Blue Copper and Splash Copper Marans Discussion

[gilavina]

Shucks, Gilavina and Runawaylobster, after looking at your blue coppers, I am ready to cull all mine. Is their color really that blue? Because mine look more gray than blue. Honestly, I was ready to give up on this breed entirely but then I looked over my pullets from this year and thought I was making some progress over last year, but I still am not liking my cockerels and every one of them has white under fluff.

Hey Marcy,

I think you have a couple of factors to consider with your blue coppers. One and I believe the most important is knowing how to do your breeding of blues to get the desired color you are looking for. I use black and splash with my blues to control the tone. Its very easy once you get going on them and get the hang of how even breeding two different tones of blue can change the offspring to balance them. The other thing I think you should considere, is how the sun out your way washes out your stock. Blue is particularly susceptible to the sun...I will say that the quality of the blue will determine how much they are affected. Did you notice when your blues were younger if they were a richer tone?
I do think that in general the cockerels in the Marans, no matter the color are more difficult and in particular the blues in the birchen and coppers are the ones that I find here need the most work.

 

[gilavina]

Oh and yes, the color on my blues are very true to what they are in person. I forgot to add that.

 

[Runawaylobster]

Shucks, Gilavina and Runawaylobster, after looking at your blue coppers, I am ready to cull all mine. Is their color really that blue? Because mine look more gray than blue. Honestly, I was ready to give up on this breed entirely but then I looked over my pullets from this year and thought I was making some progress over last year, but I still am not liking my cockerels and every one of them has white under fluff.

i can't take any credit for his color, i just got lucky..

 

[desertmarcy]

Here's an overview of the cockerels I have to work with this year. Maybe you remember, but last year I didn't have one I felt I could use, so I used a Black Copper Marans cockerel over my Blue Coppers this year. He was one that Don liked early on, but unfortunately, he died in the heat this summer (hottest June on record here,

). I have more photos, but will only post one of each. If you want to see more of any particular bird, let me know, and PLEASE tell me if there are any I should cull NOW. I need to cut my bird numbers back, but I tend to get in a stagnant mode wondering if I'm keeping/culling the right ones, and as a result, I just keep on feeding them and went through 2500 pounds of feed in one month. Included turkeys, but still! I can't keep that up. The first 4 are 5 months + or -. #50 if a bit younger, and the last 4 are not quite 4 months old. Thanks for your time looking at all these. And just a side note, while I was busy concentrating on taking photos, my partner came outside and informed me that there was a bobcat standing in the driveway about 20 feet behind me watching me.
Hoping one of these would get out and be a quick meal, no doubt.

Here is #62:


#65:


#61:


#64:


#50:


#56:


#60:


#69: (sorry blurry, he wouldn't hold still & I was getting tired)


#22:

 

[gilavina]

Does #65 hold its tail that way all the time? If not, the three I would hold onto to see how they fill out for a bit longer would be #65, #64, and #62. Those are the 3 I'd like to see more photos of.

 

[gilavina]

Glad the bobcat didn't think it was worth trying to do some damage to you or your birds by the way!

 

[desertmarcy]

Does #65 hold its tail that way all the time? If not, the three I would hold onto to see how they fill out for a bit longer would be #65, #64, and #62. Those are the 3 I'd like to see more photos of.

I think he does. It has been too hot for me to be outside studying birds. Another reason I keep just throwing food at them. I am having trouble uploading photos again. Will have to try later.

 

[gilavina]

I think he does. It has been too hot for me to be outside studying birds. Another reason I keep just throwing food at them. I am having trouble uploading photos again. Will have to try later.

no worries, just whenever you get a chance

 

[desertmarcy]

More photos of #62: He doesn't look like he stands very square.

 

[desertmarcy]

More photos of #64. I don't like all the white this one has in his tail. He does look like he stands more square than #62.