Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[flgardengirl]

I've seen lots of good eggs and birds on byc so I wouldn't discount that altogether. I agree to ask for pics of several birds (not just one nice rooster and hen) and egg color pics. It may save headaches down the road.

Also just know you are gonna be breeding and culling for awhile to get a good consistency of positive traits. Many of the problems people are having with Marans is showing up in the 2nd and 3rd generations etc. If you just want some pretty birds for pics to sell eggs then discount what I said lol.

As for ebay, I think I've seen Marans club members selling there so does that mean people shouldn't buy from them either?

 

[bigshawn]

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Thank you, just the kind of person I'm looking for.............

 

[bigshawn]

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Thank you for your advise, I'm not sure I understand the last part about ebay??

 

[snowbird]

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Just like to clear up the Marans Club members selling on ebay, Believe me belonging to a Marans Club does not mean you have SOP type Marans. Please do not go by an egg picture when buying eggs , as a picture can be made to look as good as you would like. Regardless of whom you buy chicks and eggs from plan on 3-5 year of raising several chick and culling very hard.

Too be very honest I have yet to see a BC line out there that si head and shoulders above any other line. I believe that eventually the Blue Copper will be better than any of the Wheaten and Black Copper.

 

[stoopid]

It took me a long time to figure out how to fit in. When I first joined, I remember someone being ripped over not putting the "S" at the end of Marans.
I answered "exactly why I am afraid to even mention owning Marans"
After a few more comments, the moderators removed the posts.
Like I said before , just my opinions, but it will take a while to get to know you before we (I) give out such valued information.
We have worked long and hard, and are hesitant to just give out info to someone that hasn't paid their dues.
Please don't take my posts as the rule, I can only speak for myself, and my experiences.
Roberta

 

[bigshawn]

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No problem, I'm in it for the long haul..............

 

[flgardengirl]

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Just like to clear up the Marans Club members selling on ebay, Believe me belonging to a Marans Club does not mean you have SOP type Marans. Please do not go by an egg picture when buying eggs , as a picture can be made to look as good as you would like. Regardless of whom you buy chicks and eggs from plan on 3-5 year of raising several chick and culling very hard.

Too be very honest I have yet to see a BC line out there that si head and shoulders above any other line. I believe that eventually the Blue Copper will be better than any of the Wheaten and Black Copper.

Well I do agree with you on the part of being a member of a club doesn't make you have best birds, best plants, or best at anything in particular LOL.
I belong to lots of different organizations and have pretty much quit joining them because it is always the same old thing. Some people who sit around tooting thier own horns for all the brown nosers and followers to listen to, plus a bunch of squabbling between certain members over who said what about whom or aguing over some dumb detail. BORING....

 

[bigshawn]

Quote:
Just like to clear up the Marans Club members selling on ebay, Believe me belonging to a Marans Club does not mean you have SOP type Marans. Please do not go by an egg picture when buying eggs , as a picture can be made to look as good as you would like. Regardless of whom you buy chicks and eggs from plan on 3-5 year of raising several chick and culling very hard.

Too be very honest I have yet to see a BC line out there that si head and shoulders above any other line. I believe that eventually the Blue Copper will be better than any of the Wheaten and Black Copper.

Well I do agree with you on the part of being a member of a club doesn't make you have best birds, best plants, or best at anything in particular LOL.
I belong to lots of different organizations and have pretty much quit joining them because it is always the same old thing. Some people who sit around tooting thier own horns for all the brown nosers and followers to listen to, plus a bunch of squabbling between certain members over who said what about whom or aguing over some dumb detail. BORING....

Thats what I'm seeing (as a newbe) as well, argueing, who said what to who 8 years ago, personal problems between certain breeders, its alot to sort thru.........

 

[marquisella]

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Well thanks Don, but I have to say that I have seen darker than mine. I was lucky last spring to find myself with a couple of hens that must have liked me a lot because they decided to give me some nice eggs....

Here is my opinion...for what its worth.

No one selling eggs, is going to have such wonderful birds, that selling a dozen to someone will guarantee that each chick hatched, if they hatch, will turn out to be the perfect Marans nor that they will lay, if hens, a dark enough egg.

What I have learned is that out of 100 chicks, you are lucky, if one turns out to be a keeper.

Trying to balance, type with dark egg color is very, very hard. Chicken genes will drive you crazy....! One year you will have nice dark eggs, and then the next.....barely a 4.

There doesn't seem to be a formula to guarantee dark eggs except, breed from your darkest and cross you fingers & hope to heaven the chick matures to even look like a Marans...LOL

And then, that the resulting chick also lays an egg as dark.

I, naively, thought that breeding for type was all important, but soon learned that without that dark egg, it isn't a Marans.

Understand, that it will take you years to finally get to the place you want.. It won't happen with your first dozen eggs or chicks. I'm at year 5, and I'm going for the egg color and from those pullets I hatched out last spring, I will only keep those that are the "least" offensive in type. I raised up over 15 cockerels. I had some help culling from a thief...they took a couple of birds from each of 3 black copper pens. I think they thought I wouldn't notice them missing....ha! I did. But, I'm down to 3 now, and I'm using them, even though each one has something I would like to improve on, but I have them with girls that need the good things they have.

Good advice here, talk to breeders, ask them questions like: Have your black coppers ever produced wheatens? How much copper do your roosters have on their breasts? Do they have white anywhere on their bodies? Leg color. size. egg color or course. Hen's hackle color. These are just the ones I can think of now...there are probably more. How long have you been breeding Marans? How are the combs? etc.

Good Luck,
Sue

 

[bigshawn]

Quote:
Well thanks Don, but I have to say that I have seen darker than mine. I was lucky last spring to find myself with a couple of hens that must have liked me a lot because they decided to give me some nice eggs....

Here is my opinion...for what its worth.

No one selling eggs, is going to have such wonderful birds, that selling a dozen to someone will guarantee that each chick hatched, if they hatch, will turn out to be the perfect Marans nor that they will lay, if hens, a dark enough egg.

What I have learned is that out of 100 chicks, you are lucky, if one turns out to be a keeper.

Trying to balance, type with dark egg color is very, very hard. Chicken genes will drive you crazy....! One year you will have nice dark eggs, and then the next.....barely a 4.

There doesn't seem to be a formula to guarantee dark eggs except, breed from your darkest and cross you fingers & hope to heaven the chick matures to even look like a Marans...LOL

And then, that the resulting chick also lays an egg as dark.

I, naively, thought that breeding for type was all important, but soon learned that without that dark egg, it isn't a Marans.

Understand, that it will take you years to finally get to the place you want.. It won't happen with your first dozen eggs or chicks. I'm at year 5, and I'm going for the egg color and from those pullets I hatched out last spring, I will only keep those that are the "least" offensive in type. I raised up over 15 cockerels. I had some help culling from a thief...they took a couple of birds from each of 3 black copper pens. I think they thought I wouldn't notice them missing....ha! I did. But, I'm down to 3 now, and I'm using them, even though each one has something I would like to improve on, but I have them with girls that need the good things they have.

Good advice here, talk to breeders, ask them questions like: Have your black coppers ever produced wheatens? How much copper do your roosters have on their breasts? Do they have white anywhere on their bodies? Leg color. size. egg color or course. Hen's hackle color. These are just the ones I can think of now...there are probably more. How long have you been breeding Marans? How are the combs? etc.

Good Luck,
Sue

Thank you make alot of since to me put this way, I will keep looking, reading and asking ? when I make the jump I see I have alot of work ahead of me but thats cool I'm not trying to get into this to make monies anyway, for me there is know bad to this as any birds that don't work out will be used in one way or the other(food, eggs ect.) so it a win win as far as I see it...........