Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[buddy phoenix]

has just got very lucky! found blue black splash marans for 10 dollars a dozen from davis line. n got a roo n hen for 30 dollars.

 

[pinkchick]

Has anyone raising the blue coppers noticed that when working on egg color, from generation to generation, they seem to do well and are consistent with deepening in color? I'm going to be going into my 3rd generation on the blue coppers and am getting excited to see what kind of progress will be made on the quality of the birds and the egg color! If we have a few more of these 50 degree days, the incubator will definitely be getting filled up!

Hi Vicki!

Yes, I see more consistency with the Blue Coppers and the Splash Coppers than I ever have with the very few Black Coppers I have raised. I have always been happy with the Blue & Splash Copper egg color, however, I can't say that about the BCM I've had.

I will take the Blue Coppers over the Black Coppers any day. Call me crazy!
I am so excited and happy that Don started this thread specifically for the Blue Coppers and Splash Coppers. I have seen this variety of Marans become more and more popular over the last almost 5 years I have worked with them and I am excited to see more Marans lovers getting into them. I believe this variety of Marans will excel leaps and bounds over the Black Coppers in the future.




Good luck to both you and Don on your upcoming hatching....I can't wait to hear updated news about whatcha both got going on in your bators!

I need to candle the Solid Splash eggs and my BC and Splash Cpr eggs this morning. Cross your fingers for me.

 

[pinkchick]

Bobbieschicks~ Lovely eggs your pullet is giving you!


Buddy~ Congrats on your Marans and eggs. Can't wait for photos to follow!

 

[gilavina]

Hi Vicki!

Yes, I see more consistency with the Blue Coppers and the Splash Coppers than I ever have with the very few Black Coppers I have raised. I have always been happy with the Blue & Splash Copper egg color, however, I can't say that about the BCM I've had.

I will take the Blue Coppers over the Black Coppers any day. Call me crazy!
I am so excited and happy that Don started this thread specifically for the Blue Coppers and Splash Coppers. I have seen this variety of Marans become more and more popular over the almost 5 years and I am excited to see more Marans lovers getting into them. I believe this variety of Marans will excel leaps and bounds over the Black Coppers in the future.




Good luck to both you and Don on your upcoming hatching....I can't wait to hear updated news about whatcha both got going on in your bators!

I need to candle the Solid Splash eggs and my BC and Splash Cpr eggs this morning. Cross your fingers for me.

awesome on your eggs being ready to candle already. When are they set to hatch?
I do prefer the blue coppers to the black coppers, but have a good start in the blacks, so would like to continue improving them as they are rather striking when they are colored well (including the females). The young blue copper girl I posted not long ago I've named Lolita, so between Luella, Lolita and Big Boy alone, I think I have something really good to work with. Seems like a bonus to have the other nice blue copper girls to work with at the moment. Now just waiting for them to clear from being all run together for the winter, so I can start collecting. They are picking up production for sure tho!

 

[pinkchick]

Today is day 6. They are set to hatch on the 21st -22nd. I just candled and seriously didn't think that any of the eggs I put in from my girls would do anything as they were over 3 weeks old.......well, jokes on me. I set 11, I pulled 2 eggs, 1 was cracked and 1 was clear, 3 are questionable and I will recandle them in a few days, the other 6 are doing great and I can see good veining. Developing right along! WoooooooHOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!!! Not that I can use them for anything as I left one of the coop doors unlatched 2 times and those silly Birchens know they can just bump the door and come out ....well they ran with the Coppers for a couple days a couple times and I know that Birchen roo gave Will (the very dark roo) a run for his money as the Birchen was trying to mount every female here and Will was very busy trying to keep him away, so I will cull these.

The solid Splash eggs are doing GREAT! 2 detached air cells and 1 clear, the rest are developing right along. Saw lots of veining in these, they are easier to look through than my Coppers, but with the homemade light I use I can see through them all pretty darn good.



Sounds like a very nice line up for breeding with Luella, Lolita and Big Boy! I am super excited for you and eagerly await to see what they give you.

I'm sure if I had good Black Coppers to start with I might have felt differently about them, but for some reason those Blues just melt my heart so that is where I stayed.

 

[snowbird]

Has anyone raising the blue coppers noticed that when working on egg color, from generation to generation, they seem to do well and are consistent with deepening in color? I'm going to be going into my 3rd generation on the blue coppers and am getting excited to see what kind of progress will be made on the quality of the birds and the egg color! If we have a few more of these 50 degree days, the incubator will definitely be getting filled up!

Vicki, I believe if you stay within your line you will find that the color of egg will stay consistant. If you go out of your line the F1 will sometimes lose color the first year of laying but will recover if bred back into your line.

 

[gilavina]

Today is day 6. They are set to hatch on the 21st -22nd. I just candled and seriously didn't think that any of the eggs I put in from my girls would do anything as they were over 3 weeks old.......well, jokes on me. I set 11, I pulled 2 eggs, 1 was cracked and 1 was clear, 3 are questionable and I will recandle them in a few days, the other 6 are doing great and I can see good veining. Developing right along! WoooooooHOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!!! Not that I can use them for anything as I left one of the coop doors unlatched 2 times and those silly Birchens know they can just bump the door and come out ....well they ran with the Coppers for a couple days a couple times and I know that Birchen roo gave Will (the very dark roo) a run for his money as the Birchen was trying to mount every female here and Will was very busy trying to keep him away, so I will cull these.

The solid Splash eggs are doing GREAT! 2 detached air cells and 1 clear, the rest are developing right along. Saw lots of veining in these, they are easier to look through than my Coppers, but with the homemade light I use I can see through them all pretty darn good.



Sounds like a very nice line up for breeding with Luella, Lolita and Big Boy! I am super excited for you and eagerly await to see what they give you.

I'm sure if I had good Black Coppers to start with I might have felt differently about them, but for some reason those Blues just melt my heart so that is where I stayed.

Very good on the eggs. I have hatched chicks from eggs that are over a month old when I lost a hen to a possum. She laid a really distinct egg, so I went back through all the cartons in the egg fridge and tried in a desperate attempt to get what I could out of her. I think I had a 100% hatch if I remember right.

 

[gilavina]

Vicki, I believe if you stay within your line you will find that the color of egg will stay consistant. If you go out of your line the F1 will sometimes lose color the first year of laying but will recover if bred back into your line.

yeah, I agree. I just find it curious I have an easier time improving the blue copper egg color in less generations than I have with the black coppers.

 

[sol2go]

I could use some help to determine if my Marans fit within this thread, or if they are a cross outside of this description.
It is my understanding that my chicks came from a Blue Copper Roo (Bev Davis line?) over a BBS Hen (probably a blue?).
I'm hoping for good dark eggshell color.

My chicks are just about 3 months old. The splash cockerel has developed deep copper across the wings and softer copper on the head/neck, much like bobbiechicks post. The splash pullet has no copper at all, while the blue pullet is starting to show copper on the neck. The splash chicks have white legs, the blue pullet has very dark legs and head color (slate?). Sorry I don't have any photos to post at this time.

I was wondering if these characteristics are typical of any Marans:

The splash cockerel had long center toes for awhile, and the overall proportions of an ostrich; he was just so ungainly looking but has grown into a nice shape. He was very slow feathering compared to his sisters, and still doesn't have much of a tail.

Considering how long the cockerel's neck was, his splash sister appears to have a shorter than average neck (always looks tucked in) and her legs are long. She has a tall tail that is quite straight over her back. Both splash birds are really sweet natured, the pullet is very personable & easy to handle.

The blue pullet seems to have more typical proportions and tail angle, with light lacing around her feathers; is generally more wary of people but good with other chicks.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Bobbieschicks~ Lovely eggs your pullet is giving you!


Buddy~ Congrats on your Marans and eggs. Can't wait for photos to follow!

Thank you.

I am very pleased both with the color and the quantity. She has laid 7 eggs in 9 days and they are now almost as big as my Lavender Orpington's egg size.