Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[math ace]

Quote:
x 2 - - -

BUT I think it did help a little.

So with sex linked genes, the hens only get one gene.

With non-sex linked genes, the hens with get a PAIR of genes ? ??

The roos ALWAYS get a PAIR of Genes NO MATTER WHAT - - correct ? ? ?

 

[sabella]

Ok I got more pics. I've numbered my girls.

#1 is my blue girl. She is my favorite. Not feeling that well today. I'm going to post in the vet forum after this. #2 looks decent to me. Already has a bit of hackle color and beetle green. Her legs are too heavily feathered though. BUT her wattle looks a bit red. But everything else is girl. (Breeder said girl, but no guarantees.) #3 is the one who is showing the weird copper lacing. I just noticed it today. (Bought birds on Sun). #4 may be a week younger, as she still has baby markings on her face and is the smallest. No pics of her.

#1

#2

#3 with the funky coloring

Their future home. It should be finished soon!

 

[math ace]

Quote:
How old are these chicks?

 

[geebs]

Sabella... Love the new run.. Beautiful bird... I would seriously start thinking of a boy name... She looks more he to me than a she... I could be wrong... it happens often. Let's see "too much leg feathering"

I don't worry too much about mossiness on the young birds... It is a culling point for adult...

Math.. do you see pointy feathers??? The curving of the tail feathers is suspicious to me... and also there looks to be pointies.. making me thinks boy....(blue bird)

 

[sabella]

I bought them on Sunday. The blacks were 6 weeks and the blues were 8 weeks. Sooo 7 and 9 weeks?

 

[pinkchick]

Sabella~

That lacing you are talking about on the birds back is called stippling. I have seen this go away. This bird has very little compared to some I have seen. Give them more time and your will be surprized at how fast they change.

Do you also have a Blue Copper Roo? And on the bird in the first photo....could you get a full on side shot of the bird that shows the legs? I can't see the leg feathering that you think is too heavy. Thanks....I am a pain but I mean well.

 

[sabella]

Quote:
Not if you saw her next to Sherman! She's very feminine compared. They aren't siblings but are the same age. He is much much bigger and his comb and wattles are red and large. (I can get more pics of him tomorrow.)

The too heavily feathered leg (BCM) is the one I'm questioning. The comb and wattles are very small but they're pink. This is new. They were peach on Sunday.

Thanks for the compliment, DH is busting his butt to finish it.

 

[sabella]

Quote:
I do. Page 105 on this thread. And be a pain. How else will I learn? My little roo already has copper hackles and his saddle feathers are coming in under the blue fluff. They're beautiful!

I'm glad the stippling goes away. I'll try to get pics of the girls tomorrow. There is some sort of illness going through my little flock right now so I will do my best. (please go to the vet forum and comment! https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5766305#p5766305 )

 

[math ace]

Quote:
On Chick #1 - - - She looks pink in the face and there is a little pink wattle developing. The saddle feathers are looking pointy, instead of rounded like chick # 3. The tail feathers has sickle feathers that are curving down. . . . She is starting to look like a HE.

On chick # 3 - - - if that is a BLACK copper marans, then that funky color is called mossiness. It is when the black is not black enough and another color starts bleeding through where it should not. . . . You will need to breed her to a really dark BCM roo to make sure the offspring are dark enough. If # 3 is a BLUE Copper marans, then the mature hen may need to be crossed back for a second breeding so that the next generation of pullets are a darker blue.

Nice run for the chicks - - -

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Not if you saw her next to Sherman! She's very feminine compared. They aren't siblings but are the same age. He is much much bigger and his comb and wattles are red and large. (I can get more pics of him tomorrow.)

The too heavily feathered leg (BCM) is the one I'm questioning. The comb and wattles are very small but they're pink. This is new. They were peach on Sunday.

Thanks for the compliment, DH is busting his butt to finish it.

If they are not siblings and came from 2 different pens of unrelated birds then they could grow and mature at different rates. I will admit the first thing that I looked at on the first bird photo'd was the curve of the tail feathers and what appears to be a very broad set of shoulders, but this could be how the bird is standing.

It has also been my experience that the combs and wattles of Marans pullets will stay almost a blackish gray until about 4 mos of age..then the pink color starts to creep in, by 5-5.5 to 6 mos. of age a pullet should have a nice reddish comb and they start getting noticeably bigger around 4- 4.5 mos or so.

It would be my opinion that the first bird photo'd is very possibly a male bird if you see pink now in the wattles and combs.

Jan? Do you have any thoughts on this? Math? What about you?

edited to say: Sorry I guess you two are faster typers than me..