International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[KF0002]

right there with you, I would feed all those birds for way too long trying to make a decision.

Mine are 6-8 months old and I still have 7 cockerels free ranging. Will soon be down to 6 when hubby culls ugly face. I should cull SW but he does a good job as a yard rooster so he can have reign over the layers.

 

[KF0002]

white underfluff under the hackle is a big problem . but you only need one rooster without it to breed it out .
does Duke s have the white underfluff ?
does Prince have it ?he is from different sire line .
any cockerel we selected has it ? hope not .

for me I will take any fault in a working cockerel as long as he has a correct body pattern , correct copper ,and free from any parasitic white . those are the thing I can not stand .

the rest bad comb .dark eyes .high tail ,short back ,bring it on . those fault I will fix them on the hens lines .
cockerels lines I will focus on body colour with a complete body pattern . plumage type and qualities , quality of the copper , free from any white .. those are a cockerels traits .
rest from mama hen .

chooks man

Duke didnt have it as a cockerel. I can look him over to make sure he doesnt have it as a cock bird.

I will also look Prince over. He didnt have it as a cockerel but now has a white spot in a tail feather and a white primary in his wing.

Some of the cockerels I have looked at have it, some don't. The lighter hackled ones do. I will check Vortex and Dark Angel tonight.

 

[Chooks man]

I am learning to do just that. Last year I probably would have freaked out to find a split/slipped wing bird produced from my line. But this year I am a lot more laid back with it. No line is going to be free from DQ, defects, recessive genes, etc. I am learning to appreciate my birds for what they are now and am seeing potential where I wouldnt have seen it before and what can be done to improve upon them. I will breed my best to my best and take them as they come.

good to hear .each generation is different and they don t stay with as for long ,so have to appreciate them when we have them .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Duke didnt have it as a cockerel. I can look him over to make sure he doesnt have it as a cock bird.

I will also look Prince over. He didnt have it as a cockerel but now has a white spot in a tail feather and a white primary in his wing.

Some of the cockerels I have looked at have it, some don't. The lighter hackled ones do. I will check Vortex and Dark Angel tonight.

very important .
as long as one sire line does not have it than is cool .
if Duke s doesn t have it but his cockerel s do ,than it is from they Dams .

parasitic white plumage is easier to breed out than the white underfluff .
chooks man

 

[marchick]

white underfluff under the hackle is a big problem . but you only need one rooster without it to breed it out .
does Duke s have the white underfluff ?
does Prince have it ?he is from different sire line .
any cockerel we selected has it ? hope not .

for me I will take any fault in a working cockerel as long as he has a correct body pattern , correct copper ,and free from any parasitic white . those are the thing I can not stand .

the rest bad comb .dark eyes .high tail ,short back ,bring it on . those fault I will fix them on the hens lines .
cockerels lines I will focus on body colour with a complete body pattern . plumage type and qualities , quality of the copper , free from any white .. those are a cockerels traits .
rest from mama hen .

chooks man

How do you tell an BLC that under fluff is white or very light blue?

 

[Chooks man]

How do you tell an BLC that under fluff is white or very light blue?

white is not light blue .you can not tell when they are younger .
for me I start checking from 6 months tell 18 months old .those are the critical months .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

How do you tell an BLC that under fluff is white or very light blue?

BLC cockerel you want him to have light grey .underfluff

chooks man

 

[marchick]

white is not light blue .you can not tell when they are younger .
for me I start checking from 6 months tell 18 months old .those are the critical months .

chooks man

I need to go out and check tonight. Should I be very worried? I am!

 

[Chooks man]

I need to go out and check tonight. Should I be very worried? I am!

I keep saying to you stop worrying . just check and see ,you don t have to worry .every thing is workable .
check both the girls and the boys hackle underfluff .
chooks man

 

[KF0002]

the marans hen her back should be flat not tilting toward the back .
what do you call cushion is it actually loose type feather fluffy around the base of the tail .

if she is not 6 months old than I will not expect her to weight 2.7Kg . but that is a minimum weight at adult .

chooks man

I'll try to catch her today and check her wing band for her age and weigh her if I get time.