Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Wynette]

Good morning, friends!

Well, I finished my last Marans hatch of the season Saturday. Out of the 8 that hatched (my gals are really slowing down, and I only set just a handful), I have just one that seems to have the brownish fluff right from the egg. And, this one you have to look REALLY closely at in order to see it. In my experience, those with the brownish fluff at hatch are the ones that'll end up overly copper. The one showing the fluff being not completley black will go to my layer pen if a pullet, and sold for butchering if not. I'm super happy with what I'm getting now....Now, to get things consistent!

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
VC - HIYA! GREAT to see you here! So sorry we missed each other when you were in Michigan!!

 

[VillageChicken]

Thanks! Yeah, if we weren't traveling with a 3 month old, I'd have hijacked my father-in-laws car and made the trip. Maybe next time.
I'm single mating some black coppers right now - one of the hens is almost black, I want to see if what Don has found holds true over here too.

 

[Wynette]

VC - can't wait to hear results!

 

[snowbird]

Hi Roger, I believe where we have ran into a problem with the BC is the genetic background. I believe that if the copper hackle is in the genetic background it will show back up when bred with the same genetic background. It is just about breeding a yard of BC where all of the female are out of the same single mating. These females from a single mating as for breeding should have the same basic genetic background.

I believe where a lot of the problems with Marans comes into plan is when we bring in new genetics and do not know what is hidden there.

 

[geebs]

A bird with an unknown genetic back ground say wheaton for example... Could be crossed with a female with that in the background and the offspring would carry wheaton... When you line breed you have double the gene therefore ending up with the wheaton presentation... This is an example of why we test mate.... so we don't end up filling the marketplace in the US with Skittles... I think what we are seeing here is ppl that multiply birds in great number and the genetic background being unknown are breeding willy nilly without understanding or caring about consequence. The bulk of the ppl selling eggs probably don't have a clue of consequence.... Those that know better and do it anyway really get my dander up.

It doesn't work the same way for Birchen... One bird carrying birchen will not produce birchen even in subsequent offspring but the gene still lays there and can show up later when the proper number of genes are available and a new bird is introduced. Keeping a bird in the yard with Birchen is important to rule out birchen....etc etc...

 

[Lotsapaints]

morning everyone I've missed you Geebs and thanks to Don for raising many more of these birds than the average person and sharing...I don't have a Black Copper Rooster everyone I've hatched has been bad; either mixed or white tips or some other DQ. I have one growing out from "Ruth" that gets to stay so far....I really want to thank you all for sharing since I do have a nice Splash Copper guy who has given me some nice chicks from the 3 hens I've kept and I agree with the single mating to see who produces what because it's very true about not knowing what might lurk in the background of my birds. In the spring I'm going to see if I choose the right ones at least the ones I kept lay dark eggs and I have something to work with in the BC's that was the hardest just getting seed stock.....

 

[geebs]

Lotsapaints Missed you too!!!

.... I still believe that the white tips is lack of sufficient black to Color the feather.... That is where the balancing act comes in. If you decide to try again.... you may find that using females with too much black will help create offspring that will have sufficient... you may also want to hold lots of mahogany to try to make a good male...

PPL may disheartened if they are looking too closely at MR. Goodbar (note the chocolate reference) and miss out on the chocolatey goodness.. that is why I have always advocated working with what you have... the best you can get as a jumping off point... and of course SHARING.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:

 

[Bravo]

Good morning all!

I have about 10 BCM pullets that are 28 weeks (only 1 is laying but that is another story LOL). Around 14 weeks, I documented that 7 of them had white in their shank/toe feathers.

Last night while I was sitting in the garden and had everyone's attention (doling out tomatoes will do that), I noticed that now only 1 of my girls had white in the shank/toe feathering. All of the others were completley black. When I inspected the girl that still had a few white feathers, they were actually black at the roots and seemed as if the color was making its way down the feather shaft. Not sure if it will fill in completley but I will watch it.

Anyone else experienced this?