Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[efran0422]

I am looking to buy French black copper marans egg or chicks that lay dark eggs my birds don't lay dark enough eggs thanks

 

[tiedyemommy]

Here are the newest additions to our mixed flock of 10 chickens. I was told they are French Black Marans (no copper color to them at all). They have feathers running down their legs/feet & they are gorgeous. The one on the left is Bootsy & the one on the right is Barbarella (my husband named them). They are almost egg-laying age, gentle and have done well with their new sisters so far.

 

[boydfarm]

I had black (not BC) Marans - lovely ladies, laid very nice dark eggs. I can't remember the hatchery - estes maybe? It was 5-6 years ago that I ordered them. At the time, they had balcks and cuckoos. Legs were clean, however - so you have better breeding !

 

[tiedyemommy]

I had black (not BC) Marans - lovely ladies, laid very nice dark eggs. I can't remember the hatchery - estes maybe? It was 5-6 years ago that I ordered them. At the time, they had balcks and cuckoos. Legs were clean, however - so you have better breeding !

We bought these two from H & H Poultry in Burnet, TX (http://www.handhpoultry.com/ & http://www.texasmarans.com/). The owner of the farm said they were of Bev Davis lineage (http://www.bevsmarans.com/)...being new to chickens I wasn't sure what that meant, but apparently they are a beautiful line that produce dark, delicious eggs. I stumbled upon them by accident, but I'm glad I did. From all my research, they are quintessential French Black Marans. An excellent addition to our mixed flock.

We now have:
1 White Leghorn hen named Fred
1 Rumpless Easter Egger hen named Goldie
1 Easter Egger hen named Shed
1 Easter Egger hen named Olive
1 Red Sex-Link hen named Red
1 Blue Splash Maran/Americauna "Olive Egger" pullet named Penny Peepers
1 Blue Splash Maran/Americauna "Olive Egger" pullet named Frank Peepers
1 Blue Splash Maran/Americauna "Olive Egger" pullet named Genya Peepers
&
2 French Black Maran pullets named Bootsy & Barbarella

 

[omas biddies]

just beautiful where did you find them

 

[Sweetpea3829]

So just a quick question...how can you tell a French Black Marans from a Black Copper Marans? Talking pullets here. I ask because...well, one of my two pullets STILL doesn't have any coppering at all. And I think she's approaching 4 1/2 months now. The other pullet, from the same line, has coppering. Is there anything else I should look for?

 

[desertmarcy]

So just a quick question...how can you tell a French Black Marans from a Black Copper Marans? Talking pullets here. I ask because...well, one of my two pullets STILL doesn't have any coppering at all. And I think she's approaching 4 1/2 months now. The other pullet, from the same line, has coppering. Is there anything else I should look for?

It is quite common for the Black Copper Marans to be overmelanized and lack the copper coloring. If your other pullet from that line has copper, then your black one is genetically a Black Copper even though the copper is not showing. As far as how you would know if you didn't have that other pullet to compare? The Black Marans breeders will have to chime in here because I don't keep them but if you are getting your birds from a reputable breeder who knows their birds, they would be able to tell you what the background/parentage is.

 

[museclio]

Hello, thank you all for sharing knowledge. I have been lurking for about 5 months now, and have questions related to culling my straight run Roos which I obtained from a northern Maryland breeder. My BCM (16 of them) are 13 weeks old. I have abt 8 Roos. I am space constrained (I have other chickens) so would like to know if 13 weeks is an acceptable time to cull to 3 Roos, or if I should wait longer to evaluate? Secondly, at 13 weeks, do "definitely cull"traits exist? I believe clean shanks, malformed toes, side sprigs, white lobes, and improper shank color. Is this correct, and are there more culling points for this age? Thanks, tracey

 

[maryhysong]

Hello, thank you all for sharing knowledge. I have been lurking for about 5 months now, and have questions related to culling my straight run Roos which I obtained from a northern Maryland breeder. My BCM (16 of them) are 13 weeks old. I have abt 8 Roos. I am space constrained (I have other chickens) so would like to know if 13 weeks is an acceptable time to cull to 3 Roos, or if I should wait longer to evaluate? Secondly, at 13 weeks, do "definitely cull"traits exist? I believe clean shanks, malformed toes, side sprigs, white lobes, and improper shank color. Is this correct, and are there more culling points for this age? Thanks, tracey

I would add extreme amounts of copper on the breast; they just get worse with age. Also even at that age you can look down from the top and see if there are pinched tails or if a bird is nice and wide over the hips or not. I start culling for all these things as soon as they are big enough to make a meal. The first year I raised chicks I kept most until past four months but now I know what things look like in a younger bird so can start culling a lot sooner.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

I cull pretty hard for that. I don't want slow feathering in Marans.... barred rocks are a different story. It is a sex link trait you can use it to sex chicks but I just don't want the trait in my flock. I cull for that across the board in all my solid color birds..... not a good gene. I find they are smaller and less hearty birds too.

I am talking about SLOW feathering, the kind where they are still naked at 2 months old.

I've been away from the list for a while...lots of posts to catch up on!

I have a 4 week old blue copper Marans cockerel that is only feathered on his wings and a narrow strip down his back and he's HUGE compared to his hatchmates (male and female alike). Some kind of mutant gigantor? *L*