Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[DMRippy]

I think altitude might have something to do with it just Pinehurst effects cooking.: ) essentially that is what you are doing......hehe

 

[dvoice]

I dry incubate all my eggs. you have to find what works for you. many things can change how you incubate. type of bator your location (very humid here most of the time) but your hatches will tell you what they like. my bator runs from 40% down in the summer. if it gets higher I have to do something to get the humidity down.

I do understand the dry incubation method may be different for diff. climates. I'm running a DIY cabinet with circ. air and in the summer if I didn't have my humidifier on it was down about 23% which I believe is too low even for the dry method. I'm just saying I can mimick the humidity level of wherever someone resides and the best hatch rate is what I'm aiming for. I guess it also depends on if an incubator has circ. air or not and how much circulation.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Quote:
Wynette Thank you... He doesn't usually stand like that... he looks like a weathervane in that picture...but I think I understand what you mean... he is longer in the body than the "type" sketch you included... (thank you I will be saving that), and his tail is definitely larger. I think I understand what you are saying about most. He has the Halo...he also has a thumbprint on his comb and a white feather on his foot. What do you mean by "color balance"? Is he too red? Is it that his cape does not match his hackles? Above his Halo his cape is the exact color of a penny. I gave away a few that I thought had too much black. Maybe I should have held onto them for longer? Of the ones I had to choose from, he looks most like the ones I saw in the standards so I guess I will have to work with what I have. Thank you though. I was interested in what you guys were saying about incubation as well... it was "non standard" advice from what I have read but it made sense and explained my terrible hatch rates.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks Wynette, I also do the weight loss, I chose 4 eggs and avg the loss. Do different breeds require different loss% ? I really don't understand when ppl say it all depends on climate or altitude. as for climate if my incubator is reading 40% here in British Colombia it should be exactly the same if it was reading 40% in Florida. I have a humidifier hooked up to my controller so I can keep the humidity steady, I usually have a 2% on/off.

What I mean to say (sorry I didn't explain very well) is that humidity loss will be different depending on your altitude, among other things. You are correct in that they should lose the same percentage of moisture regardless of breed, regardless of altitude. So, if you're using that method, you shoudl be spot on. BEST of luck - hope it's a most awesome hatch!

Quote: It is said that the "halo effect" is from the Wheaten influence. It's a lengthy story, but essentially, the breed wasn't split out by color (Black Copper and Wheaten) back in France, due to the males being very similar phenotypically (in how they phsycially look). So, the "original" flocks had a mix of Black Copper & Wheaten in them whent hey were shipped to the U.S. Breeders here have been working to separate them since then. We use the term, "wheaten influence" when we are speaking of Black Coppers that have traits that they should not have, and may be there from the influence of the wheaten blood that was in them long ago.

By color balance, I mean the color of the hackles and saddles - they should ideally be exactly the same. That's tough to get in a bird, but we look for them to be as close as possible. When is say "good color balance" I am saying that the hackles & saddles are very close to the same color.

You are spot on in your asessment of his shape.

If he is what you have, then by all means, use him! Pair him with females that that nice, rounded underline per the SOP. Make sure their tail angles are correct. I do like this male's topline; the angle is very good, not perfect but quite close, and his back is nice & long.

 

[DaveEmily]

What I mean to say (sorry I didn't explain very well) is that humidity loss will be different depending on your altitude, among other things. You are correct in that they should lose the same percentage of moisture regardless of breed, regardless of altitude. So, if you're using that method, you shoudl be spot on. BEST of luck - hope it's a most awesome hatch!
It is said that the "halo effect" is from the Wheaten influence. It's a lengthy story, but essentially, the breed wasn't split out by color (Black Copper and Wheaten) back in France, due to the males being very similar phenotypically (in how they phsycially look). So, the "original" flocks had a mix of Black Copper & Wheaten in them whent hey were shipped to the U.S. Breeders here have been working to separate them since then. We use the term, "wheaten influence" when we are speaking of Black Coppers that have traits that they should not have, and may be there from the influence of the wheaten blood that was in them long ago.

By color balance, I mean the color of the hackles and saddles - they should ideally be exactly the same. That's tough to get in a bird, but we look for them to be as close as possible. When is say "good color balance" I am saying that the hackles & saddles are very close to the same color.

You are spot on in your asessment of his shape.

If he is what you have, then by all means, use him! Pair him with females that that nice, rounded underline per the SOP. Make sure their tail angles are correct. I do like this male's topline; the angle is very good, not perfect but quite close, and his back is nice & long.

Heck I got hatching eggs from france a few years back and many of the resulting chics didnt look like they french standard....but we did keep some nice birds from that hatching as well.

 

[math ace]

Heck I got hatching eggs from france a few years back and many of the resulting chics didnt look like they french standard....but we did keep some nice birds from that hatching as well.

REALLY? ? ?

and how did you get the eggs from France?

 

[happyfrenchman]

Would it be possible to see a photo of the BC female behind the male? I would not be afraid to use this male if he is what you have. I would like the Hackle to be more Copper but could live with this to start with. If you want to improve the Hackle color try and find a male with the more Mahogany color. This male shows good type.

Thanks Snowbird.... The hens are alot harder to photograph.... The rooster is a ham but the hens are always moving...I am learning alot about color... These are the hens....All three have copper hackles but one is darker than the other two...and I suspect that hen lays a darker egg as well. I do believe that bird is the picture of the single hen.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Wynette....

I have looked at pictures of Wheatens and I think I understand. When I was looking, I remember asking myself if they weren't BCs but now I know they are very similar. The hens are not at all similar though. One of the hatch mates of my rooster was a straw/golden color. He would have been a beauty except he also had something wrong with his neck so he was a cull. I could have otherwise found him a home pretty easily.

I thought I had a deal to buy a dozen Wade Jean line coppers from a guy in Central Georgia but the deal never happened...(for reasons I still do not know). I was hoping to get another rooster from that bunch as well as more hens. I guess I need to find a darker bird. Would that go aways to eliminating the straw color at the bottom of the cape? I want to darken the eggs too. Right now I have 15 of my darkest eggs in the incubator but my incubator is a chancy proposition...

 

[DaveEmily]

REALLY? ? ? 
and how did you get the eggs from France?

REALLY? ? ? 
and how did you get the eggs from France?

YES REALLY ! !! My cousin was stationed at various bases throughout Europe. He and his wife were chicken lovers as well,

 

[DaveEmily]

S

...

YES REALLY ! !! My cousin was stationed at various bases throughout Europe. He and his wife were chicken lovers as well so before returning to the states they bought 4 dozen eggs and brought them back on the flight to their base.

If I can ask why does that seem to shock you so ??