Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[DeltaBluezTess]

Hens that start laying at 4 will get sold as crossbreds and not as breeding stock. I price them at $15-20 as my normal layers and they sell fine. People who get them don't care about the breed but just want the dark eggs. Sometimes a few will come back and buy breeding stock.

 

[Raven1]

Thank you for that suggestion on the egg chart. You mentioned it a while back and I did it and it works GREAT!

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

It wasn't me that mention it (I think) but another member and I took their suggestion...it works great!

 

[Wynette]

Good plan; I've done that on my cards, as well. It's definitely helpful.

 

[FVRM]

Is it common for bcm to hatch out wheaton marans?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: When I first started breeding Marans my pullets were covered by Pinks Roos. I lost egg color. When I breed the next gen of pullets back to Pinks Roos.... came back in SPADES darker eggs than I had ever seen. Then Pinks Roos died had find another roo.... lost egg color. We will see what happens the next generation. Maybe it will comb back the next cross but we will see. I still have those dark layers and I am going to keep them for another season. I only have a few pullets to add to the pen and not sure what the egg color is yet.

 

[DMRippy]

Is it common for bcm to hatch out wheaton marans?

It does happen with some lines but I would not call it COMMON.

BTW it is spelled WheatEn

 

[chrissyr]

I disagree about getting dark egg color back; it's not an easy task, IMO. There is very little research that's been done on the genetics of egg color. It's been said that you can lose egg color if you breed a different line into your existing one, but I have not found this to be true. Just my own personal experience, though.

I've heard this before. But if you knew you were adding to your line a bird that came from a line of very dark egg producers, surely it would help color…correct?
I'm just trying to clarify. Since I've read this a few places. I can't see how in that case you'd lose color. But I need to know this stuff, so that's why I ask

 

[DMRippy]

You can never know the egg color genetics in the cocks.... even if he hatched from a dark egg you don't know what genes he got in the egg department.

 

[doubleleft]

When I first started breeding Marans my pullets were covered by Pinks Roos. I lost egg color. When I breed the next gen of pullets back to Pinks Roos.... came back in SPADES darker eggs than I had ever seen. Then Pinks Roos died had find another roo.... lost egg color. We will see what happens the next generation. Maybe it will comb back the next cross but we will see. I still have those dark layers and I am going to keep them for another season. I only have a few pullets to add to the pen and not sure what the egg color is yet.

Did you save a rooster or two from the second generation(Pink bred to his daughters) ? if so i would think all is not lost .... hanging on to the line/in bred ones is like money in the bank .
Shannon