Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[Runawaylobster]

Blue Coppers should have copper. Sometimes they can show some copper early on after hatch but often it starts to come in from 3-6 weeks or so. Sometimes it can take months to show. Sometimes, they will not show copper at all. If the birds are from copper genetics and they don't show copper, they are still Coppers.

I have some not showing copper, but are coppers. I was considering crossing them with one of my BCM roos to see if i can get the copper to come back?? Also i have right now anyway, some choices of Roos varying from too much color to almost no color at all, is there any type of roo coloring that i should pick that would be best for this?

I have a blue roo growing out but he is only 4 weeks old, so far no copper. He was trying to crow this morning, he must be an early starter (bless his little socks).. i was hoping to use him to make some splash chicks with the blues, OR maybe cross him with one of my really good coloring Black Copper hens to get blue females that show coppering?

whatever way i am anxious to figure out how to get the copper back to express in my blues.. ???

 

[slick4591]

Hi Slick!

I'm not Don and not nearly as knowledgeable as he is but let me see if I can help with the leakage on the blue.
Blue is a diluting gene and will allow leakage to happen (its a leaky gene). I believe that sometimes we just see different variations of the dilution happening, just like when we see different shades of blue in the Blue Coppers. Blue Coppers can also show a darker blue feather here and there, I have had several. Splash Coppers show the leakage perfectly, this is why they are splash...a splash of color here and there. 1 copy of the blue gene will make a blue bird.....anything black on a bird becomes blue with one copy. 2 copies of the blue gene dilutes all colors of the bird to the white feathers that we see on a splash, but will allow copper to come through, though it is not solid copper like we see on a Blue Copper or a Black Copper, it will have interuptions of white and blue.


Hope this helps and if I didn't explain it right or good enough hoping that someone who knows more and can explain better will come and give thoughts.

Thank you! I do believe I can wrap my head around it a little better now. Anyway, this girl is one of the first from that blue copper rooster we had talked about several months ago. I can't wait until I see the egg color he passes on.

 

[pinkchick]

Okay Vicki! Here are the little 4 week old Blue Coppers that are from my Black Copper male, Will, crossed over my Splash Copper hen.

The ones that you asked me to mark are going to be loaded first. 3 roos and 1 pullet.
The others are the rest of that hatch. Also one that had its head down and you couldn't see the amount of white on its face.

Male 1

Male 2

Male 3

Female out of the four you asked me to mark.

Female 2

Female 3

Female 4

Female 5

 

[gilavina]

They look good Kim! Can't wait to see if you find any copper on them in the next few weeks!

 

[BlossomSilkies]

First let me ask what your goals with the Marans are?
Do you plan on breeding for show birds and to the SOP? Or are you simply looking to have birds that give you a lovely dark egg for eating?

I am going to assume that this cockerel is less than a year old, correct? If so, he can still change alot, especially in the copper colored areas and filling out more.
His tail angle will not change, neither will the length of his back (its a little short). He has what seems to be a good open tail and nice broad shoulders. Maybe if you test mate him to a hen that has a nice long back with a lower tail angle with a good open tail, you might possibly get offspring that are more balanced in those areas.

Hope others come by and give their opinions for you.

I simply like to know what I have and I don't really understand the SOP I read, so using him as an example will help me to understand it better. He is about 8 months old.

If someone had a picture of really nice one, that would be good to see too.

 

[pinkchick]

I have some not showing copper, but are coppers.    I was considering crossing them with one of my BCM roos to see if i can get the copper to come back??  Also i have right now anyway, some choices of Roos varying from too much color to almost no color at all, is there any type of roo coloring that i should pick that would be best for this? 

I have a blue roo growing out but he is only 4 weeks old, so far no copper.  He was trying to crow this morning, he must be an early starter (bless his little socks)..  i was hoping to use him to make some splash chicks with the blues,  OR maybe cross him with one of my really good coloring Black Copper hens to get blue females that show coppering? 

whatever way i am anxious to figure out how to get the copper back to express in my blues.. ???

You and me both! LOL! I lost copper in the females a long time ago, probably about 3.5 years or slightly more. I have melanised birds that carry Mahogany and I am fighting that. I hope the chicks I posted above, or atleast a couple of them show me some sort of color. I know the males will all express some color, even though I am sure it will be dark, but it's the girls I am really counting on.

I encourage you to post photos or repost some photos of the males that you have and maybe someone can help you out with which male might help with color. Also, post photos of the females.


If when you are ready to make the blues and splash, I strongly suggest using the color of male that you are looking to reproduce. Don made this suggestion many times in the past and also talked about it here in the Blue Copper thread........I believe he is absolutely right.
I am seeing what he talked about first hand in my chicks that I have been hatching this year.


Is it possible to single test mate your Blue roo to the good colored Black female and see what happens?

 

[pinkchick]

I simply like to know what I have and I don't really understand the SOP I read, so using him as an example will help me to understand it better. He is about 8 months old. 

If someone had a picture of really nice one, that would be good to see too.

Forgive me......what do you mean "what you have?" Are you wanting to know his faults and where he lacks compared to the SOP?
Or are you simply trying to understand the SOP by comparing a bird to it?

 

[gilavina]

You and me both! LOL! I lost copper in the females a long time ago, probably about 3.5 years or slightly more. I have melanised birds that carry Mahogany and I am fighting that. I hope the chicks I posted above, or atleast a couple of them show me some sort of color. I know the males will all express some color, even though I am sure it will be dark, but it's the girls I am really counting on.

I encourage you to post photos or repost some photos of the males that you have and maybe someone can help you out with which male might help with color. Also, post photos of the females.


If when you are ready to make the blues and splash, I strongly suggest using the color of male that you are looking to reproduce. Don made this suggestion many times in the past and also talked about it here in the Blue Copper thread........I believe he is absolutely right.
I am seeing what he talked about first hand in my chicks that I have been hatching this year.


Is it possible to single test mate your Blue roo to the good colored Black female and see what happens?

I'm still banking on those splashes you have to help you with your copper problem lady!

 

[pinkchick]

I'm still banking on those splashes you have to help you with your copper problem lady! 

Why is that? Do you think they will help because of the dilution effect and that maybe it will lighten the dark red/copper? Tell us what is going through your head.

 

[DMRippy]

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