Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[gilavina]

Hello everyone! My daughter (age 11) is our big chicken breeder around here. We have been raising Black Copper Marans for a little bit and obtained some blue copper chicks from a friend at Christmas, hoping to eventually raise blue, black, and splash. We got wind of a poultry show nearby and since neither of us have ever attended one my daughter was anxious to go. I can't find a "Standard of Perfection" for Blues, only Black Copper Marans. She has a dark Blue Copper cockerel she would like to show. She likes him because of his size, color and feathered shanks. But to me it looks ike he has too many points on his comb (the Blacks are only supposed to have 5, I am assuming blues are the same) although it is nice and straight no side sprigs or anything crazy like that. She is competing in the kids competition and I hate to discourage her, but I think it would make her feel dumb to get there and be disqualified. How does that work, will they just take points off? I am thankful for whatever advice you can provide.

Hello, and welcome to the thread. The blue coppers are not yet approved, so there is no standard for them. They should look just like the black coppers but with blue instead, so should do well if you use the general standard for Marans along with the black copper to go by this time around. All Marans ideally should only have 5 points, but the deduction for more or less is minimal and as long as the bird is prepped well (nice and clean) and use a bit of baby oil, or vetrx, or the like on the comb and waddles to moisturize them, it goes a long way to polish them up. Depending on the kind of show she will be entering, the judging will differ. Do you have more info on the type of show and whether she will be showing as an open class or junior exhibitor, or if it is showmanship?

 

[HBruemmer]

There is only an aprroved Standard for the Black Copper Marans at this point. From what I have seen when my kids are judged at fair for 4-H, the judges will also follow what is written in the 1st section of the SOP- Interpretation of Standard. extra comb points would be a deduction in points but not DQ'd. Hope this helps.

Thanks! That is helpful! I just didn't want her to get DQ'd right off.

 

[gilavina]

Mornin' Hens! How's everything going up your way? Got some eggs in the incubator yet? I've been collecting for the last 10 days or so and have about 75 so far, not including what I'll collect today. After I get back from the auction in KS I'll see about getting the sportsman going on Sunday if I have time. I'm only collecting certain eggs at this point, but a few of the blue copper ladies are going to make it into this batch this time. I'm getting really excited!

 

[HBruemmer]

Hello, and welcome to the thread. The blue coppers are not yet approved, so there is no standard for them. They should look just like the black coppers but with blue instead, so should do well if you use the general standard for Marans along with the black copper to go by this time around. All Marans ideally should only have 5 points, but the deduction for more or less is minimal and as long as the bird is prepped well (nice and clean) and use a bit of baby oil, or vetrx, or the like on the comb and waddles to moisturize them, it goes a long way to polish them up. Depending on the kind of show she will be entering, the judging will differ. Do you have more info on the type of show and whether she will be showing as an open class or junior exhibitor, or if it is showmanship?

I know it is an APA show and she is a junior exhibitor. We gave him a bath, and vaselined up the comb and waddles. I just wasn't sure how hard the judging was for the kids.

 

[gilavina]

I know it is an APA show and she is a junior exhibitor. We gave him a bath, and vaselined up the comb and waddles. I just wasn't sure how hard the judging was for the kids.

Good deal, then you are doing everything right! If they are running a separate junior show, not showmanship, the birds will be ranked with all other junior birds, just like the open show. If they are also in the open show, like a dual entry (we do that here for the club I am show secretary for) and they will be judged both against just the juniors, and then again by a different judge against the open class exhibitors as well. If it is showmanship, its more focused on the merits of the exhibitor, knowing their stock, the care, history, etc over the quality of the bird for that kind of judging. So, I think you are ready to go. I think the key to remember for the first time, is to do what you can, and I think you have with the prep and coming here to ask questions and just have fun at the show! If there are no visible faults like sprigs and etc, then it will just depend on what other birds she ends up with in the class for competition. I hope she does well and please let us know how it goes!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Mornin' Hens! How's everything going up your way? Got some eggs in the incubator yet? I've been collecting for the last 10 days or so and have about 75 so far, not including what I'll collect today. After I get back from the auction in KS I'll see about getting the sportsman going on Sunday if I have time. I'm only collecting certain eggs at this point, but a few of the blue copper ladies are going to make it into this batch this time. I'm getting really excited!

Hey Gilavina

we justed started our 4th incubation of eggs, mostly Cuckoo Marans and Welsummers and a few Andalusians- about 62 eggs. We fixed the thermostat on the wine-bator and it has been working great- holding steady right at 99.6. We just finished a hatch at the start of the week-ending with 15 chicks- 1 Welsummer and the rest Andalusian chicks, the cuckoo eggs didn't make it.

Weather is yucky today- they are calling for a mix bag of precip. rain, sleet, snow, I am so ready for spring!

We also have some quail eggs going in our smaller incubator- the kids are excited to see them hatch(we will be giving them all back to our friend who we are hatching for)

Our 1st group of chicks from mid-Jan are growing well, we have 4 Cuckoo chicks in that group, 1 is a splash because our main rooster was carrying blue, thinking we have 3 pullets and 1 cockeral. My DD has some really nice looking Blue Andalusian chicks growing out- we are excited to see how they continue to develop!

We also have baby Cali rabbits here too..... so we are busy!

Keep us posted on how your hatch comes along

 

[HBruemmer]

Good deal, then you are doing everything right! If they are running a separate junior show, not showmanship, the birds will be ranked with all other junior birds, just like the open show. If they are also in the open show, like a dual entry (we do that here for the club I am show secretary for) and they will be judged both against just the juniors, and then again by a different judge against the open class exhibitors as well. If it is showmanship, its more focused on the merits of the exhibitor, knowing their stock, the care, history, etc over the quality of the bird for that kind of judging. So, I think you are ready to go. I think the key to remember for the first time, is to do what you can, and I think you have with the prep and coming here to ask questions and just have fun at the show! If there are no visible faults like sprigs and etc, then it will just depend on what other birds she ends up with in the class for competition. I hope she does well and please let us know how it goes!

I will be sure to let you know! Thank you for all the helpful advice. She is really excited. She is also showing a Dominique pullet and our Large Fowl Cochin Roo as well, so we shall see. I'm excited to go see what everyone else has!

 

[gilavina]

I will be sure to let you know! Thank you for all the helpful advice. She is really excited. She is also showing a Dominique pullet and our Large Fowl Cochin Roo as well, so we shall see. I'm excited to go see what everyone else has!

That's my favorite part, seeing what people are showing and talking to find out what people are working on and etc. Plus, I really like the sale pen area when there are quality birds in them! haha

 

[bobbieschicks]

She has some of the classic broody signs, but she's still laying and not staying on the nest, so still considering it I guess. She's huge when she puffs up. I love watching her fluff herself so big she's like a turkey and walk around bok boking.

Well, three days on the nest and off the roost. And she's stopped laying, so I let her sit on her four eggs and two others (green EE and white WL). I'd love it if her eggs hatched and she hatched out another Maran pullet or two.

 

[HBruemmer]

Well, our Blue Copper didn't win so much because some of our other birds stole the spotlight, but we definitely had a great time at the poultry show today! The judge was wonderful with my daughter, carefully explaining what he was looking for. Thank you so much for all the advice and help getting us ready for our first show! we loved it, it certainly won't be the last!