Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[SIMZ]

Sometimes, white feathers will grow in where a black feather was. Many times, this is in a place that has been injured. If you pull the white feather out, a new one will grow back in a few weeks. As long as it is there, it will not be replaced until the bird molts. Don't get too discouraged. There is hope.

It has been a big discussion lately amongst the Marans breeders who show, We were working on writing a set of Standards for the Black Birchen when white feathers came up in the discussion. There is nothing in our Standards about disqualifying a Black Copper Marans due to a white feather. I did not believe it myself, but I looked it up.

Again we are back to personal preferences and goals. We have always culled birds that had white feathers as adults if they were not replaced by black feathers when removed. I have seen Black Coppers with white in their tails or wings place well in shows and always wondered how a judge could do that. Now I know.

Ernie Haire
Arp, Texas
www.Marans2XL.com

Thank you, Ernie! That info is very helpful and give me some hope. Tomorrow I'll look at it more closely and pull it out. We'll see how it goes. Thanks again!

 

[ashandvine]

Wynette, I read with interest your post on not breeding pullets for flock replacement. Until I got involved with the Marans I never ever use a pullet for breeding purposes. I have always like for the young female to go through at least one winter before using in the breeding pen. This way I could check the liveability of my fowl before adding the chicks to my program. This way we would end up carrying over a few extra birds to be used later. I always thought it was still a good policy.

I had wondered about this given how cockerels are always ready sooner than the pullets. A question was asked about the eggs getting darker or lighter with age. I know that eggs change over the yearly cycle of the chicken and earlier someone said that if the egg stays in the chicken longer than it is darker. With regard to Marans is there any data suggesting that the later they start laying makes a difference. Similar question: if melanized hens are often the ones that lay darkest but they are not used in breeding programs how the heck can you get a darker egg?

I think, you will find it hard to buy pullets, even culls. Most breeders keep their dark layers, even if they might have a feather out of place, because you can always work on that. Getting the dark color is much harder.

Probably your best bet is buy eggs, or day old chicks from a reputable breeder, & grow them up. It would be worth the years wait I think.
Most of us keep our pullets until they start to lay to make sure of the egg color. Buying culls will probably be hens that don't lay the dark egg that you are looking for.

I drool over the egg in your avatar. Selling? lol

Will anyone be at the Poultry Congress next weekend?

 

[xlboergoats]

I had wondered about this given how cockerels are always ready sooner than the pullets. A question was asked about the eggs getting darker or lighter with age. I know that eggs change over the yearly cycle of the chicken and earlier someone said that if the egg stays in the chicken longer than it is darker. With regard to Marans is there any data suggesting that the later they start laying makes a difference. Similar question: if melanized hens are often the ones that lay darkest but they are not used in breeding programs how the heck can you get a darker egg?
I drool over the egg in your avatar. Selling? lol

Will anyone be at the Poultry Congress next weekend?

The egg gets its color one layer at a time in the ovaduct. As the laying season progresses, the ovaduct stretches and the eggs move through it more quickly. After a molt or time off, the ovaduct shrinks up and the eggs move more slowly.

Stress also plays a role in the color of an egg. The longer it takes for an egg to travel down the ovaduct, the darker it will be. If our hens are comfortable and not stressed, they sit in the nest box, redesign the nest, shift, redesign the nest, move shavings and then finally lay a nice dark egg. If they are stressed they jump in the nest or squat and lay their pitiful light colored egg. It is most noticeable at shows. We see one walking the coop and singing. Many times they are looking up like they want to fly out the top. If they have already been judged, I will take her out of the show coop and place her in a dog kennel with shavings. After a while, she will lay a dark egg. If they have not been judged or I don't have time to put her in a private place to lay, they will finally squat quickly in the coop and lay a light colored egg.

Never forget that genetics play an important part in egg color. To improve on our egg color, we only hatch eggs out of our females that have been proven to lay dark eggs consistantly. By moving our females into our breeding pens once we determine what color of egg she produces, we can thin out the ones that do not lay dark eggs. Even if we get some lighter eggs out of our breeding pens, we know that all of the females in that pen are proven to produce dark eggs.

Just An Observation,
Ernie Haire
Arp, Texas
www.Marans2XL.com

 

[Zanna]

I had wondered about this given how cockerels are always ready sooner than the pullets. A question was asked about the eggs getting darker or lighter with age. I know that eggs change over the yearly cycle of the chicken and earlier someone said that if the egg stays in the chicken longer than it is darker. With regard to Marans is there any data suggesting that the later they start laying makes a difference. Similar question: if melanized hens are often the ones that lay darkest but they are not used in breeding programs how the heck can you get a darker egg?
I drool over the egg in your avatar. Selling? lol

Will anyone be at the Poultry Congress next weekend?

My single bcm breeding pullet last year came from chicks I purchased and had mailed from Marquisella in May of 2011. If she does not see your post PM her, I believe she does currently sell chicks. The now "hen" from her lays a 6 and her 3 daughters I have chosen to breed this year lay a 6 plus. Marquisella is great!!

 

[snowbird]

I believe I saw where Wynette had best Black Copper eggs down in Florida this weekend. Way to go Wynette.

 

[Zanna]

I believe I saw where Wynette had best Black Copper eggs down in Florida this weekend. Way to go Wynette.

I saw that too. Congrats Wynette!!!!!

 

[math ace]

I believe I saw where Wynette had best Black Copper eggs down in Florida this weekend. Way to go Wynette.

I can't believe it! This the FIRST Sunshine Classic that I have missed in 4 years. I can't believe I missed it!
I had to go to Tampa this past week and didn't get back home until late Saturday...

I am going to miss Newnan, Ga show this year too!

Wynette

Congratulations!

for walking on the Dark Side of the Marans LOL...

 

[3riverschick]

Thank
thank you I'm beginning to agree lol they are hard to find and especially close to me

I ordered some hatching eggs and hope I get a good result hope 50% will hatch! I just was hoping for some to get some eggs soon. I have a pair of them but she has yet to lay she's 25 weeks old! What's up with her? Lol

Go to Tractor Supply Company and pay 19.99 for a big bag of Plotspike Forage Oats. Sprout them in Mason jars and fed them as green feed to both sexes. Sprouts need o be 4 thru 7 days old. Younger or older will not produce the results you want as nicely. .Feed 1 cubic inch per bird per day. If you pass bowel tolerance and poop gets soft, just back off to lesser amount for a day or two till they firm up again. For full explanation and "How-To" see the BYC thread titled
" https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/425134/anybody-raise-sprouts-to-feed-the-chickens " Pages 24 thru 29.
Here's to robust chicks!
Karen in western PA, USA

 

[3riverschick]

hi all! I am pretty new to this site and to hatching BCs. I had a dozen BC eggs shipped to Maine from TN at the end of December and on Friday (day 23! in the incubator) we had a little one hatch. This is the only baby that hatched, humidity and temp were all monitored daily with two different thermometers and were always fine! I know it is very hard to tell but any guesses on if we have a hen or roo? Any pointers on keeping a single chick healthy and happy? Do their legs typically darken as they grow or did I get a mutt? It doesn't matter to me either way except for when we start hatching eggs to sell chicks we just wouldn't sell babies from "her" eggs as true BC's. We will be setting more eggs this week from our BC girls this time, no more shipped eggs! So hopefully in a few weeks we will have some playmates for this little one!

Hi,
What a pretty little chick! Too soon to tell on the sex, I think. Boys develop combs and wattles earlier then girls. Girls develop long tails faster. I wouldn't worry about the leg color. It can change as the chicks grow. Give the chick something to snuggle against. Perhaps some kind of lean-to (open on 2 wides) under which it can hide if it wants (like it would under Mom's wing). Do you have some small stuffed animals you don't care about? Like some old Beanie Babies or something you can use as substitute siblings? Chicks need tactile contact. Go to Tractor Supply or check on-line and buy the smallest bottle of Poultry Nutri-Drench by Bovidr Labs. This is great stuff. http://www.bovidr.com/poultry.html
Put correct amont of Poultry-Nutri-Drench (PND) in chicks water for first 2 weeks . I also use PND in their water all the time till my chicks finish moultng into their juvenile feathers. Chicks change feathers 3 times before they become adults (chick down, juvenile, adult) . PND is very concentrated, just need a little bit. I have used it on my dogs and poultry with great success for 10 years.
Since you only have the one chick, give it the benefit of the doubt and feed it Manna Pro feeds. They are a bit pricier but you only have one and have a lot invested in this chick. Do not feed this chick any feed for the 1st 24-48 hours. (if your chick is over 48 hours old, disregard this section and feed as for regular baby chicks) Give it some fine chick grit ( Manna Pro sells a small bag). and Poultry Nutri-Drops. The chick has feed for itself in the egg sac for 24-48 ours. The chick grit wll help the chick digest the egg sac. The PND will give it extra vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
Another thought, lapses in correct nutrition show as"interruptions"in correct plumage color when the birds get their feathers in. For instance, this is one way purple barring can show up on a black bird. I use the PND to make sure the birds have as even, blanaced nutrition as possible while they are growing out their feathers. Also great when they moult and grow in new feathers. Any time new feathers are growing in.
Best,
Karen in western PA, USA.

 

[ResQsue12]

Ok, here are better pics of my bc marans. I have shown them and got Champ Continental, BB, BV, RB, RV, Res. Champ and one judge just wrote ? on the coop tag. He said hhe had never seen any. My hens usually lay number 6 or 7 color eggs. Please let me know what you think.