Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Hens and Roos]

okay, I need some feed back on our Black Copper Marans cockeral and our Blue Copper Marans cockeral who are both 3.5 months old, my biggers concern at this point are their combs as it seems that comb genetics are easy to pass on. Also the Black Copper has very spare leg feathering and trys to hide when I was taking his picture. Thanks!

Black Copper Marans cockeral:

Blue Copper Marans cockeral:

 

[Arielle]

I can live with birds that do not look consistent bird to bird, just to keep the inbreeding down. I made the mistake of linebreeding my sheep too heavily and a recessive gene reared it's ugly head. THe fast answer was to dilute with new blood. I want to be thoughtful about the marans and have enough blood at the start of this project to be able to select without causing heavy inbreeding.

From the responses it sounds like I can add other lines without too much worry.

I would like to know the adult weights of some of the lines. I've heard the Bev Davis line is the smallest and, I think it was the PResley line that is much larger--I maybe mistaken here. Can someone correct me on this??

 

[Chef]

I would like to know the adult weights of some of the lines. I've heard the Bev Davis line is the smallest and, I think it was the PResley line that is much larger--I maybe mistaken here. Can someone correct me on this??

In my opinion I would say it's the other way around. From what I have seen the Davis birds seem to be slightly larger than the Jeanne/Presely lines but I suppose there are many variables. Weights for adult birds would be 6-8 pounds ideally. Hope this helps.


Chef​

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:
I think anyone who has followed Marans and the related threads for awhile can tell you that a good line like Davis or Wade can get messed up in just one generation (poor selection). The name attached to the bird does not guarantee good genetics. Sticking to one line, as long as you're not pairing up siblings, if they are from a good breeder who selects carefully, might be a better strategy than mixing lines just for the sake of genetic diversity, if you're not really sure how well the lines have been maintained by the respective breeders.

Several long time breeders on this forum have commented that chickens are not like dogs or horses or sheep when it comes to line breeding. If you stick to a line from a well maintained, closed flock, you will have fewer recessive genes raise their ugly heads than if you start crossing lines. Even some of the "reputable" lines are known to have issues, such as comb sprigs, recessive wheaten, mossy caused by the Db gene, etc. Ask around, send PM's to folks who pop up on the Marans threads often, and you'll find out who's got a reputable flock. Join one of the Marans clubs and find out who is passionate about the BCM and they'll let you know where to get some solid stock.

As far as I know, shank feathering is not gender related in expression. Hens and Roos may differ slightly as to when the feathers grow in fully, but the end result is not at all gender related. The jury is out as far as "ideal" weights. It depends on what you're breeding for. A productive hen does not need to be huge to lay big eggs, and if she's smaller, she'll convert more feed to eggs rather than hauling her big bum around the coop. Some folks prefer a really big bird, and there are some folks here who have 10lb.+ roosters. For the case of the BCM being a good dual purpose bird, I think rate of growth, and time to point of lay are more important than final adult weight, since roosters are usually butchered at somewhere between 20 and 40 weeks.
If you're breeding to show, then you just have to meet the standard weights.

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:
They both seem quite dark, with less copper than I would expect. The blue's comb doesn't look bad, and you can't really know if the wave in the BC's comb will smooth out until he's fully mature. If your hens have decent combs, you shouldn't worry too much about the comb - it's only important if you want to show, and the deductions are not high for a substandard comb. Otherwise, there are many more important things to breed for that will more highly impact your flock.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
They both seem quite dark, with less copper than I would expect. The blue's comb doesn't look bad, and you can't really know if the wave in the BC's comb will smooth out until he's fully mature. If your hens have decent combs, you shouldn't worry too much about the comb - it's only important if you want to show, and the deductions are not high for a substandard comb. Otherwise, there are many more important things to breed for that will more highly impact your flock.

so as they get older the combs might smooth out more, my camera wasn't on the right setting last night so I will try and retake them as they don't look this dark in person. I know my DD has her eye on them as potentially showing them, at this point we only have 1 blue copper pullet from the same hatch- they do all have the same rooster-so figuring they are half-sibs. Would the BC's comb be considered a wave or twisted comb- if so do they just take off points or would it be a DQ?

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
They both seem quite dark, with less copper than I would expect. The blue's comb doesn't look bad, and you can't really know if the wave in the BC's comb will smooth out until he's fully mature. If your hens have decent combs, you shouldn't worry too much about the comb - it's only important if you want to show, and the deductions are not high for a substandard comb. Otherwise, there are many more important things to breed for that will more highly impact your flock.

so as they get older the combs might smooth out more, my camera wasn't on the right setting last night so I will try and retake them as they don't look this dark in person. I know my DD has her eye on them as potentially showing them, at this point we only have 1 blue copper pullet from the same hatch- they do all have the same rooster-so figuring they are half-sibs. Would the BC's comb be considered a wave or twisted comb- if so do they just take off points or would it be a DQ?

Was not going to comment but these two both have faults and on one it is a twisted Comb and the other has a Thumbprint. Doesn't make any difference if you breed to a good comb female they will produce more like them.I have never seen a bird with a twisted comb or thumbprint grow out of it since I have been raising chickens.

 

[onthespot]

Neither have I. I have also bred them and they have been very "generous" passing those traits along...

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
so as they get older the combs might smooth out more, my camera wasn't on the right setting last night so I will try and retake them as they don't look this dark in person. I know my DD has her eye on them as potentially showing them, at this point we only have 1 blue copper pullet from the same hatch- they do all have the same rooster-so figuring they are half-sibs. Would the BC's comb be considered a wave or twisted comb- if so do they just take off points or would it be a DQ?

Was not going to comment but these two both have faults and on one it is a twisted Comb and the other has a Thumbprint. Doesn't make any difference if you breed to a good comb female they will produce more like them.I have never seen a bird with a twisted comb or thumbprint grow out of it since I have been raising chickens.

thank you, I apprecitate the information and answer, we have been watching the combs for a while now as they didn't look right to us, I would rather start over than make more work trying to attempt to remove this problem

 

[math ace]

Quote:
X 2 ... most of the offspring received a generous dosage of the faulted combs.

Combs are worth 5 pts for showing purposes. Even though it is only 5 pts - -- The WOW

factor is lost when the first thing you see is a faulted comb.