Critique on my Black Copper Marans babies.

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

Thanks for that advice. I agree on the tail thing but thought that was ok for brood stock. I was wondering if you would answer with that, and curious myself on if no copper on the necks mattered.

Child. You know who you're talking to. Use layman's terms I don't understand

 

[Amer]

Child. You know who you're talking to. Use layman's terms I don't understand

Um... I was wondering if I was wrong on parts of stuff and glad you could explain it?

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

They do have some down white feathers that they have been loosing. You have to excuse the mess. Those donkeys have gotten in the shed and tore out everything that belonged to the previous owner. Smh. Even cleaning coops with them is impossible. They follow us in. But you can see the white, some skinny, and some tail feathers to high. One has too short of a back. But the guy threw him in for free. Lol. They are good guardians. They have kept the hawks and an owl away. And can’t help but love them. As soon as you step outback they come sprinting the acre to get to you.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't breed them, but that first one is the spitting image of a classic backyard chicken! •∆•
Donkey is cute, too. Makes the rooster look giant

Now I have another question. Do the darker eggs have better sop or are they just bred for egg color?

Welllll I mean for a chicken show you could get away with it, but some people also show eggs, so if you wanted to persue that, then yes you could breed for egg color. Some people who only want them as a hobby would probably prefer dark eggs over SOP, too. The egg color can show the 'purity' and can help them sell if you ever wanted to make a little money back.

Also are the legs and feet on my babies the correct color? And their leg feathering?

You know, I got a bit of a shock the other day when someone sent a picture of some of my eggs she'd hatched. She was more worried why they had feathered legs, poor thing, while I was wondering why the heck they had yellow legs?? I guess what I'm trying to say is that I dont usually look at their legs until they're older. Don't sweat it. They'll change when they grow scales.

As far as those chicks of mine I mentioned? I'm going to guess that it was just the photo. Still stumped about that.

I also read I think it was on littlepeddlers site that if you breed a higher tail with a shorter tail the outcome should be the adequate angle. And a short back to a long back to get the right length.

Ok here's my opinion on that:

1. NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO

Little Peddlers is certainly a better breeder than myself, in fact I bought some eggs from her awhile back and what hatched had nice shape. Not sure about the egg color because all that I could hatch was one roo out of a dozen. ^^;; It was winter. The eggs got cold in the mail truck.
ANYway I don't think that having two wildly different genes are going to even out and create a happy medium. It just don't be like that. Though it can work to an extent, it can have I'll effects on the next generation. It's hard enough to get what you want out of nice, low-tailed gene pool. Better to solidify the problem slowly.

Um... I was wondering if I was wrong on parts of stuff and glad you could explain it?

*Goes back and does the research*

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

To me, I wish the neck had copper on it. Keep a look out for copper-necked hens in your chicks, I guess.

Oh. Yeah for show hens you want copper on the neck yes. And for breeding show hens you want those to have copper necks.
If you're breeding for roosters, however, it's easier to use hens with little to no hackle coloring as it's very easy to over-copper the roos when the dam has 'enough' hackle coloring.

 

[Amer]

Yeah, I probably wouldn't breed them, but that first one is the spitting image of a classic backyard chicken! •∆•
Donkey is cute, too. Makes the rooster look giant

Welllll I mean for a chicken show you could get away with it, but some people also show eggs, so if you wanted to persue that, then yes you could breed for egg color. Some people who only want them as a hobby would probably prefer dark eggs over SOP, too. The egg color can show the 'purity' and can help them sell if you ever wanted to make a little money back.

You know, I got a bit of a shock the other day when someone sent a picture of some of my eggs she'd hatched. She was more worried why they had feathered legs, poor thing, while I was wondering why the heck they had yellow legs?? I guess what I'm trying to say is that I dont usually look at their legs until they're older. Don't sweat it. They'll change when they grow scales.

As far as those chicks of mine I mentioned? I'm going to guess that it was just the photo. Still stumped about that.


Ok here's my opinion on that:

1. NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO

Little Peddlers is certainly a better breeder than myself, in fact I bought some eggs from her awhile back and what hatched had nice shape. Not sure about the egg color because all that I could hatch was one roo out of a dozen. ^^;; It was winter. The eggs got cold in the mail truck.
ANYway I don't think that having two wildly different genes are going to even out and create a happy medium. It just don't be like that. Though it can work to an extent, it can have I'll effects on the next generation. It's hard enough to get what you want out of nice, low-tailed gene pool. Better to solidify the problem slowly.

*Goes back and does the research*

I have to agree with you with the thing on the tail angle. Breeding two fairly large chickens of different breeds actually gave me way smaller hens, like halfway between bantam and standard size while her purebred counterpart continued to grow. The mixing up of genes confuses the chicken a lot I guess. Fortunately, both my petite EEs give me big eggs.
Breeding a high tail to a normal tail is better than high to low. I wanted you to say that first though.

 

[katiek77]

Oh. Yeah for show hens you want copper on the neck yes. And for breeding show hens you want those to have copper necks.
If you're breeding for roosters, however, it's easier to use hens with little to no hackle coloring as it's very easy to over-copper the roos when the dam has 'enough' hackle coloring.

I wish there was a love option for that. I am definitely interested in breeding Roos for show more than I am hens. Well at least for my two boys. My granddaughter is only two right now so she has a little time for me to work on my sop before she can show.

 

[katiek77]

I have to agree with you with the thing on the tail angle. Breeding two fairly large chickens of different breeds actually gave me way smaller hens, like halfway between bantam and standard size while her purebred counterpart continued to grow. The mixing up of genes confuses the chicken a lot I guess. Fortunately, both my petite EEs give me big eggs.
Breeding a high tail to a normal tail is better than high to low. I wanted you to say that first though.

So even if I do get a good looking roo with a high tail I could still possibly use him to keep the tail at that level or even raise it a tad?

 

[Amer]

So even if I do get a good looking roo with a high tail I could still possibly use him to keep the tail at that level or even raise it a tad?

Well, it all depends on who you breed it with. I don't have much experience tail breeding of course, so I can't tell you more. D'Anvers have extreme tails and Buckeyes, well, I've had luck. For me I need to breed out the cushions though.

Spoiler

This is actually my uglier rooster but the only good picture of my black Jackson does not show his true type. Also his comb spike was bitten off. It's not a pea comb, if you have looked at the attached file.

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

So even if I do get a good looking roo with a high tail I could still possibly use him to keep the tail at that level or even raise it a tad?

-if I may hijack this question-
In my opinion, the tail is what makes them a good-looking roo. Most important. Shape first, color second.

 

[Amer]

-if I may hijack this question-
In my opinion, the tail is what makes them a good-looking roo. Most important. Shape first, color second.