Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[geebs]

That is a great question... There is a restrictor in there isn't there... This is where I start asking... Does the bird throw wheaton... Here in the US it can mean Wheaton... France has a wider genetic pool.

Furthermore... we can learn more if we watch the bird grow...I think this is the argument in favor of the darker shank... to elimate the wheaton from US stock... I am just theororizing here.. I watch the horn, eye color, and shanks (and other factors relating to possible genetic material).. I think snowbird watches the white feathers... I get confused on the feather issue as it hasn't been fully explained in a way I can wrap my brain around it... but that is why I look at what I look at. It is a particular helpful aid to me... to see the bird OVER TIME... hence the baby study.... I would like to look at other's genetic material.

 

[lotzahenz]

Okay, I am reading through all the "beetle green" posts and need to ask: Do we WANT the greenish, which is stunning in the light OR do we prefer the plain black. AND, do are we trying to breed true to the French standard with which ever one we want??? Okay, now I am more confused after my own post. Help!

HenZ, needing more caffeine this morning.

 

[geebs]

Both are accessable here.. We are understanding the differences and learning how to strive toward our choice.. The green in moderation... It is a black indicator..not necessary but accepted... not too much...not to little...

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
I think we are not looking to eliminate the beetle sheen (aka...luster) completely, (speaking in terms of the male here) but, rather keep it more restricted to certain areas of the body..i,e.., the tail: sickles and coverts with glints of luster and the wing: secondaries, where the exposed portion shows a lusterous black wing triangle and also the wing coverts: lustrous black forming a black armband. Thus, trying to keep it to very little or none in the breast and that should not advance, as I understand it, to any lower regions of the birds body past the curve of the breast? (I need help on this, this is where I become unclear.) I assume this and worded this after the proposed BCM Color Draft.

The proposed Standard does not mention any luster on the female, thus my understanding is that they should not have any.

eta: YES the greenish sheen is stunning in the sun light isn't it?

 

[lotzahenz]

Thanks, that helps a lot. Now off to show you some pics, now that I have a handy dandy Mac and loading pics is cake. You can see what my flock looks like, after very careful selection of about 1000 chicks, I need about 10,000 more to go. HenZ

 

[Mrsfoote]

Okay I have a question....never owned a BCM before in december i hatched 1 chick from gabbard farms....it hatched with a comb and since then comb has stayed the same size not getting red at all....At what age....can you generally tell your roo chicks from a pullet....Its going to be 7 weeks next week. Almost fully feathered out.

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
If its 7 weeks old and the comb has not reddened or enlarged, my bet would be a pullet.

 

[Mrsfoote]

woooooooooooooo IF that is the case I'm a happy girl

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
I think we are not looking to eliminate the beetle sheen (aka...luster) completely, (speaking in terms of the male here) but, rather keep it more restricted to certain areas of the body..i,e.., the tail: sickles and coverts with glints of luster and the wing: secondaries, where the exposed portion shows a lusterous black wing triangle and also the wing coverts: lustrous black forming a black armband. Thus, trying to keep it to very little or none in the breast and that should not advance, as I understand it, to any lower regions of the birds body past the curve of the breast? (I need help on this, this is where I become unclear.) I assume this and worded this after the proposed BCM Color Draft.

The proposed Standard does not mention any luster on the female, thus my understanding is that they should not have any.

eta: YES the greenish sheen is stunning in the sun light isn't it?

Next time the sun is out here in the NE, which may not be until April.....I am going to march the girls outside & see if any of them have green sheen, then if they are the ones that lack good copper color, which I bet they will be, they are going to freezer camp. That is just another thing to deal with, and frankly, I'm not in the mood..

I was planning on culling down hard this spring, so it will be just one more thing to look for.

 

[ksf59]

I took some pics of some of my birds today.The hens are out of eggs I bought form RevolutionMama as she was elling hers BCM.The roo was a blue copper from eggs that I bought from Prather.He was Davis/Jean I will have to see if I have a pic when my DD come home. I lost him the other day. he was SWEET

A Black and a blue.

same blue

same black
These were hatched in mid september.
This another pen hactched in Mid October. The hen was a Presleyroo, over a Jean Hen. These are all full sibs

a blue
Head of blue and the black

the black

couple of the sisters

cuople of th eggs that the Pressly/Jeane lays.

Same roo as the first gruop, just a differnt hen. I have blue splash roo in that pen now, as the sire to these Died. but will put one of these guys back in. The hens do not have much copper, so would like to bring more of that out.