Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Chicken Tenders]

Best age to reach ideal weight: 8 months. We noticed that they tend to gain their bulk in this last month. Before, they tend to be smaller than ideal & then boom! We had to take this into account for showing as they didn't place well compared to slightly older birds. Now, when we hatch, we take the earliest ones to raise out for show in Jan.-Mar shows.

 

[Localheronow]

Thanks 8 months that is what I was looking for I have a young flock about five months and they are almost there thanks again

 

[HarrietB]

Ive been very busy with participating in the Easter hatch along this year! I have hatched out 11 black copper maran chicks who are all super healthy and lovely little characters already.

Within these 11 fluff balls are two chicks which are very different. The chicks came out blonde!! Im interested to see if anyone else has ever had a blondie in their flock! I will post pictures when they have both fluffed up ( one only hatched half an hour ago! )

 

[chicken pickin]

Ive been very busy with participating in the Easter hatch along this year! I have hatched out 11 black copper maran chicks who are all super healthy and lovely little characters already.

Within these 11 fluff balls are two chicks which are very different. The chicks came out blonde!! Im interested to see if anyone else has ever had a blondie in their flock! I will post pictures when they have both fluffed up ( one only hatched half an hour ago! )

My guess is they are maybe Wheaten. Its possible the parent stock have wheaten in their background. Im not 100% positive though.

 

[Wynette]

Ive been very busy with participating in the Easter hatch along this year! I have hatched out 11 black copper maran chicks who are all super healthy and lovely little characters already.

Within these 11 fluff balls are two chicks which are very different. The chicks came out blonde!! Im interested to see if anyone else has ever had a blondie in their flock! I will post pictures when they have both fluffed up ( one only hatched half an hour ago! )

Yep, Chicken Pickin's correct; there are a few lines known to be recessive for wheaten - I'm sure that's what you have there.

 

[Zanna]

Ive been very busy with participating in the Easter hatch along this year! I have hatched out 11 black copper maran chicks who are all super healthy and lovely little characters already.

Within these 11 fluff balls are two chicks which are very different. The chicks came out blonde!! Im interested to see if anyone else has ever had a blondie in their flock! I will post pictures when they have both fluffed up ( one only hatched half an hour ago! )

They could also be recessive whites. You will know in a week or two when their real feathers start coming in.

 

[Raven1]

My Whites hatch out white so if they are "blonde"/cream probably rec. Wheaten.

 

[chicken pickin]

Here are a few pics of my newest BCMs. I have 6 chicks but forgot to put one in the group for the pictures so only 5 are shown












I was curious about the one with the splotchy head, I have not hatched a BCM like that one before.

 

[Runawaylobster]

Here are a few pics of my newest BCMs. I have 6 chicks but forgot to put one in the group for the pictures so only 5 are shown












I was curious about the one with the splotchy head, I have not hatched a BCM like that one before.

they have alot of white, it will be really interesing to see how that little guy grows out.. please let us know. BTW: he/she is very cute looking

 

[SIMZ]

Good morning!

I'm hatching and went to bed with 4 marans eggs "unzipping". Instead of finding chicks this morning I found the eggs in exactly the same way. This hatch also included OE's (6 of 6 already hatched out by yesterday morning plus one BCM that already hatched fine). I took the chicks out and checked on the BCM's, thinking they had shrink wrapped or something.

3 out of the 4 were dead. Not dried out AT ALL. I "helped" the one that was still alive, even though he wasn't stuck. All of the dead chicks were completely formed, yolks absorbed, no blood, and up to halfway around the shell. I've never had that happen before. The only time I've had chicks die at that point is if they get stuck and dry out. That was not the case here. The one I "helped" seems to have his neck bent under if that means anything.

I have been doing consecutive hatches in my incubator. When I candled before lock down I noticed that the BCM eggs had much smaller air cells then the mixes. I just read somewhere that high humidity at first can make them 'die in their own slime'? So 6 of 6 OE's hatched and 1 of 6 BCM's (2 if you count the one I helped)??

Thanks in advance for any insight!