Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[robnms]

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I think some of these things can not be attributed to a particular line . ...

BODY TYPE - -- some lines tend to look the same because the breeder was culling for things that appealed to them.
Once the line leaves the breeder's hands, the new owner start culling to appease themselves and the line deviates from its original charactertisics.

EGG SIZE and EGG COLOR - -- Once again this is hereditary and can change from breeder to breeder depending on what they are culling for.
For a long time there have been two catergories of people raising marans - -
1.) Those wanting the darkest egg.
2.) Those wanting the truest conformation.

With the aprroval of the standard for marans, these two catergories are starting to merge.
My girls lay JUMBO eggs, but they are not super dark. I would love to see my eggs get dark,
but not if it meant that my eggs got smaller. This is my choice because we eat a lot of our eggs.
We LOVE having an egg so big that we can't close the lid on the egg cartion

That is just us
and that is what is important to us. . . . Someone else might not carry about size and they would
only hatch from the darkest egg. . .


LEG FEATHERING - - - can not attribute this to a particular line. . . .This dependings on what the breeder likes.
Before the standard came around, there were two types of feathering
1.) No leg feather was called ENGLISH style
2.) With any leg feathering was called FRENCH style.

NOW we have an AMERICAN standard that calls for light feathering. .. . which is open to interpretation.
This is all NEW. That is why you are finding inconsistency.

OK , I am done. . .. if someone wants to add more or tackle the rest of your questions, then jump right in.

Thanks for the response!!

What line did you start with to get the jumbo eggs? I just received some jumbo sized Kelvin Wade line hatching eggs and this is what has me on this info quest.

edited to ask: What line has the darkest eggs?

 

[geebs]

Well I know where you got dem goodies.... Nice line... Tell so-in-so...I said "hi" I like these birds for their eggies.. They have faults like any other line... Enjoy the JUMBO darkies. Leave that line alone and get another rooster from the same line different parents.. Really.

 

[cmfarm]

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To me (and I only have limited knowlege of the breed) from both picutures if looks like a girl.

 

[OHmamma]

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I agree with Geebs, something just is not "right" and makes me think they are mixed with something.
Ignoring the question about pure or not. moving on to the question about looks and color. .. .

The cockerel and pullet have too much brown on the chest. The pullet should not have any brown ( copper) on her chest and the cockerel to be SOP should knly have a tiny amount, a sprinkling of copper on his chest.

If you breed these two, the offspring will have even MORE copper. They are not complimentary opposites.

With those blue black legs and dark creepy eyes, I would have to wonder if the breeder had Wheaten Penedesencas running around.

 

[geebs]

Ohbigmamma

Tell us what you REALLY think.... LOL

 

[math ace]

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Sorry, I missed it . .. . tell me which post and I will go back and look.

 

[math ace]

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My hens are a Davis / Presley mix.

From everything I have seen posted over the last year - - - I will say that normally the DARKEST eggs come from the Jean Wade line.
The bigger birds tend to come from the Davis line. ...
Geebs has a line of low riders. . . .

THAT SAID, depending on how long the bird has been away from the original breeder will determine how much variation from the "norm" that you see.

My girls are clearly removed from the original breeder for a while because they are mixes. . . . My roo is pure Davis.
. .. . I like big butts and I can not lie . . . ( come on you know you want to sing it with me)
That is why I work with Davis . .. .

 

[OHmamma]

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Sorry, I had that similar problem this year.....Nice dark hatching eggs yeah..when chicks popped out at first I thought they were Wheaten Marans as they grew they developed white cheeks, cornation like combs, red breast,feathered shanks...cute little mutts but still mutts....they are still running around out there I will try to catch one of them and get a picture.

When I called and asked why I had penedesencas coming out of "Marans" eggs the guy was surprised?!?!?! I wonder if they weren't supposed to hatch

Even my husband who knows very little about the Marans said, "What the He## kind of legs are those?!?" when he saw them. Lucky for me I have a regular egg customer that actually wants to buy them as soon as I catch them.........

Anyone making it to the Southern Ohio Poultry Show? I am going to have a look around and to meet up with soem of the other Banttam Marans breeders. I would show but my best are still too young.

 

[geebs]

Math I am with ya girl: You other brothers can't deny. That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist. And a round thing in your face you get sprung!!!

 

[pinkchick]

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Purina sells the Mazuri Game Bird Breeder it has fish meal in it and that's all I feed my laying turkeys good eggs etc it is cheaper to feed this than any other feed because they eat less waste none at first I was thinking it was too expensive...my chickens like it but I add Farmers Ultra Kibble to my feed (43% protein) I make like a roller mix and get plenty of eggs and add other stuff too I think adding kelp has done wonders too.....it keeps waste down so that saves me money. I like the flock blocks they sell too they last a long time firm droppings no smell keeps me happy too. I still give them lay mash but they don't eat a lot of it unless I mix up hard boiled eggs in it....

Good info. I have looked at the Blocks and wondered if they were any good. In the good olde days we used to be able to get Whey blocks that were great for chickens also.

Has anyone else experienced the "flock block smell"......my birds really liked them, but I couldn't stand the smell of them after a few days. I ended up taking everyone of them out and broke them up into a crumble and fed it sprinkled over their feed until it was gone. The smell of flock blocks just made me gag.

Lotsa~ I feed kelp to the chooks as well and also myself. I love it and I think that it does help. Kelp is a wonderful thing.