Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[GaryDean26]

Dutchbunney83,

I have been pretty happy with last spring's grow out group. I kept one cockerel and 7 pullets from a grow out group of around 40 chicks. The Cockerel was a Reserve Champion Black Copper Marans out of 26 competitive entries and one of the hens has produced a few #8 eggs.

Here are her eggs that we entered in an egg show in January (they are the dark ones on the bottom row).



These birds are not perfect (as can be seen by the photos of the cockerel below) and I didn't breed them so their parent are not my farm, but they are about the closest I have found to what it looks like you are wanting.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Dutchbunney83,

I have been pretty happy with last spring's grow out group. I kept one cockerel and 7 pullets from a grow out group of around 40 chicks. The Cockerel was a Reserve Champion Black Copper Marans out of 26 competitive entries and one of the hens has produced a few #8 eggs.

Here are her eggs that we entered in an egg show in January (they are the dark ones on the bottom row).



These birds are not perfect (as can be seen by the photos of the cockerel below) and I didn't breed them so their parent are not my farm, but they are about the closest I have found to what it looks like you are wanting.

LOVE it!!! The eggs in box 12 are what I want!!! These are the eggs I've been getting from my BCM (she started laying a few months ago, I hear it only gets lighter?)



My blue copper's eggs aren't in the picture, but they're a shade lighter with darker spots (similar to the eggs in box 5 & box 10), but from what I know of Marans the black copper's produce the darkest eggs?

(PS- Sorry about the leghorn, quail, & EE eggs in pic, this is the only one I already had on my computer with the BCM's eggs in it)

 

[dutchbunny83]

That is exactly what I have seen. People seem to breed for EITHER egg color or type but not usually both. I am not saying that you have to sacrifice one for the other and some are working on both but not many and the ones that are working on both guard their birds.

I've never bred chickens, so I know very little about genetics, but I would have thought breeding them to show quality appearance and breeding them for extra dark eggs would have gone hand in hand vs being either or. I kind of thought the 2 would go together, the closer to show quality the eggs would naturally be really dark like they're supposed to. But obviously that isn't the case. In France where they are from do you believe there are better lines? I know in America they are much more rare so wasn't sure if there was a quality difference between the two.

I did get 8 BCM eggs off ebay last night for $36. The photos of the eggs were dark, so I will hope they were being truthful in posting pictures of their actual eggs. I don't think the birds are show quality, but at least the photos shown the coloring was right (some of the listings with the darkest eggs, the hens had so much white in them it almost looked mottled).

Anyone familiar with D. Prather's farm in Kentucky? Hoping the seller was honest because he/she was really talking up his eggs/birds. My expectations aren't overly high as it's ebay, and wasn't as expensive as I've seen eggs go for (actually surprised I got them for $36, placed my max bid at $50 & went to bed). Guess all I can do is hatch and see....

 

[Zanna]

I did get 8 BCM eggs off ebay last night for $36. The photos of the eggs were dark, so I will hope they were being truthful in posting pictures of their actual eggs. I don't think the birds are show quality, but at least the photos shown the coloring was right (some of the listings with the darkest eggs, the hens had so much white in them it almost looked mottled).

Same first four eggs in both pics. from one of my young pullets last year. True colour was a shade inbetween. You can absolutely not tell from a picture.........

 

[dutchbunny83]

That's disappointing.
Guess I can only hope for the best.
There doesn't seem to be any local breeders around me.
The first pic appears to be darker than any eggs I've gotten from mine.
The second is closer to my blue marans.
The photo I posted is true to color, but it's outside in natural lighting not a close up so I can see how that can alter the image.
Thank you!

 

[Wynette]

Same first four eggs in both pics. from one of my young pullets last year. True colour was a shade inbetween. You can absolutely not tell from a picture.........

That's disappointing.
Guess I can only hope for the best.
There doesn't seem to be any local breeders around me.
The first pic appears to be darker than any eggs I've gotten from mine.
The second is closer to my blue marans.
The photo I posted is true to color, but it's outside in natural lighting not a close up so I can see how that can alter the image.
Thank you!

Folks, I haven't posted this in awhile, but it's never a bad idea to ask for a shell sample BEFORE you commit to buying via shipped eggs. I do this often when folks are asking about egg color; I'd rather take the time to send a sample and have a customer actually see what the egg color potential is UP FRONT so that they know ahead of time. Especially since the eggs lighten as the birds go through their lay cycle, and as they age.

Zanna, nice eggs, BTW!

 

[chicken pickin]

Folks, I haven't posted this in awhile, but it's never a bad idea to ask for a shell sample BEFORE you commit to buying via shipped eggs. I do this often when folks are asking about egg color; I'd rather take the time to send a sample and have a customer actually see what the egg color potential is UP FRONT so that they know ahead of time. Especially since the eggs lighten as the birds go through their lay cycle, and as they age.

Zanna, nice eggs, BTW!

I agree with this. I always save egg shells when chicks hatch just incase a customer wants to see the color egg the chick hatched from.

 

[Wynette]

I agree with this. I always save egg shells when chicks hatch just incase a customer wants to see the color egg the chick hatched from.

 

[chicken pickin]

Here are a few pics of my newest BCMs. I have 6 chicks but forgot to put one in the group for the pictures so only 5 are shown












I was curious about the one with the splotchy head, I have not hatched a BCM like that one before.

Wynette I was wondering if you had some input on these BCMs I hatched from your eggs. I was mainly wondering about the one with the white splotchy head.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Shell sample is a great idea, I never even thought of that!

And cute chicks!!!