Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Wynette]

Quote:
LATER - -I will try. I am. personally, torn between #2 and #3 simply due to #2's long back and huge size....

I have to go run some errands for a few hours......

Huge is nice - I am a big fan of huge (hence why I also breed Jersey GIANTS), and it's lacking in this breed; however, I would certainly not choose based soley on that. I sure wouldn't choose one that you would call "small" - however, if you like one better than the other and he's a hair smaller than the other...don't let that be your deciding factor. JMO!

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
LATER - -I will try. I am. personally, torn between #2 and #3 simply due to #2's long back and huge size....

I have to go run some errands for a few hours......

Huge is nice - I am a big fan of huge (hence why I also breed Jersey GIANTS), and it's lacking in this breed; however, I would certainly not choose based soley on that. I sure wouldn't choose one that you would call "small" - however, if you like one better than the other and he's a hair smaller than the other...don't let that be your deciding factor. JMO!

Ok, you breed JG, what color are the eggs???

I have a JG that lays speckled dark eggs...

I'm -this- close to hatching more of them... I need to breed her with my marans boy.

 

[AyeUpChuck]

So I'm totally novice but i'd keep all three. Breed the right hen to #2 then use any hens from that offspring and breed them under #1 and or #3 and MAN you'd have some gorgeous birds. But that's me and I again am only speculating as just an uber geeky science kid. And it's nature and she tends to throw out what she wants.

 

[KZ]

Quote:
I did not save the egg, but it was exactly like all the other BCM eggs, same very dark color. The skin color (I think) unless it has changed in the last few weeks is very pink. When he was getting his feathers, I thought he was hurt! I thought the others had been pecking him and he was bleeding until I realized he just had pink albino type skin. I have not grabbed him to look to see if it's darkened up since then. I took this photo last night, he is about 9 weeks old (born March 11th). His legs are heavily feathered - much more so than most of the other marans.
I wish he was a hen, but I am pretty sure he is a rooster!

 

[geebs]

He looks rooster to me... Do you have any light egg layers around.. leghorn etc... I would do what Pink does.. Test mate him on a light colored egg layer (something that matures quickly) and see if he carries a dark gene...

Some of my coolest marans have been "mistakes".

 

[math ace]

Quote:
OMG - - That would make 5 BCM roos and 2 delaware roos, plus upcoming speckled sussex roos . . . . .

WAIT A MINUTE - - - that is JUST TOO MANY ROOS!

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
OMG - - That would make 5 BCM roos and 2 delaware roos, plus upcoming speckled sussex roos . . . . .

WAIT A MINUTE - - - that is JUST TOO MANY ROOS!

I can just imagine your water bill! LOL

 

[AyeUpChuck]

Quote:
OMG - - That would make 5 BCM roos and 2 delaware roos, plus upcoming speckled sussex roos . . . . .

WAIT A MINUTE - - - that is JUST TOO MANY ROOS!

Breed #2 then send him to freezer heaven

Or you could send him up to Oregon and we could tinker with his genetic code.

I think you could retain that amazing size and back from him and then balance it with other attributes from those other handsome fellas. What I propose is definitely more of a breeding project but I'm spoiled for space and not trying to develop three breeds. They've all got some really positive qualities. Will be interesting to see what you decide for sure!

 

[math ace]

Quote:
OMG - - That would make 5 BCM roos and 2 delaware roos, plus upcoming speckled sussex roos . . . . .

WAIT A MINUTE - - - that is JUST TOO MANY ROOS!

I can just imagine your water bill! LOL

NOT FUNNY!

I am starting to clear the wet lands behind me so that I can put those noisy boys even further back in the woods!

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:
There are other varieties of chickens (such as Ameraucanas) where some of the recessive whites have silver/gray chickdown. Wheaten is recessive to Black Copper, but the recessive white is a separate gene that clears the feathers of color but usually not the shanks. They're usually pink with a tiny bit of gray. They'll get redder when a rooster hits maturity. Most White Marans are genetically solid black with two copies of the recessive white that suppresses the black. But Black Copper with recessive white are sure to be out there. There are some dark egg laying whites out there now, so I'm sure someone has crossed white to BCM for the egg color. The BCM recessive white splits are the first generation that result, and most folks don't know them from a very dark BCM.

"Sports" are the random connecting of recessive gene pairs from parent birds that only carry one copy and don't express it. If it happens more than once in a flock, it is not usually a spontaneous mutation, but instead two birds carrying recessive genes. "Sports" usually come from crossbreeding of colors/varieties sometime in the past, and the genes that cause them can be very difficult to eliminate unless you keep meticulous records and know your hens and their eggs really well. Many backyard breeders either don't understand the genetics and that "sports" shouldn't happen regularly, or they don't care.

Recessive white will usually act as a black bird when crossed to other varieties. Most crosses will result in black birds, but crosses to blue or splash will result in the same ratios as if it were a black bird. Recessive white birds are also useful in determining if you have any recessive white carriers. Chances are his siblings are split recessive whites (carriers).