Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[bwalden]

I'm wondering if anyone else has seen extra toes on their BCM? I was changing leg bands on chicks this morning and thought this chicks foot looked a little odd, like too many feathers trying to grow out of one spot made a fat fleshy spot on the outside of the outside toe. Looking from underneath it appears to be a vestigal toe. On the other foot in the same spot there is a tiny paper thin toenail growing upside down.

I am presuming this could be inherited, so this little boy is my first cull. (tho he won't actually go anywhere until he's big enough to eat)

I've never had one with an extra toe, but have seen one hatch without the outside toenail on one foot. Was a rooster and I culled him. I didnt want to run the risk of him passing that along to offspring.

 

[bwalden]

One of my always curious girls watching me.

 

[DMRippy]

All chicks hatch with yellow legs. If they are still yellow in a few weeks THEN you have a problem.

 

[marquisella]

All chicks hatch with yellow legs. If they are still yellow in a few weeks THEN you have a problem.

Sometimes, I have chicks with yellowish feet, never yellow legs. Nor are they ever this bright yellow.

 

[ashandvine]

Zanna I think that cockerel who I liked may have black eyes?

I agree about the birds being all over the place. Of course, I also have birds I didn't know had wheaten in them so maybe what I think doesn't matter. FWIW I have seen birds that came out of Davis and Wade lines, but really, there is a lot of tossing of names so I don't know. What I did see was a wide range as well. IDK if this person who bought them got a mix on purpose because they had wheaten, blacks, melenized all over, and a few blues. Either way, I have what I have and with a small influx of BC coming this late spring I will be done with trying to find good birds from any 'named' breeders when so much of the birds that are out there are a mess anyway. I will do what I can with what I have without crossing, then see what happens.

 

[Zanna]

Zanna I think that cockerel who I liked may have black eyes?

I agree about the birds being all over the place. Of course, I also have birds I didn't know had wheaten in them so maybe what I think doesn't matter. FWIW I have seen birds that came out of David and Wade lines, but really, there is a lot of tossing of names so I don't know. What I did see was a wide range as well. IDK if this person who bought them got a mix on purpose because they had wheaten, blacks, melenized all over, and a few blues. Either way, I have what I have and with a small influx of BC coming this late spring I will be done with trying to find good birds from any 'named' breeders when so much of the birds that are out there are a mess anyway. I will do what I can with what I have without crossing, then see what happens.

If you are talking about my young cockeral, he has nice, pumpkin coloured eyes, the pic just makes them look black. Just know you are in for a long haul with the BCM and try to keep it fun. After 4 years of buying hatching eggs, chicks, between culling and predator losses and deaths for seemingly no reason, I started breeding last year with just one pullet and a cock. Now I feel like I am starting to get somewhere and with the chosen pullets from last years breeding, one young cockeral (out of over 100 chicks) and the Cock and Cockeral I purchased at the show last fall, I have lots of breeding options. I am single mating and trying to hatch out 25 chicks or so from each pairing. Hoping for no surprises............

 

[maryhysong]

If you are talking about my young cockeral, he has nice, pumpkin coloured eyes, the pic just makes them look black. Just know you are in for a long haul with the BCM and try to keep it fun. After 4 years of buying hatching eggs, chicks, between culling and predator losses and deaths for seemingly no reason, I started breeding last year with just one pullet and a cock. Now I feel like I am starting to get somewhere and with the chosen pullets from last years breeding, one young cockeral (out of over 100 chicks) and the Cock and Cockeral I purchased at the show last fall, I have lots of breeding options. I am single mating and trying to hatch out 25 chicks or so from each pairing. Hoping for no surprises............

I am watching mine grow up. Out of 20 chicks from 3 breeders it looks like I have _maybe_ 4 girls. So I have plenty of choices in roos! I will probably keep 3+ boys and single mate with each girl, see what turns up and cull from there.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Do the bright yellow legs bother anyone else?

It was up to the sun so maybe that's it?

 

[Chickengirl1304]

It was up to the sun so maybe that's it?

Should they only have black feet?

 

[Zanna]

Should they only have black feet?

Mine always hatch with yellow feet/legs and fortunately up to this point I have never had one stay that way Your chicks may look extra bright because of the sun but some people have been having problems with yellow legs in their BCM and working to breed it out. Time will tell.