Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Alaskan]

Feathering is there at hatch.

@tao chick ah! I have bad eyes... Can't see much about the comb... But side sprigs are bad.... Little comb points that jut out.

 

[scflock]

Oh, ok. This is my first time with BCM and they're at that beginning stage of feather growth that is deceiving. Are these the side sprigs that were mentioned on this board?

I am the last person to be given advice on marans, but that looks even a little more severe than side sprigs. It almost looks like a triple comb

 

[cyborg]

I just got 9 new chicks from Meyer Hatchery and 1 is supposed to be a Black Copper Marans, but none of my chicks have feathers on their legs. Does the feathering come in later or should it be there?

Yes, they should be feather legged, but the feathers can come in later. When you get hatchery birds, you are rolling the dice, and the dice are loaded. Many hatcheries advertise a "clean legged strain" which originally started with the British Standard, but are not desired to American or French standards. I just looked at Meyer's listing, and they advertise them as feather legged, but if you look at the pictures, the second picture is of a rooster with clean legs.

I recently moved, and got all my chickens mixed up, I normally keep different breeds in separate pens. While separating the Black Copper Marans hens from some Black Jersey Giant hens, I kept coming up one short on the Marans hens. I had a hen with clean legs, but bay colored eyes (jerseys have dark eyes). I ended up putting her with the Jerseys, figuring she just had bad eye color. Looking at her this morning, I noticed that she had grown leg feathers, and was just starting to get a trace of copper around her neck. She is about 6 months old now, and this is the first leg feathering I've seen on her, so the leg feathers can come in late. Hope this helps.

 

[angelathomas1]

Yes, they should be feather legged, but the feathers can come in later. When you get hatchery birds, you are rolling the dice, and the dice are loaded.  Many hatcheries advertise a "clean legged strain" which originally started with the British Standard, but are not desired to American or French standards. I just looked at Meyer's listing, and they advertise them as feather legged, but if you look at the pictures, the second picture is of a rooster with clean legs.

I recently moved, and got all my chickens mixed up, I normally keep different breeds in separate pens. While separating the Black Copper Marans hens from some Black Jersey Giant hens, I kept coming up one short on the Marans hens. I had a hen with clean legs, but bay colored eyes (jerseys have dark eyes). I ended up putting her with the Jerseys, figuring she just had bad eye color. Looking at her this morning, I noticed that she had grown leg feathers, and was just starting to get a trace of copper around her neck. She is about 6 months old now, and this is the first leg feathering I've seen on her, so the leg feathers can come in late. Hope this helps.

Yes this helps and saves me from calling the hatchery, lol! Thank you for the info.

 

[robgray]

I hatched some eggs from a breeder near me. I thought that avoiding shipping would be a good idea for my first incubator experience. Well, I'm a little disappointed with the results. I did get a good hatch rate 5/7 for Black Copper Marans. I was later told that they were B/B/S Copper Marans. And, while I'm not breeding for selling, and I'm not showing them, I feel disappointed with the chicks. You tell me. Is it too early to tell (they're 3.5 weeks old)? Chick 1 Chick 2 Chick 3 Chick 4 I don't have a pic of Chick 5 (a friend has a mama hen raising it) but it is splash. Be as critical as you wish. Again, I'm not a breeder, I just want to know what I paid for. Thanks.

It's too early to tell. But does the 1st one have a few white feathers? Correct me experts if I'm wrong but splash or no splash that's not good coloring

 

[snowbird]

Check the back part of the Comb, looks like Coronation from the penne. These do not look like pure Marans.

 

[snowbird]

Check the back part of the Comb, looks like Coronation from the penne. These do not look like pure Marans.

 

[Alaskan]

@robgray even very nice quality Marans can have a few white feathers (usually the last wing feather) with the first set of feathers.

If the white doesn't molt out when the adult feathers come in THEN it is a clear problem.



@snowbird from what I understand though...

Was the penne bred into the Marans after they were brought to the US, or before? If the penne was bred in before the Marans were brought to the US, you might manage to get some very expensive Marans, bred pure since they bot to the US, that still unfortunately carry that gene.

Or, was the penne bred in by one or two breeders after the Marans was brought to the US? Then I would be so curious as to know who it was.

 

[tao chick]

close up

So if one chick has side sprigs or whatever this is, they may all carry that gene? For SOP that is really bad. Would someone still be able to use this cockerel for the dark brown egg gene for olive eggers or should he be soup or wait and see?

 

[snowbird]

The Penne have been bred into the Marans since they were brought into the USA. I would believe that some beginners are still doing it with the aspect of getting darker eggs.