Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Wynette]

good morning, friends!

It's been awhile since I've popped in...please accept my apologies. Been super, SUPER busy! BEAUTIFUL chicks & pics of juvies, folks - makes me want to hatch, but I HAVE NO ROOM!!!!

 

[math ace]

I have to go do some coop work, but I wanted to stop and say "HI" just incase someone wanted to talk BCM with me . . .

 

[pawtraitart]

Care to take a guess on these two 4 week old BCM's? Pullet? Cockeral? These are out of my 2011 test hatch.

 

[math ace]

# 1 roo - - - at 4 weeks you can already see wattles. . .

#2 - - Does that comb have a pink tint to it ? ?? If so, I say roo too!

 

[poularde]

Quote:
My guess also.

 

[pawtraitart]

That's what I was thinking. I've been tracking these two because one grew tail feathers much quicker than anybody else and in my orpingtons, that usually means it's a pullet. It's looking like the same rule doesn't apply to my marans. Ah well! LOL

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
My guess also.

Double ditto. Sorry. Unless you were wanting cockerels! Then - WOOT!

 

[pawtraitart]

Oh, cockerals are fine with me so it's all good.

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
Well, conventional logic would say yes. But eye color is a HUGE mystery still, even with the experts. It just has not been studied well, and as I mentioned when I first posted on this thread, why don't all those overdark hens have dark eyes? I don't see a correlation between eye color and melanization in BCM.

The Id gene that inhibits shank melanization in BCM works pretty well. Males get a double dose, so it does a good job of lightening the shanks and evening out differences between birds of different melanization levels. They have gray still in there, and I don't think pale shanks on a dark bird is an indicator of eWh cross unless they are that clear pink. That's just my opinion though.

I have some wheatens and whites that I am growing out right now, they're just 10 days old now. I'm seeing variation in the shanks already. Wheatens are clear shanked right from the beginning, the whites are recessive white on E with Id. So some of them are still showing some blue/grey in their shanks right now.

I don't pay too much attention to eye color in chicks because I have had blue copper chicks in the past that have had almost black looking eyes and then at near adulthood turned the proper pumpkin color. Also, had some with light eyes that darkened up to the correct color. I wonder if it has to do with different lines or something. I am keeping better track since I started noticing.

 

[6littlechickies]

evening all! well, it's been a while since I promised some additional photos of my roo (daddy to Adozengirlz babies). First it was just blasted COLD and I was a wimp....then either this horrid virus or the flu of sorts swept through our house and took 4 out of the 5 of us DOWN, hard! both my poor DS were down all last week and DH and were hit too. only one to escape unscathed was DD...except the school called yesterday telling me to come get her too! she's been in bed since, poor little thing.


anyway, i finally had a chance to go get some pics of his back, tail set, etc. Please excuse the state of his tail feathers currently, it's normally much better looking (more full, etc). I mentioned before I had lost my other roo (his brother) a couple weeks ago. well, the two got into a scuffle this guy came out ahead but his tail took a beating. sorry to have lost the other guy but this one was my preferred one to keep anyway so I guess it's for the best. I'm still on the hunt for another boy if anyone has one.

ok, so first the original few pics.

remember him?

ok, here's the other angles.

as always, opinions are very much welcome. He's a really good boy, very good to his ladies and not aggressive to us at all.

gosh, just realized how messy the barn looks.

oops, time for a sweep out!