Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[math ace]

Quote:
I think you need a larger sample size. - - - In other words, I want in on this too! My chicks are 5 - 7 days old. Are they too young for your experiement? What do you want me to do ? I have 11 blue /black copper maran chicks we can look at.

 

[geebs]

Debbi... I am not sure... I think a lot depends on what rooster you choose... It is always give and take...Are you using the two light chicks against each other for spring??? A test hatch would be sooooo interesting.

Math... Just take individual photos of them from all sides and mark them and put them in a file... When they are a little older... do it again.. and at adulthood do it yet again and we can compare in he fall!!!

 

[VillageChicken]

Geebs - Hens have fewer variables to bring together... just hackle color and degree of melanization. You don't have to balance with the saddle, comb and tail are less prominent, etc. so yes I would say it's not as big a battle. I'm just agreeing with you that hens are darker than roos given the same genotype.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Ha! I hadn't intended on using Fuglee at all. But, seeing as she is already in there with him, I may just pull and egg or two from her to see what I get. The problem with that is his deformities, and all the other problems with him. Not sure I want a bunch of culls running around, and don't know if 2 or so eggs would be enough to determine anything? Still waiting for builders to come to get the new coop going so I can do some serious seperating!

 

[Debbi]

Ok, here is my request. If anyone has any pullets/hens with lots of hackle color, whether it be goldish or actual copper, could you please go out and check to see if any have the white base feathers in the hackles?? Please??? I just can't fathom that that problem would not pop up in the hens if they have heavily colored hackles. Golden type hackles would also be considered a lack of melanisation (is that a word?), or would it??

 

[geebs]

I would have to say that my pen of overmelanised chickens (too dark) produced offspring that had very little tuxedo coloring. My pen of overcolored had a large propensity of nicely marked Tuxedoed birds. The girls were more easily discerned in the most correctly colored pen... The baby girls were dark and the boys had whie on thier faces particularly around the eye... I think I will do a hatch from 2 pens... the most correct and the most dark and record the results for everyone. Oh and this pen carries no wheaton.


Does anyone know someone who could build a simple program for me.. It would need to be extremely idiot friendly.. Have em webmail me... I have an idea for something.

 

[geebs]

Debbi I will do that...

Whatever you have in your yard is a treasure trove of information... whether it is breed/show worthy or not... How you dispose of the birds does however speak of your character... that being said I have enjoyed test mating to find out what I have...(there really isn't any other way to know)... is there?

 

[geebs]

Debbi... The criteria for the hens... are we talking too much color... traveling down the chest or just rich color.. what EXACTLY are you asking... a picture (even from the net) would help me here (visual person)

 

[Debbi]

You're right. They are my little treasure trove irregardless of what they look like! They are pleasing to my eyes, they keep me laughing and busy, and make my friends and family worry about my sanity!

Yes, breeding is the only way to tell, but Fugs was not in the plans from the get go. Still, the "what if" factor comes into play. Most of my culls will be re-homed to folks that just want eggs or the dark gene for olive eggers.

 

[VillageChicken]

Golden type hackles would also be considered a lack of melanisation

I think it's a lack of Mahogany. If the hackles are showing, then the melanizers should be about right. Eumelanin adds black, Pheomelanin adds red. Mahogany increases the level of red in otherwise gold areas.​