Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[gilavina]

Here's what I've been breeding for in my birds when it comes to openness of the tail.

 

[snowbird]

Here's what I've been breeding for in my birds when it comes to openness of the tail.

Vicki, Pictures are worth more than a thousand words. Glad to see you back. Don

 

[gilavina]

thanks Don. Its been a long haul the last few months, but the birds are good therapy. I have 18 hens and 2 cocks, but plan to cut back quite a bit once I see what comes from the hatches and narrow my focus on them some more to go after some of the finer details of the flock for improvement. Hopefully it will be a productive year.

 

[One Chick Two]

Here's what I've been breeding for in my birds when it comes to openness of the tail.

Like them! Really nice! Width looks good!

Here's one of this year's cockerel's.



One of this year's pullets. She's not actually pinched on top- if you look carefully you can see a nearly invisible feather at the top .

 

[gilavina]

Like them! Really nice! Width looks good!

Here's one of this year's cockerel's.



One of this year's pullets. She's not actually pinched on top- if you look carefully you can see a nearly invisible feather at the top .

lookin good. I like nice open tails, changes the whole look of the bird

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
When these get their sickle feathers on the male will really be nice. I like the Back on these Marans ans you have some nice Copper going on also. Don

 

[snowbird]

one chick two, I really like your Pullet. I see nice correct Wing Carriage and also the soft feathering on the lower Body is BLACK as it is required to be ear lobe is nice and red.

 

[One Chick Two]

one chick two, I really like your Pullet. I see nice correct Wing Carriage and also the soft feathering on the lower Body is BLACK as it is required to be ear lobe is nice and red.

Thank you. Here's another side view of this pullet, taken a few days ago. There's actually no warm color on her body feathers- just setting sun.

 

[Scatterknit]

I have twelve from Greenfire's new imports. Anyone else? Mine are only about 3 weeks old now. I will post pics as they grow.

Hi - I have 12 from their new imports too. They were hatched around March 1, so they're 6 weeks old. I'm pretty sure I have 6 cockerels and 6 pullets. They are running in an out of control gang in my grow out pen with 11 Cream Legbars and 1 freebie Chocolate Partridge Wyandotte that GF sent, so they're kind of hard to corral and count at this point.

They all seem great - one was very slow to feather and was looking pretty pitiful until this weekend. He's finally starting to fill in. I put a leg band on him - I won't breed him - he'll go out to my pastured layers as a WatchRoo when he's old enough.

I posted pictures of mine on p. 1026 in this thread. Looking forward to seeing pictures of yours!

 

[gilavina]

Hey Don,

I thought of a random question for you related to breeding Marans. I'm used to different strategies when it comes to setting up a breeding program from growing up learning from my dad and etc. I was wondering if you've come across a cock that throws mostly a strong pullet/hen line and sort of so so cockerels? If so, I was wondering what sort of strategies you've used for taking the most advantage of that line? I am used to that with the wyandottes and would adjust strategy from year to year, depending on what aspect of improvements I was going for, but since the Marans can have such wild card factors, I just wondered if you had methods you used?