Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[maryhysong]

I don't show birds and I prefer clean legs so they don't get the eggs dirty. I live near a swamp and it gets super muddy around here. I guess I'm leaning more towards the english standard which does not require feathered shanks.

I can understand that some what but they originated in marshy country in France. The English standard has nothing to do with birds in the US. BUT they are your birds to do as you wish.

 

[magdelaine]

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Actually the standard does allow for copper spots in the breast.

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Originally Posted by cynstaub


I'm over run by chickens and need to thin my flock!

Cynstaub, the cockerel that it crowing is almost always the dominant one. Dominance is not always a good thing but they are often the more vigorous bird. I don't like overgrown combs, but like the spots on the breast they are something that is usually of lesser importance than other thing I find on my birds.



I like the head on the one in the first two photos better than the one I the 3rd photo. The one in the 3rd photos has thin points and the lean backwards. Both things that I don't like. The first one also looks to have a deeper head which is something that I do like. The first one's eye are set right at the middle of the comb where the one in the 3rd photos looks to have his eyes set slightly further back. Eye set in forwards is a good thing in my book. If you look at the barred cockerel facing the BCM in the 2nd photos you can see that his eyes are eyes are set almost to the back of this come. That is something that I don't like. It make the head appear weak in my opinion.



The back has a good downwards slope on these BCM cockerels and the ones with the first two photos looks to have a low angle so that is no concern there.



So judging mostly by the head and the fact that I don't see any big concerns on either of these guys I would go with the larger one. My wife had made me choose cockerels early (20 weeks) two years ago. The one I choose ended up with great build and had plenty of vigor, but his color went off track at about 9 months old so I wished that I could have kept a few more to have got what I wanted colorwise. If you are our of room, you can still get a good bird, but if you can hold on them a little longer that of course is always preferable.

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Thank you for clarifying that, Gary! I keep forgetting some is allowed and sometimes even desirable if covering over-melanized pullets.

 

[tiedyemommy]

This is Barbarella...


...and here is her 1st egg (the freckled one).

 

[JediJinx]

Quick question, on average, how many eggs do your FBCM girls lay per week? And if anyone also knows Welsummers, how do they compare?

I only have 2 pullets, and they haven't started laying yet

 

[ochochicas]

Quick question, on average, how many eggs do your FBCM girls lay per week? And if anyone also knows Welsummers, how do they compare?

I only have 2 pullets, and they haven't started laying yet

I have on black marans that lays an egg every other day, so I get 3 to 4 per week. She is broody more often than not, so she isn't the best layer. She is a good mom though and her eggs are gorgeous when she's laying. I had a Splash Marans that was a better layer. I think I got 5 eggs per week from her in the summer.

 

[DMRippy]

BCM cockerels should have NO copper on the chest, so all other things being somewhat equal I would keep the one with less copper. The only other DQ that would change that for me is comb sprigs; everything else they are too young to tell yet how they are going to turn out. Silly boy...crowing at 9 weeks. I'll have 3 cockerels that age in another week and I can't imagine them crowing, lol.

(Er, I'm no pro either...just my opinion.)

The standard allows copper on the breast of the males. Not much but some.

I just got back from the show in Knoxville and the winning cock (by the Marans club) had way too much copper on his breast and under belly. I would have never taken him to a show myself.

 

[doubleleft]

The standard allows copper on the breast of the males. Not much but some.

I just got back from the show in Knoxville and the winning cock (by the Marans club) had way too much copper on his breast and under belly. I would have never taken him to a show myself.

I know Brown Red Old English and Black Copper Marans are a different breeds and color pattern for variety is not exact - but - in Brown Red Old English judges will pick a bird with extra copper in the breast when this individual excels in Balance , type , ability to show and personality (along with bird being prepared for show) everytime .

 

[missmae66]

What is the best small incubator (10-20 eggs) for Marans. Do they require a more precise humidity and temperature?

 

[FVRM]

What is the best small incubator (10-20 eggs) for Marans. Do they require a more precise humidity and temperature?

I use a brinsea octagon incubator and all except two maran eggs hatch. but losing a few is normal. I've heard it's best not to add water until a few days later or only around hatch time. Some people only do dry incubating

 

[MeanV2]

I bought a Brinsea and was very disappointed with the quality. IMHO it was no way worth the price paid. I returned it and bought a Dickey's 2 X 2. I have been very pleased. If I was going to buy anything less I would buy a cheap TSC or Rural King incubator. I would not waste money on the over priced Brinsea models.

Dan