Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[birdygirl123]

Here are the pics of my two 7/8 week olds.. out of BevD lines I'm told... Maybe one of the Pro's can fill me in on the white feathers. They should molt correct?

Roo

Hen

Hens Head

White Feathers?..

Quote:

 

[VillageChicken]

Don, Geebs, Wynette and anyone else interested:

Yes, Don the Co gene is different on the eWheaten and eb birds. BC's are ER Birchen based and Co does not do the same thing. My point is that there is are correlations between male hackle/ saddle feathering and the genes they pass on to hens. What if eliminating the hackle stripe were a step toward getting some good males and females out of the same parent birds? Not everyone is going to show their birds (and will only single mate), and no one wants to sell eggs that they know are only going to produce decent roosters OR hens but never both. It is just a theory, but it's never been talked about to any length, nor has the affect of hackle stripe on hen offspring been recorded or studied. If everything else about a rooster has an affect on the hens, why not the hackle stripe?

There are unknown melanizers out there, some are recessive and they each act differently, sometimes in subtle, hard to notice ways. We've seen birds with perfect hackle color but with black saddle feathers - this is one example of a type of melanizer that acts on one specific area.

Just putting it out there, just another thing to try to uncover in this interesting endeavor we are all in.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
And I am at the other end of the decesion. . . I would use the guy with too high of a tail OVER the guy with too narrow of a stance. Too high of a tail is a "LOOKS" issue wherease too narrow of body is a structure issue that could effect the girl offsprings laying ability and Produce birds with bad legs ( too close together to support their weight).

NOW keep in mind that I am the NEW KID on the block - - - and Wynette has been doing this much longer than me. . ..

 

[math ace]

Quote:

birdygirl123 - -- Give it another 10 - 12 weeks or so and they should molt out any white that they are going to molt out

Heather112588 - - - Try to POST PICS of your birds like birdygirl123 did and we will try to help you out.
I would post pics of mine for ya'll but the folks on here tell be that mine mature with bigger combs and wattles than their stock does. I see combs and wattles on mine around 2 - 3 weeks of age

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:
And I am at the other end of the decesion. . . I would use the guy with too high of a tail OVER the guy with too narrow of a stance. Too high of a tail is a "LOOKS" issue wherease too narrow of body is a structure issue that could effect the girl offsprings laying ability and Produce birds with bad legs ( too close together to support their weight).

NOW keep in mind that I am the NEW KID on the block - - - and Wynette has been doing this much longer than me. . ..

Does anyone have a bird with a nice long back AND a squirreltail? What I have read here and elsewhere is that squirreltail is an indicator of a short back, which is more than just a looks issue... or is it just that the squirreltail makes the back look shorter, but the skeleton underneath is really the same?

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:

birdygirl123 - -- Give it another 10 - 12 weeks or so and they should molt out any white that they are going to molt out

Heather112588 - - - Try to POST PICS of your birds like birdygirl123 did and we will try to help you out.
I would post pics of mine for ya'll but the folks on here tell be that mine mature with bigger combs and wattles than their stock does. I see combs and wattles on mine around 2 - 3 weeks of age

I have also read in various places that temp affects combsize, and that good breeders can tell the season in which your roo was hatched based on combsize. Warmer=bigger. Maybe warmer also = earlier.

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
And I am at the other end of the decesion. . . I would use the guy with too high of a tail OVER the guy with too narrow of a stance. Too high of a tail is a "LOOKS" issue wherease too narrow of body is a structure issue that could effect the girl offsprings laying ability and Produce birds with bad legs ( too close together to support their weight).

NOW keep in mind that I am the NEW KID on the block - - - and Wynette has been doing this much longer than me. . ..

Does anyone have a bird with a nice long back AND a squirreltail? What I have read here and elsewhere is that squirreltail is an indicator of a short back, which is more than just a looks issue... or is it just that the squirreltail makes the back look shorter, but the skeleton underneath is really the same?

VC. from everything I have observed the Squirrel type will show up on the short back Marans more often then it will on the nice long back. I have found with my Marans that if you have a nice Wide and long Back you will have less of a problem. Don

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
birdygirl123 - -- Give it another 10 - 12 weeks or so and they should molt out any white that they are going to molt out

Heather112588 - - - Try to POST PICS of your birds like birdygirl123 did and we will try to help you out.
I would post pics of mine for ya'll but the folks on here tell be that mine mature with bigger combs and wattles than their stock does. I see combs and wattles on mine around 2 - 3 weeks of age

I have also read in various places that temp affects combsize, and that good breeders can tell the season in which your roo was hatched based on combsize. Warmer=bigger. Maybe warmer also = earlier.

Usually the only person saying that temp. controls the size of Comb is someone with very large comb Marans. I believe it is what has been added into them over the years more than Temp. Don

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:

Trying to catch up on this thread but wanted to say VC this is a FASCINATING point of interest!!!!!!!

Eliminating the black stripe I feel would cause more issues than we think....I believe that this may be one of the factors with "overly red" birds...I believe the "stripe" is a key factor tied to melanizers....don't ask me why or how I come up with that....it's just my thoughts...but I must go back and read the other posts on this and catch up with the rest of you.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Does anyone have a bird with a nice long back AND a squirreltail? What I have read here and elsewhere is that squirreltail is an indicator of a short back, which is more than just a looks issue... or is it just that the squirreltail makes the back look shorter, but the skeleton underneath is really the same?

VC. from everything I have observed the Squirrel type will show up on the short back Marans more often then it will on the nice long back. I have found with my Marans that if you have a nice Wide and long Back you will have less of a problem. Don

I agree with Don....when we see squirrel tail it is usually on birds that have short backs. I also agree with Don about using nice wide backed and long backed birds.