Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[RedhedINgrl]

There is no way this male is a pure Marans, Look at his head shape and overall body shape.

well crap. I just cant catch a break for my 4h kids. He was sold to me as a BCM an the seller knew what Id use him for. So so very frustrating. So your thinking he is an Olive egger Roo?

 

[Alaskan]

OK... I now have a complex.


My Marans rooster.... for no visible reason, was found dead this morning.

The Marans rooster I had before (totally unrelated) also was found dead one morning.

I have never had any other breed of rooster just up and die on me for no reason whatsoever.

Me......sad.

 

[Pintinha]

This is our newest little gal. This is my first time attempting to post a pic.

 

[ochochicas]

OK... I now have a complex.


My Marans rooster.... for no visible reason, was found dead this morning.

The Marans rooster I had before (totally unrelated) also was found dead one morning.

I have never had any other breed of rooster just up and die on me for no reason whatsoever.

Me......sad.

My Marans roosters were not very healthy either (they were Wheatens though). From the day I got them they seemed a little "slow". Two got sick and nearly died, but they recovered. One became mean so I gave him away as dinner. After that the others all died. I think mine didn't do well in the flock setting. They did fine in the quarantine coop, but when I put them in the flock coop they lost weight. Not eating + too much breeding = dead roosters.

The last one that died was very fat and at good weight, so I'm not sure what to think. I've given up on the Marans unless one of my 3 eggs in the incubator hatches out a new rooster. I'm not even sure if they are fertile.

 

[Ebove06]

Does anybody have any photos of 3 month old Black Copper Marans roo?

 

[Scatterknit]

OK... I now have a complex.


My Marans rooster.... for no visible reason, was found dead this morning.

The Marans rooster I had before (totally unrelated) also was found dead one morning.

I have never had any other breed of rooster just up and die on me for no reason whatsoever.

Me......sad.

I'm so sorry! Did you figure out what happened?

 

[Alaskan]

No, I still do not know why he died. I looked him over carefully externally, but didn't feel like doing a necropsy.

He wasn't very fertile either... even with only 6 hens, he did NOT do a good job.

I had moved him off of his hens, and put him with my "ugly, don't want to breed you, but I don't currently want to eat you" flock that are in my vegetable garden. I was thinking that the much larger area and exercise might be good for him and increase his fertility... i dunno, I was kinda grasping at straws. He looked like he was doing well... there was no picking or bullying in the vegetable garden group... I had looked him over carefully the night before....

He was only a year old this spring.

I just don't get it... breeds of roosters don't spontaneously die.

by the way...

He had one Olive Egger in with his Marans hens.... and one of her eggs that hatched back in February resulted in a chick that grew up to be cuckoo! The mother is a brown EE looking 1/2 Black Copper Marans Olive Egger.

Do all of you Black Copper Marans owners agree with me that there is no way that Cuckoo can result from that breeding?

The reason I ask.. is that that cuckoo cockerel wants to make me cry too... Because not only have I lost my Marans rooster, but the cuckoo chick means that my Dominique rooster must have somehow hopped the fence, or whatever, and be the father .... and that means that my Dominique rooster is HETEROzygous for rose comb.... (the cockerel has fluffy cheeks, light feathering on the legs and feet, cuckoo color, and a SINGLE comb!

So, not only has my Marans rooster died, but I should probably go and kill my Dominique rooster.

(sorry for the long rambling post)

 

[One Chick Two]

Does anybody have any photos of 3 month old Black Copper Marans roo?

Leroy was exactly three months in this photo.

 

[One Chick Two]

No, I still do not know why he died. I looked him over carefully externally, but didn't feel like doing a necropsy.

He wasn't very fertile either... even with only 6 hens, he did NOT do a good job.

I had moved him off of his hens, and put him with my "ugly, don't want to breed you, but I don't currently want to eat you" flock that are in my vegetable garden. I was thinking that the much larger area and exercise might be good for him and increase his fertility... i dunno, I was kinda grasping at straws. He looked like he was doing well... there was no picking or bullying in the vegetable garden group... I had looked him over carefully the night before....

He was only a year old this spring.

I just don't get it... breeds of roosters don't spontaneously die.

by the way...

He had one Olive Egger in with his Marans hens.... and one of her eggs that hatched back in February resulted in a chick that grew up to be cuckoo! The mother is a brown EE looking 1/2 Black Copper Marans Olive Egger.

Do all of you Black Copper Marans owners agree with me that there is no way that Cuckoo can result from that breeding?

The reason I ask.. is that that cuckoo cockerel wants to make me cry too... Because not only have I lost my Marans rooster, but the cuckoo chick means that my Dominique rooster must have somehow hopped the fence, or whatever, and be the father .... and that means that my Dominique rooster is HETEROzygous for rose comb.... (the cockerel has fluffy cheeks, light feathering on the legs and feet, cuckoo color, and a SINGLE comb!

So, not only has my Marans rooster died, but I should probably go and kill my Dominique rooster.

(sorry for the long rambling post)

So sorry to hear about your loss. It's hard to lose a beloved chicken.

We lost a sweet RIR hen pass yesterday while we were away for the afternoon. Discovered a wood chip blocking the airway. As of yet, never had any Marans pass unexpectedly, but have had a RIR cockerel die last year of a sudden blood vessel hemorrhage inside his upper neck below the ear. Found him lying peacefully on his back. Thought it was a heart attack at first as he was lying on his back (often a sign of a heart attack). There were zero signs of struggle, no feather loss or injury.

I think your two roosters passing could possibly just be a coincidence, but keep a sharp eye out now for oddities. Just some things to consider...Has there been any suggestion of previous illness from the flock, or, from wild birds- like sneezing or coughing? He didn't sound especially vigorous, or, could he have just been one of those roosters who only preferred a few favorite hens? (Some hens missing back feathers, and others, missing none.) How was his final weight, and keel condition? Normal droppings? Had he been wormed recently? How about mites, leg mites or lice? Was he ever sluggish or lethargic (Cocci?)? Any other odd signs? Like a spongy crop, odd droppings or hard crop (grass impaction from not being very used to grasses)? Again, so sorry for your loss.

Sorry, I can't be helpful about your EE, but I'd wait to hear other thoughts before doing anything.

 

[Alaskan]

@One Chick Two

thanks for the response. But no, no illness from anyone else, etc. etc.