Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[enggass]

Thanks - that helps!

 

[pinkchick]

Steve~

Can you post photos of the chicks that you believe are cockerels? When you have time of course.

 

[enggass]

I've posted some pics here for help with sexing... May not be the best pics. 15 Days old.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=383387&p=1381

Thanks,
Steve

 

[doxies1]

I have a rooster that untill recently was fine but now his tail list to one side. Should I remove him from breeding? Is it hereditary? Ilet some other roosters go a couple of weeks ago thinking he was the best I had. Not great but one seldom starts breeding any animal, with a great one. You start with good stock and hope the good Lord blesses your choices of matings.

 

[math ace]

I got some pictures for the 6 month photo study today. I will post those TOMORROW. They are 9 WEEKS old.

I did get a few pullets that I didn't include in the study because I thought they were BLUE COPPER roos. I didn't plan on keeping any blue roos, so I didn't include them in the study. They turned out to be PULLETS - -- Yippee!

So, I am happy with them. They are way dark blue. The mommas are light blue, so I am liking them a lot.
Take a look and tell me what you think. If you don't like them . . . . well that is OK .

PULLET # 1

PULLET # 2

PULLET # 3
This one is in the study . . . but she had to come from one of my blues because she is missing the leg feathering. She has real nice coppering though.

 

[MobyQuail]

#2, I like her. but that is just me. I like your study idea too. nice work.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Thank you Model_A_tractor.

Marans Thread!

My previous hatches have been cockerel dominated, so I am so excited to have any pullets AND I LOVE

that these girls are looking better than their mommas.

It is interesting to see the three different levels of coppering on the same age chicks. ..

Pullet #1 has absolutely NO copper showing yet. Pullet #2 is just starting to show show coppering. Pullet # 3 has a ton of coppering going on. . . .
It just makes you wonder. . . .

 

[Zanna]

I currently have 18 BCM eggs in the incubator hatching, 10 have hatched so far and 4 of those are wheatons. I know this can happen but I was hoping to end up with some breeding quality hens. I have read that the recessive wheaton gene is a culling point so, should I just not chance using any of these BCM birds?? That will be dissapointing but I am serious about this project and doing it as right as possible. I believe the eggs are all fertilized by the same roo and layed by 4 or 5 hens. They are supposed to be Bev Davis/Wade Jean Lines. I, of course, have no idea if it is the roo with the gene or one or more of the breeder hens. The roo does have too much coppering on his chest, is this an indication of a possible recessive wheaten gene?? The hens should still make nice layers, they came from quite dark eggs but I want to get my breeding project on the road! Have I hit another roadblock? I bought the eggs from a breeder. What do you all think...........

 

[Lotsapaints]

I believe Wheaten is a recessive color does the rooster have a brown triangle on his wing? It's very easy to confuse Black Copper roosters with Wheaten ones when they are mature if you don't know what to look for. If you want to raise Black Coppers then the stock you have will not make you happy there will be lots of culling to do and I know there is lots of culling with stock that has the proper coloring.....I have spent lots of time growing out culls and just now I'm getting a few good enough to keep in a breeding program. Marans are a project for determined people who don't mind culling hard to get to the good stock

 

[Zanna]

Thanks so much Lotsapaints, that is what I was afraid of. I just saw one pic. of the breeders roo, I will try to find it again, not sure if he had the triangle on his wing or not. I would like to think the breeder would know if her roo was a wheaton or bcm but she advertised him as a bcm so I believe him to be such. The eggs were not too expensive and were nice and dark..............(and obviously fertile!!).