Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[JediJinx]

What is the normal maturity rate for a BCM cockerel? My other dudes are way obvious by about 3-4 weeks and mature (crowing,etc) by 3-4 months. Just curious how long it takes to really see what the bird is going to look like.

 

[RIR0BCM]

my cockerel is almost 6.5/7 months and still not crowing my hen (same age) laid ew days ago for the first time

 

[starlingdaly]

I too am curious about cockerel maturation. I've got one somewhere around 8-9 months (apparently hatched in spring) and he does crow but he has almost hen feathering. Hardly any color in his body, but beautiful copper hackles. I got him from someone who said he hatched from dark eggs (at the time I did not have any BCM roos, now I have three 8 week old cockerels I hatched that are incredibly promising)

So I guess my question is, do you guys think he will get more color in or is what he's got probably all he'll ever have at this age. I don't want to be keeping him around if he's not going to be worth breeding, you know?

 

[DMRippy]

They continue to mature till they are about 18 months old

 

[RIR0BCM]

my hen laid her secod egg today still no sound from the rooster

 

[DMRippy]

my hen laid her secod egg today still no sound from the rooster

???????

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

???????

He's being vewwy vewwy qwiet...

 

[RIR0BCM]

 

[gapey]

I think I figured out why my "black copper marans" doesn't look quite right. I did some investigative work and I think I found the name of the breeder (I got my chicks from a local farm who gets their chicks from various breeders). There's only one BCM breeder that I could find in the state and this breeder also breeds wheaten marans and australorps so I think she is likely a wheaten x BCM.





And then there's my other "black copper marans" that has no copper. Is it possible she got crossed with an australorp? She did have 2 or 3 copper feathers on the back of her neck at one point but they seem to have disappeared.



I think they are both beautiful birds but not sure I can really call either of them Black Copper Marans...

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

I think I figured out why my "black copper marans" doesn't look quite right. I did some investigative work and I think I found the name of the breeder (I got my chicks from a local farm who gets their chicks from various breeders). There's only one BCM breeder that I could find in the state and this breeder also breeds wheaten marans and australorps so I think she is likely a wheaten x BCM.





And then there's my other "black copper marans" that has no copper. Is it possible she got crossed with an australorp? She did have 2 or 3 copper feathers on the back of her neck at one point but they seem to have disappeared.



I think they are both beautiful birds but not sure I can really call either of them Black Copper Marans...

I think there is a lot more going on with the "golden" marked bird than just a wheaten/BCM cross.

It is not that uncommon for BCM pullets to be completely black. Wait and see what she lays and how she matures.