International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

The cockerels are now in with their females. I decided to move them while I had a free moment today.

Dark Angel is happy to finally have a lady friend all his own. I put him in with Jolie as she is laying currently. Malika is in the 4x4 pen next to them so I can easily move Dark Angel back and forth every few days. His eye color seems to have lightened some.

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Here is Jolie

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she is very nice , correct conformation .only problem I m having with her is her very late maturing type .that is a worry for me .you are rushing her , she has not proven her laying ability . you need to find out I think first .
if I was you I will not breed her yet .I will keep her penned with another pullets { not dark egg layer } for a company and watch how many eggs she will lay a week and how many is a duration of next 2 months .if she lay the 40 eggs expected for the breed ,than I will breed her , if she lay less than 40 in her next 2 months than she is not a breeder .except for showing .witch she will be good @ it .
the productivity of a breed as farm chooks has to be maintained .

you have many adult hens .proven breeders . and you have a gorgeous correct cockerels { Dark Angel } why not work with them first . they chicken will be bigger than a pullets .

this is my humble opinion . I want to help you breed well rounded good marans chooks .not just marans .
think about

chooks man

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Thank you! I appreciate the positive feedback. Do you think I still need to use Dark Halo? Or should I use Dark Angel only out of the two cockerels? I put Dark Halo in with Queen and Duchess.

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it is always better to use more than 1 cockerel in your breeding program ,because we can not tell witch pairing is going to work . some time the chooks look fine but they don t much up in the breeding pen .

I like you have penned Queen and Duchess in a same pen .Dark Halo 1st than Dark Angel .

I will do a second pen with Malika and Blue Bird . first Dark Angle than Dark Halo.
4 hens X 2 different style cockerels PLUS the old and the young ,will give you a good healthy progeny . related but different . you end up having half sibling from each hens and rooster . good way to move forward with a line .

I will keep Duke a side .give him a long rest tell the next year to mate back to his Grand daughters .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Thank you! I will keep them together and set more eggs from them this year. I appreciate the advice!

penned your 4 hens with your 2 cockerels Dark Angle and Dark Halo first .late in the reason if can pen Duke with all 4 hens for pen breeding to pick only pullets .regardless witch hen come from . those pullets will be mated next year to they cousin cockerels from DA and DH

late season when the 2 cockerels are removed from the breeding pens ,you can pen DA with your best pullets .Jolie .BLC to hatch a different line of chicks .

you see my friend you have 4 breeding hen .PLUS one breeding Rooster Those are the sire and the Dams of your young breeder .
you have 2 cockerels and few nice pullets 2/4 will be enough as this year breeders .

you have all what you need ,so work well and plan well .don t panic and rush thing to hatch chicks , you know they cost money and time to raise them. work with the old first because they are not going to be around for ever .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

@kfelton0002

here my breeding program for your chooks if I was working with them .

First round = 25% of you total this season hatch. 12.5% of each pen
Pen#1= Queen /Duchess X Dark Halo = progeny Q2H
Pen#2= Malika /Blue Bird X Dark Angel = progeny MBA.

Duke resting .
pullets separated in different single pens for next 60 days .to fully know they eggs and they laying abilities .so you can select the 2/4 top nosh .

Second round = 25% of a total from this paring .12.5% each pen.
Pen#1 = Q / D X DA = progeny QDA.
Pen#2 = M/ BB X DH = progeny MBH

Third and final round =50% of the total . 25% by pen
Pen#1 = Queen / Duchess / Malika/ Blue Bird X Duke = progeny QDMBD 25%
Pen#2 = Select pullets J/ etc X Dark Angel = progeny PA { Pullets Angel }

this way you breed every body equally . all the combination possible without make it too much , this method is easy to handle ,the hatched chicks are grouped up . Plus you keep all the genetic diversity you have in your flock .

good luck
chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

@kfelton0002
BLC pullet #1 .I can not see any thing not correct on her she is perfect .
long .wide ,not too tall on her feet .
good head with a good comb .
well feathered legs ,well spaced .walk elegant
long wide back .
gorgeous tail .the way the SOP describe it ,short ,full and small pointed not open . great angle .
great plumage type and colour ,great lacing .
she has enough copper on her neck .maybe not as dark or just a light ?
Mass ?

Dark Angel will much her well when she is ready to breed if she prove she can lay dark eggs . TYPE she has it now the laying ability .

good work
chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

@kfelton0002

BLC pullet #2 . as stunning as pullet #1 .same qualities .solid thick girls .
love how both pullets are wide from rear ,and abdomen is full .close to the groud .sign of a good layer and true marans .

both pullet are impressive .

let me keep truck of thing, the pullets you have .
Perfect
Jolie
2 BLC
all 4 will much great with Dark Angel . expect show quality progeny from them . great full body patern ,great copper ,great type ,nice dark egg . that what I see .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

@kfelton0002

stunning hen . can t wait to see her progeny with the 2 cockerels .they will be stunning for sure .

she is 100% a dam of jolie ,they look identical .

both high quality show bird BCM .
I have a feeling Malika and Dark Angel are going to produced a cockerel like no other ,cockerel you never seen .long ,wide ,elegant ,well coloured . great comb .will be hard to beat . that my bet .
Blue Bird will be her challenge for sure . I m split between the 2 .

great work
chooks man

 

[KF0002]

she is very nice , correct conformation .only problem I m having with her is her very late maturing type .that is a worry for me .you are rushing her , she has not proven her laying ability . you need to find out I think first .
if I was you I will not breed her yet .I will keep her penned with another pullets { not dark egg layer } for a company and watch how many eggs she will lay a week and how many is a duration of next 2 months .if she lay the 40 eggs expected for the breed ,than I will breed her , if she lay less than 40 in her next 2 months than she is not a breeder .except for showing .witch she will be good @ it .
the productivity of a breed as farm chooks has to be maintained .

you have many adult hens .proven breeders . and you have a gorgeous correct cockerels { Dark Angel } why not work with them first . they chicken will be bigger than a pullets .

this is my humble opinion . I want to help you breed well rounded good marans chooks .not just marans .
think about

chooks man

chooks man

I am just anxious to hatch some chicks to get some off early for show and Jolie is the only breeder that is laying at this time. I am dying to hatch chicks from her and Dark Angel. The older hens may not start laying for another month or two.

 

[KF0002]

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@kfelton0002

BLC pullet #2 . as stunning as pullet #1 .same qualities .solid thick girls .
love how both pullets are wide from rear ,and abdomen is full .close to the groud .sign of a good layer and true marans .

both pullet are impressive .

let me keep truck of thing, the pullets you have .
Perfect
Jolie
2 BLC
all 4 will much great with Dark Angel . expect show quality progeny from them . great full body patern ,great copper ,great type ,nice dark egg . that what I see .

chooks man

Perfect is too small so I've thrown her out. I will be catching the BLC pullets up when I am off work again. Glad you like them!

 

[KF0002]

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@kfelton0002

stunning hen . can t wait to see her progeny with the 2 cockerels .they will be stunning for sure .

she is 100% a dam of jolie ,they look identical .
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both high quality show bird BCM .
I have a feeling Malika and Dark Angel are going to produced a cockerel like no other ,cockerel you never seen .long ,wide ,elegant ,well coloured . great comb .will be hard to beat . that my bet .
Blue Bird will be her challenge for sure . I m split between the 2 .

great work
chooks man

Thank you! I sure hope you're right!

I agree, I think Malika is Jolie's Dam.

So would you clean Blue Bird out and put her with Dark Angel or leave her with Duke?