Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Debbi]

Would love to see an up-close, profile pic of his comb. As for the long back, I would love to have that problem! He could really shape up any short backed ladies, and roo offspring tail sets on the place. As long as it is in proportion to the "big picture" in the end (as in when he matures), I sure wouldn't worry about his back. How old is this guy??

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Something is up with this fellow's coloring....

He is super dark and yet his hackles seem to be approaching staw in color... PLUS there is borderline too much coppering on the chest.

The comb has something going on with it too (viewed from the opposite side than showed).

The tail angle looks good.

Wing set looks tight and correct.

Eye color looks good, in the process of changing to the correct color

Back is nice and long ( no such thing as too long as long as there is a matching width IMHO).

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
I'll have to post some pictures of his brother, that I kept, tomorrow! The good Dr. is looking nice but very few feet feathers, maybe a tad long in the back too but he is young yet so give him time. As a reference the father roo had very heavily feathered feet. His mother was one of my two GFF girls one of which had sparse foot feathering.

Would love to see him! I love your birds, the hens I have are nice too, big.

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
He's 6-7 months old, i think Keara said he was from an April hatching.

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
What do you think his coloring is?

Here's a better picture of the comb from the other side.

It also shows his width.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
As long as the comb is solid, not spilt on the blade, then it should only be faulted for the extra point on the comb.

I don't know what to call or think about the thumbprint type growth the base of the comb....
Does it count as a fault or is it of no concern because it is not effecting the comb's ability to stand up nice and straight?

His coloring borders on having too much coppering on the chest. They are only allowed 10% extra coloring on the chest.
You will need to be careful which hens you select for this boy because of the extra coppering on his chest. I don't have any experience using boys colored like this,
so one of the others will have to chime in on which hens make the best mate for this type of coloring.

It doesn't look like he has re-grown all his hackle feathers yet. The missing hackle feathers is where I was concerned about the coloring not be balanced.
The color WAS much lighter than the rich coppering he has everywhere else. It may grow back in the more balanced. JUST watch for it as it grows back.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
As long as the comb is solid, not spilt on the blade, then it should only be faulted for the extra point on the comb.

I don't know what to call or think about the thumbprint type growth the base of the comb....
Does it count as a fault or is it of no concern because it is not effecting the comb's ability to stand up nice and straight?

His coloring borders on having too much coppering on the chest. They are only allowed 10% extra coloring on the chest.
You will need to be careful which hens you select for this boy because of the extra coppering on his chest. I don't have any experience using boys colored like this,
so one of the others will have to chime in on which hens make the best mate for this type of coloring.

It doesn't look like he has re-grown all his hackle feathers yet. The missing hackle feathers is where I was concerned about the coloring not be balanced.
The color WAS much lighter than the rich coppering he has everywhere else. It may grow back in the more balanced. JUST watch for it as it grows back.

SOP lists thumb marks in comb(fig 43) as defects. I think Don posted about not wanting to use birds with this in the breeding pen. I know we culled 2 roosters for this plus one had a twisted comb.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
What do you think his coloring is?

Here's a better picture of the comb from the other side.

It also shows his width.

http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae297/Noymira/Chickens/Rooster4.jpg

I think once this boy comes out of his little molt that he will color up nicely. He basically is a nice bird over all and I like his colors. I like the length of his back and I like his tail set. I am not seeing anything wrong with his comb and what I mean by that is I am not seeing any thumb print, maybe someone can point that out to me.
He even has copper ear coverts...

!
The only thing that I see that would concern me (and only because I am not a Wheaten person) is the shafting in the breast. I am not arguing with Math Ace, but that is not red in the breast, that is shafting and is said to be indicitive of the Wheaten influence.
Red in the breast will not just be at the neck where his is and will not have an exemplified feather shaft. The red we are looking for in the breast will not cover the entire feather of the bird and will be flecked throughout the breast area and not just based near the base of the neck coming down the front...in my mind the red in the breast should resemble a little lacing effect at the outer edges of the feather. Now I am not an expert by any means, but if I am wrong about the shafting I hope someone comes by and corrects me.
Later this morning when it is light out I will snap a photo of my Welsummer rooster, I know....I know, not a Marans, but he has that red in the breast/chest area and will give an idea of the difference between shafting and red in the breast.

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
What do you think his coloring is?

Here's a better picture of the comb from the other side.

It also shows his width.

http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae297/Noymira/Chickens/Rooster4.jpg

I think once this boy comes out of his little molt that he will color up nicely. He basically is a nice bird over all and I like his colors. I like the length of his back and I like his tail set. I am not seeing anything wrong with his comb and what I mean by that is I am not seeing any thumb print, maybe someone can point that out to me.
He even has copper ear coverts...

!
The only thing that I see that would concern me (and only because I am not a Wheaten person) is the shafting in the breast. I am not arguing with Math Ace, but that is not red in the breast, that is shafting and is said to be indicitive of the Wheaten influence.
Red in the breast will not just be at the top of the neck and will not have an exemplified feather shaft. The red we are looking for in the breast will not cover the entire feather of the bird and will be flecked throughout the breast area and not just based near the base of the neck coming down the front...in my mind the red in the breast should resemble a little lacing effect at the outer edges of the feather. Now I am not an expert by any means, but if I am wrong about the shafting I hope someone comes by and corrects me.
Later this morning when it is light out I will snap a photo of my Welsummer rooster, I know....I know, not a Marans, but he has that red in the breast/chest area and will give an idea of the difference between shafting and red in the breast.

I agree with Pink. For me, now that we allow 10% copper in the breast that is not too much. The shafting might be a problem.
But, last year, I used 2 roosters that had totally black breasts, and I still got cockerels, a few, with too much copper in the breast....so, there is no guarantee about breeding there!

And of course, my hens mostly had, or still have dark hackles, but then again, a few have beautiful copper hackles out of the same parents. Go figure.

I'm not willd about those few yellow hackle feathers. Reminds of the Jeane line where some of them had yellow hackles and possible wheaten influence.

My parameters for breeding, if you don't have a perfect rooster, and who does,,,,,don't breed one that has more than 2 things that need improving, and preferably just one. Work on one or 2 problems a year. You can't change a multitude of problems in one year.

Where did the leg feathering go? He is definiately lacking in that area.

 

[pinkchick]

Hi Sue!

Off topic for a second

.....Did you happen to see that Birchen boy over in the Marans thread?

Are all of your boys that huge and chunky? Lucky you if they are! I love the size this boy is showing.

Okay back to our regularly scheduled Black Copper Marans converstaion.