Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[marquisella]

You will get a mixed up chicken. Unless you are into genetics, and know what you are doing, it isn't worth it. It takes a lot of time & money, years really, to breed different varieties together to make something of value.

 

[jaybobrenn]

I had 2 chicks hatch yesterday. They came from Black Copper and Blue Copper stock. Both look like Blue's to me what does everybody think?

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

If you want to bred top quality Marans, get show quality and cull heavily. My first BCM was decent, then I ran into a great breeder (Cindy) who taught me tons....based on what I learned from her, I sold most of my first flock. She gave me a screaming deal on top hens and roo to get me started. Then she taught me some more.

Out of 40 or so chicks hatched this year, about half went as pets (sold them as crossbreeds so people would not use them as breeders)

Then I grew out the hopefuls and about 10 made the grade. Sold most to people for their first flock, thus doing the same as Cindy had done for me. Kept one hen and she turned out to be outstanding.

Now I have a super nice roo that I just bought, two hens still left from Cindy, three from LP lines and my one that I bred. Running into Cindy who spent time educating me was a wonderful and best advice I ever got.

Get a mentor. It is the best you can do for your program. Cindy doesn't know this yet but she is getting some Legbars, Rhodebar, Isbars or Spitz pair as a gift for her kindness...her choice. She didn't have to help me but I sure appreciate that she did. I learned a lot and still learning lots.

The hardest part was looking at my flock with a tough eye on culling. If I wanted a flock just for eggs, I would have kept more. But I wanted a flock to bred for the standard as well as egg color of 4 or more. Right now I am at 4-7 range. I also bought eggs from top breeders to add to the flock.

Find a mentor and ask question. Be sure to thank the mentor as well. Be tough on your breeding. Be open for suggestions. Don't take offense if the mentor says your hen/roo doesn't make the grade. Pay the price for top quality stock. Start small. Pick one or two type to go for (I chose BCM and Wheaten) but no more as then it can get too confusing.

You will find there is NOT a perfect hen or roo so you need to find what fault you can live with and hopefully bred out.

 

[chicketydooda]

If you want to bred top quality Marans, get show quality and cull heavily. My first BCM was decent, then I ran into a great breeder (Cindy) who taught me tons....based on what I learned from her, I sold most of my first flock. She gave me a screaming deal on top hens and roo to get me started. Then she taught me some more.

Out of 40 or so chicks hatched this year, about half went as pets (sold them as crossbreeds so people would not use them as breeders)

Then I grew out the hopefuls and about 10 made the grade. Sold most to people for their first flock, thus doing the same as Cindy had done for me. Kept one hen and she turned out to be outstanding.

Now I have a super nice roo that I just bought, two hens still left from Cindy, three from LP lines and my one that I bred. Running into Cindy who spent time educating me was a wonderful and best advice I ever got.

Get a mentor. It is the best you can do for your program. Cindy doesn't know this yet but she is getting some Legbars, Rhodebar, Isbars or Spitz pair as a gift for her kindness...her choice. She didn't have to help me but I sure appreciate that she did. I learned a lot and still learning lots.

The hardest part was looking at my flock with a tough eye on culling. If I wanted a flock just for eggs, I would have kept more. But I wanted a flock to bred for the standard as well as egg color of 4 or more. Right now I am at 4-7 range. I also bought eggs from top breeders to add to the flock.

Find a mentor and ask question. Be sure to thank the mentor as well. Be tough on your breeding. Be open for suggestions. Don't take offense if the mentor says your hen/roo doesn't make the grade. Pay the price for top quality stock. Start small. Pick one or two type to go for (I chose BCM and Wheaten) but no more as then it can get too confusing.

You will find there is NOT a perfect hen or roo so you need to find what fault you can live with and hopefully bred out.

This is probably the best advice I have gotten. I hate the idea of getting a better roo and only focusing on one type that I like but, it seems like the only logical solution. Do you know a good place to get quality eggs/ chicks?

 

[Wynette]

Diane, LOVE your post! Good on you for squinting your eyes and culling hard - and working with your mentor to do so. What a wonderful experience for you and her! KUDOS to you.

(folks, most folks who are serious about moving their flocks forward keep just 10% of their hatchlings - in any breed. It sounds like that's what Diane did her, being patient & growing them out until they were old enough to REALLY make sound breeding decisions. Fantastic!)

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

What really helped me was I bred a rare breed of sheep and cull heavily. I took out five generations of one line of sheep due to slow growth and weight gain.

So I knew what I was getting into when I decided to bred for SQ type. The roosters were the hardest as I had to wait until they were 6 months or so...one I thought for sure was a pet type, grew out to be a super nice roo. One day he was butt ugly then the next day, he looked quite nice. They look so awkward until they fill out. I did find out if the hens get neck color at an early age, then it will bled out to their chest. The hard part was marrying the eggs color and the body/color together.

 

[marquisella]

What really helped me was I bred a rare breed of sheep and cull heavily. I took out five generations of one line of sheep due to slow growth and weight gain.

So I knew what I was getting into when I decided to bred for SQ type. The roosters were the hardest as I had to wait until they were 6 months or so...one I thought for sure was a pet type, grew out to be a super nice roo. One day he was butt ugly then the next day, he looked quite nice. They look so awkward until they fill out. I did find out if the hens get neck color at an early age, then it will bled out to their chest. The hard part was marrying the eggs color and the body/color together.

What makes this breed difficult, is having to breed for egg color AND conformation. And we all find out sooner or later, that our beautiful show quality birds, can throw crap. I have 6 or so cockerels I'm growing out from the same rooster. Said rooster is just about perfect....but what a jumbled up bunch of cockerels I have in the pen...sigh. One of them is beautiful...but has a wry tail....where did that come from? who knows?

A couple of years ago, I went for egg color after breeding for type....mistake...I now have some pretty ugly pullets that I am in a quandry over as to what to do this year...I only keep birds that are marked as coming from very dark eggs...but I'm seeing it is at a cost for type.

Marans are not easy, and anyone who thinks they will jump on the band wagon and breed them to make money, should take a lesson from, whats his name in Florida...how many years did he sell Marans before he went out of business..? Maybe 3 or 4?

Now, Marans are only about 15% of my total chickens. I guess I'm breeding them for fun...

 

[Broad St Farm]

If you want to bred top quality Marans, get show quality and cull heavily. My first BCM was decent, then I ran into a great breeder (Cindy) who taught me tons....based on what I learned from her, I sold most of my first flock. She gave me a screaming deal on top hens and roo to get me started. Then she taught me some more.

Out of 40 or so chicks hatched this year, about half went as pets (sold them as crossbreeds so people would not use them as breeders)

Then I grew out the hopefuls and about 10 made the grade. Sold most to people for their first flock, thus doing the same as Cindy had done for me. Kept one hen and she turned out to be outstanding.

Now I have a super nice roo that I just bought, two hens still left from Cindy, three from LP lines and my one that I bred. Running into Cindy who spent time educating me was a wonderful and best advice I ever got.

Get a mentor. It is the best you can do for your program. Cindy doesn't know this yet but she is getting some Legbars, Rhodebar, Isbars or Spitz pair as a gift for her kindness...her choice. She didn't have to help me but I sure appreciate that she did. I learned a lot and still learning lots.

The hardest part was looking at my flock with a tough eye on culling. If I wanted a flock just for eggs, I would have kept more. But I wanted a flock to bred for the standard as well as egg color of 4 or more. Right now I am at 4-7 range. I also bought eggs from top breeders to add to the flock.

Find a mentor and ask question. Be sure to thank the mentor as well. Be tough on your breeding. Be open for suggestions. Don't take offense if the mentor says your hen/roo doesn't make the grade. Pay the price for top quality stock. Start small. Pick one or two type to go for (I chose BCM and Wheaten) but no more as then it can get too confusing.

You will find there is NOT a perfect hen or roo so you need to find what fault you can live with and hopefully bred out.

I too love your post. I too have found a mentor. I dont know if she would say shes my mentor, but none the less, she has always been there for me. In all fairness she seems to enjoy helping others so I know Im not exclusive lol. Whether it be helping me with ideas for my flock or everyday life, I have to say thanks Wynette! But boy do I have a long way to go....

 

[SIMZ]

This kind of stuff does not help one make the tough culling decisions. He was up for culling tomorrow, but I've decided to give this guy some more time while I let my younger boys grow some more. His girlfriend is pretty happy about that. lol

 

[SilkiesForEver]

This kind of stuff does not help one make the tough culling decisions. He was up for culling tomorrow, but I've decided to give this guy some more time while I let my younger boys grow some more. His girlfriend is pretty happy about that. lol

That's adorable.