Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Trish44]

That's a beautiful bird blackbirds! Thanks to everyone who gave me opinions on choosing a cockerel. I have several to choose from so I'll be picking one soon to keep. I can't keep them all to growout since I have too many cockerels here right now & I don't want to keep feeding them all.

 

[blackbirds13]

Quote:

LOL! I can do that with no problem. He's not perfect but he'll do for what I have in mind but I still need to choose a definite path for breeding forward. I'm in no hurry, so any faults he has I can live with and see what comes next. He's got great personality even if he has not quite mastered mounting the girls yet. Plus I know what eggs he came out of.
Just excuse the muddy pen... It's only going to get worse before it gets better. I tried laying out some straw and hay last year and it just made things worse so leaving it alone this year.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

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?

That's the plan. They also have a place in a BBS copper program...to mate with a splash to produce 100% blues, for example. Those who want just dark Marans eggs don't care that they are blue-bred blacks. I do tell people and explain why not to use them in a BCM program.

 

[desertmarcy]

That's the plan. They also have a place in a BBS copper program...to mate with a splash to produce 100% blues, for example. Those who want just dark Marans eggs don't care that they are blue-bred blacks. I do tell people and explain why not to use them in a BCM program.

So the only thing is, some of the modifiers might be lost, we don't really know what, right? But people have noticed less green sheen, anything else? Last year I just culled them at hatch. I did sell a big group of them to someone since I had so many I could ship them, but this year I thought I'd offer them to people and want to make sure I tell them the right thing.

 

[chrissyr]

That's the plan. They also have a place in a BBS copper program...to mate with a splash to produce 100% blues, for example. Those who want just dark Marans eggs don't care that they are blue-bred blacks. I do tell people and explain why not to use them in a BCM program.

So you can use the blacks from the BBS lines? i thought if you use a black copper, it should be best to use one from just a pure black copper line. I thought it would mess with some coloring. Although I'm sure the "pure" ones have the ability to be BBS, so not sure why I thought that. I believe I read it somewhere.

 

[desertmarcy]

I was shocked today when a lady who sells my eggs to other people said she had some complaints about the eggs. It was the blood spots, I believe. I bet it is the Marans eggs. I don't see blood spots in eggs from other breeds. Now how does one go about getting rid of that? Is that a genetic issue, or just an age thing (young pullets)? Mine have been laying for a while.

 

[chrissyr]

I was shocked today when a lady who sells my eggs to other people said she had some complaints about the eggs. It was the blood spots, I believe. I bet it is the Marans eggs. I don't see blood spots in eggs from other breeds. Now how does one go about getting rid of that? Is that a genetic issue, or just an age thing (young pullets)? Mine have been laying for a while.

I have some with mine, they will be a year in April and it's gotten LOTS better.
It's funny, the people that take my eggs I start to explain it to and they stop me and say they know all about them. They usually had chickens in their family when they were young.
And I've got about 6-7 different people wanting eggs, and they can't get enough of them.
Usually people understand. If they don't, you can always put a little excerpt about them for her to hand out to them once.

 

[desertmarcy]

I have some with mine, they will be a year in April and it's gotten LOTS better.
It's funny, the people that take my eggs I start to explain it to and they stop me and say they know all about them. They usually had chickens in their family when they were young.
And I've got about 6-7 different people wanting eggs, and they can't get enough of them.
Usually people understand. If they don't, you can always put a little excerpt about them for her to hand out to them once.

That's a good idea, the excerpt. Isn't it crazy, people want local, farm-raised, not factory-farmed eggs, but then they see something a little out of the ordinary and they get the ICK factor.

 

[Ray from PA]

Critique Time..... Not the best photo, but I'd like some input, comments on this Cockbird.

Not my bird, but curious what everyone thinks about him ????

thanks in advance !

 

[FVRM]

That's a good idea, the excerpt. Isn't it crazy, people want local, farm-raised, not factory-farmed eggs, but then they see something a little out of the ordinary and they get the ICK factor.

I have two people in my family who refuse to eat backyard eggs. We actually have to buy store eggs just for them.