Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[blackbirds13]

Oh he is beautiful blackbirds! You will have some lovely chicks out of him!!

. Thanks.

 

[kingfrodo]

Can I join in?

I have a BCM cockerel and pullet that I purchased as three week old chicks. they are now about 12-14 weeks. I lost count.

If I can get them to be still for a minute I'll post some pix. They aren't fancy per say, but I love them just the same.




Laura

 

[Zanna]

Can I join in?

I have a BCM cockerel and pullet that I purchased as three week old chicks. they are now about 12-14 weeks. I lost count.

If I can get them to be still for a minute I'll post some pix. They aren't fancy per say, but I love them just the same.




Laura

Please join in!!! We love pics!

 

[Wynette]

Blackbirds, I would love to see more pics of your male - from what I can see of him, he looks like he might be quite a nice male.

 

[desertmarcy]

I remember reading, not sure if it was this thread or the Marans thread, that you shouldn't use Black Coppers produced from a Blue Copper mating to breed when you are breeding Black Coppers. For the life of me, I can't figure out the logic in this, wouldn't they be the same genetically? Can someone please explain this to me. My main Black Copper cock got sick shortly after he was in a breeding pen with 4 of his daughters (Black Copper) and two Blue Copper hens. He is out of the picture for this season at least. He may still recover, but he will definitely not be fathering any more chicks this breeding season for me, and since he may actually not recover, I'm wondering if I should keep the Black chicks that came out of the Black to Blue mating.

 

[Ripster]

I remember reading, not sure if it was this thread or the Marans thread, that you shouldn't use Black Coppers produced from a Blue Copper mating to breed when you are breeding Black Coppers. For the life of me, I can't figure out the logic in this, wouldn't they be the same genetically? Can someone please explain this to me. My main Black Copper cock got sick shortly after he was in a breeding pen with 4 of his daughters (Black Copper) and two Blue Copper hens. He is out of the picture for this season at least. He may still recover, but he will definitely not be fathering any more chicks this breeding season for me, and since he may actually not recover, I'm wondering if I should keep the Black chicks that came out of the Black to Blue mating.

Desertmarcy,

Genetically you are right...black is black. However, typically blacks produced from blue mating's don't have the nice beetle green sheen on them. It seems blacks from blue mating's loose some of the modifiers that bring that desirable sheen out.

Just what I've observed over the years.

Ripster

 

[desertmarcy]

Ripster, thanks, that is information I can relate to. I know this isn't the Blue Copper Marans thread, but a lot of people with Black keep both...so what do other people do with the black chicks that result from the Blue matings? Cull them? Raise them up for meat or layers?

 

[chicken pickin]

Oh he is beautiful blackbirds! You will have some lovely chicks out of him!!

X2 He is a very nice looking boy.

 

[Ripster]

If I feel I need to darken the color of my blues I will use a black out of blues to help with that. Otherwise the females go to the layer pen and the males are given a one way invitation to dinner.

 

[desertmarcy]

If I feel I need to darken the color of my blues I will use a black out of blues to help with that. Otherwise the females go to the layer pen and the males are given a one way invitation to dinner.

Why not use a black out of blacks? That is what I have been doing, the past couple of years, because I can't seem to hatch a decent Blue Copper cockerel.