Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[lonnyandrinda]

This is very much a personal preference, but you can cull for the obvious things- cull meaning remove from the breeding pen, not necessarily kill. Some of the easiest things to look for on chicks are non feathered legs, or feathering on the middle toe. These can go to a layer flock for dark eggs if they are hens, or if roosters you can find someone who wants them for an olive egger breeding pen. As they grow you can pull out those with defomities like side sprigs on the comb, wry tail, or other serious DQs. Leg color I seem to be able to be sure of by about 6 or 8 weeks. A really bad tail set you should be able to pull out at about 3 months (or sometimes keep one of these as backup in case the coloring in your other birds is bad). Otherwise yes you have to wait for the coloring to come in at 6-9 months to truly pick your breeders.

But I do not have a lot of personal experience with FBCM; I'm interested to hear how other breeders run their culling program.

 

[pawtraitart]

I think that it depends on where you are in your program. Cull for the obvious DQ first, and then take a hard look at your stock and decide where you want to go with them. FBCM genetics have a lot of variables and you don't want to cull a bird that might have something to offer down the line. That's my opinion on it, anyway.

 

[Wynette]

Good discussion. I was having this same discussion with a friend who also has Black Coppers just this morning. We were commenting on how interesting it is when you talk one year, and the talk is about culling for tail set, shank feathering (either too heavy or too sparse), eye color...then a year or so later, when these things have been resolved, you're talking about things like combs being too large (aesthetically unpleasing), breeding for eye color (darkening it a bit), length of back....then, as you go on, you're beginning to talk about ENHANCING the positive things, like lengthening the back, optimum tail feathering, wider backs, etc. That's just me (and my breeding buddy).

 

[Arielle]

I culled a rooster because he had two white tail feather; otherwise a lovely bird. I don't cull for middle toe feathers--I have other things that are more important to consider--toe feathers are NOT a DQ, so I would rather keep a feathered middle toe if the other things look good. AND I have a number of chicks w/o middle toe feathers from middle toe feathered roosters.


Mary-- When you have time, read thru the old threads to pick up nuggets of information. Many of your questions have been answered in one form or another. I can remember feeling concerned about yellow feet, later I was concerned about the red=pink inflamatin on the rooster legs. NO one answereed my queries. Finally the discussion came up months later and the bottom line is that the roosters when old enough to be a bird in mating mode has reddened legs; like between the scales. What looked like inflammation due to disease turns out to be normal for rooster of mating age and in mating mode.

I have some birds which have a lot of yellow in the hackles and as these are for the olive egger pen, I rather enjoy the yellow gold contrast to the blue feathers and will help me keep my lines separated; My black coppers have an even hackle color on most of the roosters, in the correct tone. THough one I like has a bit lighter hackles at the ends of the lowest feathers. I don't mind that as all else is decent.

Slow progress.

 

[Wynette]

I culled a rooster because he had two white tail feather; otherwise a lovely bird. I don't cull for middle toe feathers--I have other things that are more important to consider--toe feathers are NOT a DQ, so I would rather keep a feathered middle toe if the other things look good. AND I have a number of chicks w/o middle toe feathers from middle toe feathered roosters.

I could be wrong on this, but I do believe that MIDDLE toe feathers are a DQ. I'm going to check really quickly!!

ETA - okay, here's what the Standard calls out in this regard - I'll check my SOP tonight:

Toes -- four long and well-separated toes on each foot. Outer toes lightly feathered, middle toes free from feathers.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Middle toe feathers are a fault, not a DQ.

 

[maryhysong]

Thank you all, this is very interesting and I do agree that what you cull for this year would depend on where you are in your breeding program and what you had to start with. I have been going back and reading old posts on the regular Marans thread and this one when I have the time. Arielle, I just recently read about mature roosters legs/feet flushing pink or red on another breed thread; My Buff Orpington pullets did the same thing at POL as their combs reddened up; just hormones!

Please keep up all this great info; it's really helpful. The other thing I have trouble with is the names of colors; especially brown-red, mahogany, chestnut. I am not sure what these actually look like in real life. Oh and salmon. To me salmon is an orangy pink; obviously that is not the case in chickens!

 

[ashandvine]

When you have time, read thru the old threads to pick up nuggets of information. Many of your questions have been answered in one form or another. I can remember feeling concerned about yellow feet, later I was concerned about the red=pink inflamatin on the rooster legs. NO one answereed my queries. Finally the discussion came up months later and the bottom line is that the roosters when old enough to be a bird in mating mode has reddened legs; like between the scales. What looked like inflammation due to disease turns out to be normal for rooster of mating age and in mating mode.

Arielle, I know why you got that BYC frienship now. Thank you for this. I thought that boy downstairs had pink feet! Phew

 

[Wynette]

Middle toe feathers are a fault, not a DQ.

It's not in the general DQ section of the APA/SOP book?

 

[snowbird]

It's not in the general DQ section of the APA/SOP book?

When a new book is put out it will be in the Shankc and Toes section, under(C) Langshans, Faveroles, will be a 1/2-1 1/2 point deduction.