limiting your breeds is better so you can hone your skill with those breeds".

I have been breeding horses for 20 years. I have learned a ton. I've made mistakes and learned not to repeat that mistake. Then I make a different mistake instead. ANd just keep learning. It is far easier to have a near perfect product if you START with near perfect parents.

THe marans are all over the place from the posts I read. Not sure I will ever be able to have truely good quality birds without spending a bundle of money. Already do that with the horses. LOL

At least with the other breed I'm serious about, the master breeder of that breed can direct me to the good breeders with stock for sale. Maybe less stressful with a non-parti breed, too.

I'm still working out which breeds interest me and why. Not every birds needs be SQ to be of value. Like pretty eggs from the marans.

Sorry for the long speech--

 

[Christie Rhae]

Donna, I only got into chickens 13 months ago. I was fortuane to be befriended by someone who connected me to a master breeder for a breed I am still interested in. He was very clear about how to become a very capable and good breeder. It was: get your hands on the birds, learn. He wasn't saying I would become an instant master breeder, but rather that we all start somewhere, just get started with what you have. Look how much you have learned already with 1 year. I purposely picked 5 breeds to enjoy and the chicken math added all my favorites and more. I have learned so much in this last year.And I'm trying to find the breeds that are interesting to me and work on my particular farm so that I can arrive at " . . . limiting your breeds is better so you can hone your skill with those breeds".

I have been breeding horses for 20 years. I have learned a ton. I've made mistakes and learned not to repeat that mistake. Then I make a different mistake instead. ANd just keep learning. It is far easier to have a near perfect product if you START with near perfect parents.

THe marans are all over the place from the posts I read. Not sure I will ever be able to have truely good quality birds without spending a bundle of money. Already do that with the horses. LOL

At least with the other breed I'm serious about, the master breeder of that breed can direct me to the good breeders with stock for sale. Maybe less stressful with a non-parti breed, too.

I'm still working out which breeds interest me and why. Not every birds needs be SQ to be of value. Like pretty eggs from the marans.

Sorry for the long speech--

good post!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I have been breeding horses for 20 years. I have learned a ton. I've made mistakes and learned not to repeat that mistake. Then I make a different mistake instead. ANd just keep learning. It is far easier to have a near perfect product if you START with near perfect parents.

THe marans are all over the place from the posts I read. Not sure I will ever be able to have truely good quality birds without spending a bundle of money. Already do that with the horses. LOL

At least with the other breed I'm serious about, the master breeder of that breed can direct me to the good breeders with stock for sale. Maybe less stressful with a non-parti breed, too.

A quote from my song-writing cousin - "Never make the same mistake twice. There are so many possibilities. Try a different one each day!"

I've said this before and I'm saying it again - the biggest problem with Marans and novice, small scale breeders - they are too new as a breed. There is still so much genetic variance and tweaking that is necessary to make the birds right. Even IF you spend a big pile of money on a decent starting bunch of birds, you are still likely to run into LOADS of problems. Correctly founding a breed or variety more than likely goes better if one has a big bundle of experience with breeding poultry as well.

I was asked by my local poultry club if I would be willing to do a "demonstration" with my Marans. They are getting quite a bit of attention in Canada now (got the most recent cover of our national Feather Fancier publication). Folks here really don't know much about them. Management in my club knows I have Marans. So they asked me to bring in "8 or so" birds for the demonstration - which is pretty much as many Marans as I have!!! I guess it's a PERFECT opportunity for me to really brush up on my Marans knowledge!!!

 

[Arielle]

A quote from my song-writing cousin - "Never make the same mistake twice. There are so many possibilities. Try a different one each day!"

I've said this before and I'm saying it again - the biggest problem with Marans and novice, small scale breeders - they are too new as a breed. There is still so much genetic variance and tweaking that is necessary to make the birds right. Even IF you spend a big pile of money on a decent starting bunch of birds, you are still likely to run into LOADS of problems. Correctly founding a breed or variety more than likely goes better if one has a big bundle of experience with breeding poultry as well.

I was asked by my local poultry club if I would be willing to do a "demonstration" with my Marans. They are getting quite a bit of attention in Canada now (got the most recent cover of our national Feather Fancier publication). Folks here really don't know much about them. Management in my club knows I have Marans. So they asked me to bring in "8 or so" birds for the demonstration - which is pretty much as many Marans as I have!!! I guess it's a PERFECT opportunity for me to really brush up on my Marans knowledge!!!

BG, Love your quote.

Small scale breeders can learn a great deal by single mating and following the offspring. keeping detail notebooks like scientists do while conducting experiments. Years ago I was fortunate to work as a gruntling for some famous scientists. I was just a kid and didn't know how famous they were in their field until some years later. Anyway, their studies focused on the effects of oil spills on shore birds, seagulls and petrels. THey created experiments, tested the birds for a season, evaluated the results, and devised a new experiment for the next year. THey gathered and published ground breaking information. About the shore birds, but not the fish or the seals effected by the oil spills. THeir expertise was shore birds; and they would have a better understanding of the effects on the fish and mammals, far better than the average person. But not as much knowledge as those whose entire research career focused on the fish or mammals.

We can do the same thing. Learn our stuff, Learn from the long time breeders, but we need to learn from people who really know their stuff about marans. A master breeder on one bird is not a master of another breed. I would certainly listen carefully to any master breeder, but also listen with care when talking about a bird that is not their specialty.

Who has plans this year for single matings? What genes are you looking at?

Do we really know how to reach this goal of moderate feathering with no middle foot feathers? I see several breeding senerios possible. Which works?

 

[Arielle]

I am looking for stock to add specific genes into mine.

1. Moderate legfeeathering without middle toe feathers

2. dark breast feathering with only small amount of brown, preferallby none.

3. very dark egg colors, 7 or 8.

I don't expect all this in one bird, looking for 3 different sources. PM me if you like. Thanks.