Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Christie Rhae]

What incredibly quick and complete answers. The funny part is that I knew spelt was a grain but I wasn't sure where I could find it... outside maybe a whole wallet grocer... I mean whole foods

I wonder about spelt from the brewery. We have micros here and I was part of a club. I never thought about saving it for anything other than compost before. Brewers yeast is very good for MANY reasons, especially for the geese, so I will ask around and see what I can get.

Christie: mine do free range but they also get table scraps like yours and most recently the buffet of Japanese Beetles that have invaded. My son loves the job of going out in the morning while the bugs are groggy and pushing them into a jar. The chickens RUN to get these, even the littlest Marans. Chicken keep away is funny no matter how big or small they are.

So, the eye question remains an unknown... alright.
Now, what about tails and toes. Tails should be short as far as I understand the SOP and so I am looking at my littles and trying to choose the heaviest girls with short tails. (I still see black viking ships) Cockerels have almost no tail at all right now. (I now see them as miniscule ostriches in all black) They do have nice long necks though!
Toes need to be long. If the outside toe is short is this a fault or DQ?
BEAKS? I know nothing about those.

Have you seen this thread? https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/517113/marans-sop-discussion-thread
It is pretty informative.

 

[Vickir73]

Started getting my first eggs this weekend!! From looking at my shade chart, I think they are about a 4, but I'm hoping they will darken a bit and maybe I'll have some to bring with me to the January show (along with my birds)!!

 

[ashandvine]

Lovely eggs.

I just learned that Langshans exist and give lavender eggs. I am so excited.

 

[TwistOfFate]

Lovely eggs.

I just learned that Langshans exist and give lavender eggs. I am so excited.

I looked these guys up and everywhere I read they say they lay brown eggs. Where did you hear about lavender eggs? They sound lovely!!

 

[unkadan]

2 of my Blk Langshan hens lay extra lg "mauve" colored eggs, the other lays a smaller very light tan egg (I heard at some point a breeder in the Midwest got the light color introduced into some birds, now it seems to be around,,,not what the standard calls for)

 

[ashandvine]

Croad are supposed to.
"The 'plum' egg colouring is a bloom over the top of a pinkish brown shell. The darker brown the shell the darker plum the colour will appear. Some eggs have a white bloom but a good example will have a pale purple colour bloom over a darker shell. This is why the Poultry Club Standards list the egg colour as brown. " quoted from http://clarescroads.webs.com/eggcolour.htm
and heres a pic off some amazing ones...

 

[ashandvine]

These little FCB Marans are becoming very popular here despite their lack of snuggling. They are aggressive foragers and so pretty. I swear my cockerel is nearly irridescent blue. We call them The Ninjas because of their behavior in the yard.

 

[Arielle]

Croad are supposed to.
"The 'plum' egg colouring is a bloom over the top of a pinkish brown shell. The darker brown the shell the darker plum the colour will appear. Some eggs have a white bloom but a good example will have a pale purple colour bloom over a darker shell. This is why the Poultry Club Standards list the egg colour as brown. " quoted from http://clarescroads.webs.com/eggcolour.htm
and heres a pic off some amazing ones...

Put these in a fruit bowl and you have plums! Gorgeous color!

These little FCB Marans are becoming very popular here despite their lack of snuggling. They are aggressive foragers and so pretty. I swear my cockerel is nearly irridescent blue. We call them The Ninjas because of their behavior in the yard.

THe ninjas!

 

[ashandvine]

Thanks Arielle. I wasn't able to get some of yours but these are so much fun just the same. My son came up with the name and it just fits so well. I wonder if anyone else finds that their mild-mannered 'big loves' are or were so active as youngsters. These ones run around like a little micro-flock going into tall grass where the others do not-- its like a jungle in there, hunting bugs more aggressively than my adults-- with the exception of the Delawares who are Japanese Beetle eating machines! The Marans already come in on their own. It may just be me but I see some real zest in these little ninjas. Where I normally wait to see personalities or resort to my ducks for entertainment these Marans are really coming out of the gate running-- and flapping! Flighty little things. Anyway. Anyone else have caffeinated ninjas in their yards?

Oh. It just occured to me. Maybe I am not feeding them enough protein and what I think is cute behavior is actually making up for my lack. hmmm.

 

[Arielle]

I have a mixed pen and it is my buff orpingtons that are the first to scoot out the door looking for goodies as I'm pouring feed into the coop feed pan!

I do like the marans for foraging, some of my older birds take off for the day to parts unknown. Very calm once I catch them, takes two people to catch some of the ones I didn't coddle as chicks. Most roosters I can walk by and suddenly swoop down and pick him up.