Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[carriebain]

Thank you so much for this advice!!!!
I was able to tell 45 of 48 eggs. A few of them HAD been place upside down into the carton by the seller. Out of the three I couldn't tell - One I had picked an end, and candleing revealed tht I was wrong - but could tell the difference after trying again.
One, I am pretty sure that I could find the outline of an air cell.
The last, I couldn't do it - with the light or feeling - so I floated that one briefly (well, not floated as it sank) but IT knew which end should be up!

So, out of 4 dozen eggs, only one had to get wet.

Happy to help! I have so much to learn still myself and I am so greatful we have this site to get answers from. So many wonderful people to talk to and we all think alike! My family gets so tired of me talking about the chickens! Have fun with your hatch!

 

[Farmer Viola]

Is a green or purple shine to a BCM's black feathers undesirable? I feel like I read somewhere that purple is not good, but my pullets have a green tint in the sun... just curious

 

[Ripster]

You are correct in that green is preferred.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Aha! Thank you

 

[One Chick Two]

Hello!

We're Maran newbies, and we just picked up this BCM cockerel below at Stockton for possible breeding. We've made breed SOP mistakes before, so I just wanted to check with the knowledgable BYCers first before completely settling him in to do this job. I am most grateful that people here are willing to share their knowledge! There's an overwhelming amount of pages to go through, so I thought I would just ask.

This cockerel is 6 months old, crows and mates the hens, but we were told that he is a good "type," with a nice, solid body and okay tail. She believed that he was decended from the Bev Davis line, back east. His actual coloring is closest to the second side photo, not quite as golden as some of the closer shots as the light reflected.

She said that his chest coloring should likely be fine for breeding, as there were people who were even showing roos with even more chest color than his, and she took us to the exhibit building see them…but I don't know if they had placed or were DQ. But, is this chest coloring something we should actually be more concerned about enough to not work with him? He has little neck hackle halo- seems to be pretty subtle.

Another concern I have that I just noticed is that his legs are pale whitish, with fine black stippled along the tops. Is this acceptable? He has feathering along the shanks with the correct amount of toes. Ideally, we hope to eventually breed him to his daughters, but I'm not exactly sure what I need to be checking for in new pullets. The hens that will be with him now have combs that need some work, but otherwise their body type seems decent, and legs are feathered and black. One lays very dark speckled eggs, another seems much lighter, so we won't be breeding her.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks!

 

[Anna6]

I actually wouldn't want to sand one either - same reason as why I don't want to wash or get it wet...

I have found a thread or article somewhere and this person went into detail on sanding a dark egg to assist in the evaporation necessary for the chick to develop properly... I have just finished hatching a few of my own eggs - one of which was a marans egg for a marans cross chick. It did not hatch, and when I opened it - it looked like a fully developed chick but there did not seem to be an air cell.... making me think about this problem that the sanding person talked about. The sanding person acknowledged the loss of bloom issue and did a disinfectant routine for them.

Personally, I would not want to raise birds that HAD to have assistance in their reproduction - but in this case, if it were the thing to do - I would consider it as the chicks here will mainly be used for enhancing my egg crop - not for future breeding projects.

So, was just throwing the idea out there to folks that have way more marans experience than I do.

I read this too and have 12 Marans eggs waiting to go in the incubator tonight.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Is a green or purple shine to a BCM's black feathers undesirable? I feel like I read somewhere that purple is not good, but my pullets have a green tint in the sun... just curious

Green is Good.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Hello!

We're Maran newbies, and we just picked up this BCM cockerel below at Stockton for possible breeding. We've made breed SOP mistakes before, so I just wanted to check with the knowledgable BYCers first before completely settling him in to do this job. I am most grateful that people here are willing to share their knowledge! There's an overwhelming amount of pages to go through, so I thought I would just ask.

This cockerel is 6 months old, crows and mates the hens, but we were told that he is a good "type," with a nice, solid body and okay tail. She believed that he was decended from the Bev Davis line, back east. His actual coloring is closest to the second side photo, not quite as golden as some of the closer shots as the light reflected.

She said that his chest coloring should likely be fine for breeding, as there were people who were even showing roos with even more chest color than his, and she took us to the exhibit building see them…but I don't know if they had placed or were DQ. But, is this chest coloring something we should actually be more concerned about enough to not work with him? He has little neck hackle halo- seems to be pretty subtle.

Another concern I have that I just noticed is that his legs are pale whitish, with fine black stippled along the tops. Is this acceptable? He has feathering along the shanks with the correct amount of toes. Ideally, we hope to eventually breed him to his daughters, but I'm not exactly sure what I need to be checking for in new pullets. The hens that will be with him now have combs that need some work, but otherwise their body type seems decent, and legs are feathered and black. One lays very dark speckled eggs, another seems much lighter, so we won't be breeding her.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks!

Personally I would not use him for the reasons you have outlined (leakage on chest, leg coloring) plus the squirrel tail and lightness of copper color as well as the apparent lightness of his fluff (underside) which should be as black as the rest. Does he also have white fluff at base of tail or elsewhere? Opinions will differ, this is just mine.

 

[braden38351]

Does anyone have any maran pullets or hens for sale that's is near Windsor va or ships?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I think you are right. The color on the chest would make me not breed him. I have a roo with some copper on his breast....not that much and I am trying to figure out if I should keep him till his next molt.