Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[ochochicas]

I have two marans. They both lay beautiful, dark, spotted eggs. The Splash lays 5 eggs a week and is very reliable. The BCM was laying 5 - 6 eggs a week until she suddenly went broody and stopped laying in June. Now she is raising chicks so I'm expecting her to start up again next month.

 

[DoubleMM]

And are the BCMs auto sexing

I'm new to BCM, but the cockerels I've hatched have all displayed large pink combs within the first couple of weeks.

 

[chicken pickin]

Found 2 first eggs today( I think from the same pullet) from a 21 week old BCM pullet. I am very disappointed in the egg color, it's sort of a light chocolate milk color She will be culled from the breeder pen and very likely be rehomed to someone's layer flock. I'm bummed.

 

[cyborg]

Found 2 first eggs today( I think from the same pullet) from a 21 week old BCM pullet. I am very disappointed in the egg color, it's sort of a light chocolate milk color She will be culled from the breeder pen and very likely be rehomed to someone's layer flock. I'm bummed.

Not so fast, first eggs are often light. Give her some time to get her inkjets calibrated.

 

[ochochicas]

Found 2 first eggs today( I think from the same pullet) from a 21 week old BCM pullet. I am very disappointed in the egg color, it's sort of a light chocolate milk color She will be culled from the breeder pen and very likely be rehomed to someone's layer flock. I'm bummed.

I agree with cyborg. Wait a few weeks and see if the color changes. I read recently that the 20th egg is the best representation of true egg color as well as size.

 

[philipchickymad]

Ok thanks

 

[philipchickymad]

Will so thankyou

 

[chicken pickin]

Not so fast, first eggs are often light. Give her some time to get her inkjets calibrated.

I agree with cyborg. Wait a few weeks and see if the color changes. I read recently that the 20th egg is the best representation of true egg color as well as size.

Thank you both for responding. I do plan to hang on to her for a bit to see if the color changes. I have always read that they lay the darkest in the beginning and if you get a light egg now then that's it. I have 3 Marans hens and all of their first eggs were dark so I just assumed that's how it should go. Thanks though it gives me hope Ill post back with her egg color later if it changes. I still have 4 more Marans pullets waiting to lay their first eggs also.

 

[One Chick Two]

Thank you both for responding. I do plan to hang on to her for a bit to see if the color changes. I have always read that they lay the darkest in the beginning and if you get a light egg now then that's it. I have 3 Marans hens and all of their first eggs were dark so I just assumed that's how it should go. Thanks though it gives me hope Ill post back with her egg color later if it changes. I still have 4 more Marans pullets waiting to lay their first eggs also.

X2

Don't cull for awhile!

We purchased some adults in Jan., and when our hens began to finally lay a week or so later, we were also disappointed in lightness at first. After 10 or so eggs, the color suddenly darkened dramatically in all of the girls. They go through darker/lighter cycles, but always return to the darkest color after small rests, and lighten over the stretch of laying.

One of the hens has laid multiple 10 days stretches (straight) without a rest. She takes a day off, and laying generally about 4-5 X weekly when not in heavy lay. Her eggs remain darkest for the longest periods of them too. One of the other good layers eggs fade out fairly quickly in her cycle, but her eggs are usually XXL. Everyone else is in a deep molt right now, but that producing hen is still laying every other day in the 100+ degree heat. We like her, and want to maintain productivity along with good type and size, so she is mother to many of this year's youngsters.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Hi! I've been watching this post for a while and today I finally got some pics taken of my BCM hens. One of them is really shy and hard to get pics of but I did get a couple. I'd love to know what you all think of them.
Copper and some of my others in the foreground Ebony in the background.

Copper

Copper

Ebony

Copper

Copper

Ebony