Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[SIMZ]

What causes mossiness? Is that something from the rooster or the hen? Since I haven't noticed that on either of the parents is there something that would let me know it would show up in the offspring?

Thanks again!

 

[maryhysong]

i bought he birds when they were about 3 months old. i think i may take your suggestion and check out that website. i do realize that lack of lacing is a problem but im serious they are total crap. there eggs are not as large as they should and they lay as dark as my barred rocks do. and the posure of the birds is just despicable they are completly staight backed no curve exept for the heads. as for money im not really sure however much it costs i guess.

why don't you post some pictures. I'm thinking that a level back is desirable (experts chime in here please!) BCM are hard to come by here where I am too. I started out with 22 birds from 3 sources. I've lost some due to strange things (two chicks appeared to have been smothered in the brooder, never happened before. One died of what seemed to be sour crop ect) Of the remaining the majority are roosters and of those there are the two flaming orange boys I posted above, several more with very light/pink legs, a couple more with too much color, but not as bad as the orange twins, one that so far only has copper on its neck. One of the girls has a pendulous crop, two are very mossy and most of the rest have little to no copper. I won't know about egg color until about June or July.

I'm not complaining, I"m pointing out that no matter who you buy from this breed has issues. I bought from three sources, one a good breeder on this forum who is winning at shows with their BCM, another BYC person that I bought hatching eggs from and finally some folks in my state that are in their first year of breeding, but whose foundation stock came from a top breeder. I will be thinning the ranks as issues crop up. The two orange boys will be my first culls and I won't breed from the girl with the pendulous crop but keep her as a layer, in case that is genetic. I'll see what the egg color looks like and I"ll breed and hatch from the ones that lay the darkest eggs, where ever that ends up on the scale. At the same time I'll breed together the best looking birds I've got and go from there. Right now I'm just doing what I can where I am with what I have.

 

[heirloomorps]

You can never tell with the BCMs with some things even until they lay eggs. We have three pullets from one breeder (had a roo also but he died). None have copper in their hackles. Two lay a 6-7 egg the third lays a weird 4 egg with DARK speckles on it. (She isn't in the BCM pen anymore.) All have decent type and foot feathering, and throw chicks with foot feathering. I am hoping their offspring have copper as the roo the came with had beautiful copper! And then I have another two pullets (not laying yet) from another breeder with differing amounts of copper. One has a beautiful color but not much actual copper and the other has a good amount of copper but its that flame orange color.

This breed can be frustrating.

 

[rooster 1918]

here are some of the eggs. i already sold the hens to a friend who wanted them because he liked the speckled eggs and didnt want to breed or anything so i dont have pictures of them

 

[marquisella]

Quote: Well, welcome to the crazy world of Marans....They are not predictable really in what they will produce. And trying to incorporate both physicality & egg properties will drive you crazy...Its a juggling act, and it can get nuts. You pick out each year the ones that look the best and came from the darkest eggs, and cross your fingers they will reproduce themselves. It doesn't always work...but you keep on doing your best. That is about it. Most of the time, your darkest egg layers are not up to the standard, or your best looking birds, don't lay a dark enough egg. Frustrating, but then great when you get it right.

 

[rooster 1918]

Should i buy eggs/chicks from a breeder and hope for the best? my main concern is the egg color they will produce.

 

[snowbird]

Should i buy eggs/chicks from a breeder and hope for the best? my main concern is the egg color they will produce.

I would suggest eggs if color is what you are looking for at present. Just hatched 5 dozen of BC eggs for my son to do a study with and I do not think they are worth doing a study. These were BC Marans where they looked real good in a picture. I have them all marked and might do the study after the last two dozen hatch.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Should i buy eggs/chicks from a breeder and hope for the best? my main concern is the egg color they will produce.

If egg colour is what you are after, shop for that but be prepared, what pops out of the egg may have all sorts of issues when it comes to SOP. But since you've said egg colour is what you are after, don't buy them if they aren't dark enough for you, no matter what they say about laying cycle etc. If dark eggs is what you are after, hatch from dark eggs. Period. At this time of year (early in the cycle,) folks should be prepared to provide you with dark eggs.

 

[rooster 1918]

I actually kept one hen from the batch who was younger and had not started laying so i kept her to see what she would produce and she actually lays acceptable maran eggs

here she is, despite what the picture shows she is actually all black no white or copper. she is just dusty on the front cause of her feed.

here is her egg, it is just a tad darker than the picture shows. it is next to an ameracauna egg and a barred rock eggs.
ans here is the rooster i can breed her to. he has a good comb and leg color the only problem i can see is the white he has in his tail. should i breed them and see what comes out or just buy better quality?

 

[Scottyballs]

I have one chick that has really short wing feathers on left side anyone ever seen this? Will the feathers always be short on that side?

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