Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[marchick]

Thank you! I only have the four and I was wondering.I am still not sure on the sexes though.I thought I would be able to tell by now.

 

[Elginchickens]

Anyone got any suggestions for candling black copper maran eggs...I can't see through Any of the shells with my candler...is it possible to candle them

 

[Alaskan]

I can usually manage to see the aircell.... But that is it.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Anyone got any suggestions for candling black copper maran eggs...I can't see through Any of the shells with my candler...is it possible to candle them

I have a pretty bright LED flashlight. I can at least tell if somethings growing in there or not.

 

[Elginchickens]

Thanks for the input..maybe my light is just not bright enough

 

[blackbirds13]

Heavy outer toe and 2nd toe feathering and some copper on chest? Too much copper vice too dark? Think i see what may turn out to be a "fly-out" comb? Smaller versus larger? Very heavy shank feathers versus barely there? How slow feathering is too slow? Late maturing roo features versus early? All things im wondering as i look at these young cockerels that im culling through today. Not sure im going to keep any of this bunch of boys but will keep the pullets. 14 boys to 6 girls. May try one or 2 more batches of chicks in August. I might try for some GFF birds....just to see what their imports have to offer. 3 LP and 3 Suzie O. pullets will stay. I may hold on to 2-3 boys....never know where this A1 will go.

I know what i want to see but not seeing it....and really not looking for perfection just faults I can live with and breed against.

Anyone want to say what they are cullling for early on besides obvious faults like sprigs. Things you can just tell will not get better but maybe you could live with or would just be too much trouble in the long run. 14 is a small sampling so im not hopeful anythong will pan out on these....

Posting on the other thread also

 

[Pennychickens1]

Are Karan rooster nice or can they be aggressive

 

[Pennychickens1]

Maran sorry I was just given one and hoping for nice babies with my hen.

 

[Alaskan]

I will not breed if the outer toe is shorter than normal. I think that incorrect length outer toe is what contributed to my two deformed toes on hatchlings this year.

Clearly slow growth or unthriftiness is also totally out.

I have no comb sprigs... So that s not an issue for me. My combs don't look as good as a leghorn comb, but good enough, that I am not even really looking at them.

Also, my leg color is fine... Not going to fine tune that at present.

I am trying to raise up a cockerel this year to be my new breeder... And I have already culled the above points... I am now waiting for them to get much older when I will look specifically at
1. body shape,
2. Tail carriage
3. Color

I don't care at all as to feathers on legs.... I am working on the other points first.


As to the girls, they can be solid black, if they made it through the first basic cut, then all they have to do is be very healthy, and have a good body shape. No pinched hips or tail. However, that is it...

 

[Alaskan]

Oh.... Older hens will be culled if they can't maintain color, throughout the egg laying season.

As to roosters.... In general they are nice, I will cull a people aggressive rooster no matter what he looks like.