Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Mrs MIA]

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Thanks Geebs.

Thoughts on the roo? He's my only one, and if you can look at him and offer a suggestion as to the type of girl I should put with him, that would help my learning curve.

It's been grey and cloudy lately, but I will enlist hubby's help tomorrow to get some "studio" shots of them tomorrow. I sure do appreciate your help.

 

[geebs]

VC: I single mate and mark the eggs.

I try for predictable results and it takes a lot longer but uses less resources.. and more time taking pictures and making notes etc...

Yes you are right about the same genetics in the egg color.. but I just LOVE to look at the darkies!!!! Just sooo cool

My dear AK... I did a full workup on him a page back...

 

[VillageChicken]

Oh BTW woke up to 2 damp chickies in the inky. One white bresse, and one wheaten marans. Lots of pips. There's some BC in there too. Hoping to get some good hens this time around.

 

[geebs]

congratulations.. waiting for pictures

when do I sleep.... in about an hour... for about 4 hours and then I get up again!!!

 

[geebs]

And therein, I think this is why we collectively, and me in particular, are getting confused! If everyone's standards keep changing, how in the world are you supposed to keep up? I was leaning towards the French standard, afterall, this is where the breed originated. Then started to lean my thinking to follow the US standard, which at the time was more like the French's. Afterall, if I were to show, it would be here, not in France. But now it seems like every time I re-read the US standard something else has changed. I always assumed the "standard" type of bird was the goal to aim for, but now it seems like everyone is bending the standard to the majority of the way the breed "looks" here?? If so, I'll want no part of showing, and will lean towards breeding to the "original" breed standard for my own pleasure. This doesn't just happen in this breed, nor in this species, and I realize that, but to change it to the point where the genetic math can't keep up just seems wrong. Just my simple opinion, to each their own.

Debbi: the breeding strategy could be worked out using the french to establish egg color and weed out genes while establishing type and copper balance... and toward the end of the project if you were single mating you could make an adjustment to the swing of the pendulum regarding melanistics... Read what is on the French site over and over... there is several pages of information including breeding strategy... Read it till it makes sense... (it will) There are several spots you will want to read on the site... spend a day on it navigating and seeing what is there.. It is all written down...​

 

[onthespot]

When I hatch only the darkest eggs, and save roosters from those, I know that any roo I hatch came from a hen with the potential to lay very dark during her cycle at some time. If I hatch from a light egg, that could have been the darkest egg laid that year, from a hen that mostly doesn't lay even a four. (those I usually just eat or share) I do not single mate and keep copious notes. I hatch the darkest eggs, raise a lot of roosters to near maturity, and either eat or feed most of them to the dogs when I decide I no longer want them in my program. The hens I choose by how they look, and sell the ones I don't want, or don't have room for.

I know that a hen's egg can vary from nearly off white to nearly the color of coffe grounds during a single laying cycle, or even during a given week. If I hatch only the darkest eggs, then I am keeping only birds that come from hens with very dark egg potential. I am not interested in the light eggs from the same hen. I don't hatch hundreds of chicks. I use a lot of eggs in my other animal keeping feeding programs, so it doesn't bother me to not hatch light eggs, even if they came from a hen that usually lays dark.

 

[VillageChicken]

I'll snap some shots when there are a few BC's out and fuzzed up. Wouldn't want to deviate from the Thread title!

I agree that selecting the darkest eggs is the safest. I just wanted to make sure folks didn't think that it makes a difference when laid by the same hen. If you live where the falls and winters are nasty cold, sometimes you have to set eggs when whether permits so you're not brooding indoors for weeks, it is not always when a hen is laying at her darkest. Especially for breeds that lay through the winter.

 

[Mrs MIA]

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LOL! Sorry guys... I had a long rough day, and hubby has now cut me off from the rum... darn him anyway.
Geebs, I didn't see the edits you made... thank you VERY much.

VC... I took the opportunity to shoot some pictures while he was duking it out with the Orpington in the pen in front of him... his hackles are really puffed up. I have a table and backdrop in the garage that I'll use to take some better pics.

 

[pinkchick]

I feel so uneducated about the Black Coppers, as you all may know, I normally only concentrate on the Blues and keep a few token Black Copper females to help out with the blues lacing and egg color................. but, after reading here and my own personal quest for a good Black Copper male......I have soooooooo much to learn. Thanks Jan!

It's not the type or the conformation that gets me, but the black color thing, I know it is not really any different than blue, but would somebody mind telling my brain that?

 

[Debbi]

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Thank you! Your explanations make it so much easier to understand!