International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

Hello everyone, I posted a thread about my Birchen Marans chicks and @Chooks man pointed me to this thread so I wanted to introduce myself. I am slowly getting into the breed and would love critique of my birds and tips on what to look for as I grow birds out. I will also be reading as much of this thread as I can. I have 4 Marans pullets, 3 of which I don’t want to use to breed Marans for various reasons, such as one is too small, one doesn’t seem to have good type, and one is white and I’m not working with whites, so those 3 will go in my Olive Egger pen. But I have a Splash pullet that just started laying. She will be in the olive egger pen this year too, but I’d love some feedback on her type and what faults you all see.
Also, I will attach pics of the 3 Birchen cockerels I’m growing out. They are only 3 weeks, so still very young, but I want to know what to look for as they grow. I’ll only be keeping one, if any. I got the hatching eggs from The Gypsy Hen (gypsyhen.com). 2 and blue and one is black. One has lighter blue down, but his wing feathers seem to be growing in a darker shade of blue. What is the preferred color of blue for Birchen Marans? I work with Blue Ameraucanas and with that breed, we like a darker shade with lacing. Another question- does the black chick seem to have a “crows head”? I’ve heard about that fault but don’t know exactly what it looks like.

I have some Black Copper eggs in my incubators right now, and depending on how those chicks grow out, I’ll decide whether to focus on Birchen or Black Copper I’m the future. I don’t have room for both. The Black Copper eggs are from Sky Girl Farm and G-Bear Farms.
Thanks everyone!

Splash pullet below.View attachment 2067360
Lighter blue Cockerel below.
View attachment 2067362
Black Cockerel below.
View attachment 2067366
The 3 boys together (ignore the blue Ameraucana that’s head is hidden).
View attachment 2067369

I thought you only had the young birchen chicks , now I know you have quite few in there .we love photos ,it is the only way for us to see the bird ,they body type etc.........

your Splash hen has a correct long body type , SOP call for a long ,wide and chunky body type . break like shape . Triangular shape .
she has a good deep chest { I can not tell the width ,need photos from the front and the back to see how wide she is.}
her back is long and flat ,correct .
her tail is a correct shape small and full at base .the angle is a little higher , 45 degrees to the horizontal ground . that what we look for ,can go up to 60 Degrees .not more than that .
her feet are correct ,not too tall ,neither short .well feathered .correct color too ,slate .
correct head .gorgeous eyes .
comb is no bad . nice texture ,standing up wight , good number of points . the front is a little bent and the back is not tidy . last point is fused with a lobe forming a fork like .
correct plumage type . tight to the body .sleek looking ,not fluffy type .

chooks man

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I thought you only had the young birchen chicks , now I know you have quite few in there .we love photos ,it is the only way for us to see the bird ,they body type etc.........

your Splash hen has a correct long body type , SOP call for a long ,wide and chunky body type . break like shape . Triangular shape .
she has a good deep chest { I can not tell the width ,need photos from the front and the back to see how wide she is.}
her back is long and flat ,correct .
her tail is a correct shape small and full at base .the angle is a little higher , 45 degrees to the horizontal ground . that what we look for ,can go up to 60 Degrees .not more than that .
her feet are correct ,not too tall ,neither short .well feathered .correct color too ,slate .
correct head .gorgeous eyes .
comb is no bad . nice texture ,standing up wight , good number of points . the front is a little bent and the back is not tidy . last point is fused with a lobe forming a fork like .
correct plumage type . tight to the body .sleek looking ,not fluffy type .

chooks man

I can’t thank you enough for this feedback. It helps me so much. I’m glad you see the good things that I see in her, and I am so glad to know what can be improved upon. I didn’t notice the high tail set before, but it’s glaringly obvious now. I’ll take a picture from the front tomorrow to see width and I will watch her move and see if she always carries the tail so high. Off the top of my head I think she could be a little narrow in the chest but I may be wrong. Below are some pics of the blue pullet that I think is too small. Maybe she will grow into herself, but I don’t think her stature is quite right. Something about her catches my eye in a bad way. Is it that her back is too short? And her comb isn’t very good? She will be great for my Olive egger pen, because she lays a nice egg. What do you see as her faults? Sorry these pics aren’t great. I just happen to have them on my phone already.

 

[Chooks man]

I can’t thank you enough for this feedback. It helps me so much. I’m glad you see the good things that I see in her, and I am so glad to know what can be improved upon. I didn’t notice the high tail set before, but it’s glaringly obvious now. I’ll take a picture from the front tomorrow to see width and I will watch her move and see if she always carries the tail so high. Off the top of my head I think she could be a little narrow in the chest but I may be wrong. Below are some pics of the blue pullet that I think is too small. Maybe she will grow into herself, but I don’t think her stature is quite right. Something about her catches my eye in a bad way. Is it that her back is too short? And her comb isn’t very good? She will be great for my Olive egger pen, because she lays a nice egg. What do you see as her faults? Sorry these pics aren’t great. I just happen to have them on my phone already.
View attachment 2067549
View attachment 2067550

she is gorgeous .correct body type ,head and tail .
correct feet ,well spaced ,great sign of mass .
deep chest and wide not too high from the ground .
nice head .correct eyes .almost correct comb .points need to be tidy that all { the midle 2 points are going on different direction forming M like } but the rest of the comb is actually correct . if I had her I will put her in comb breeding pens for sure .
great plumage .well sleek . you marans have great plumage and body type .Bravo to the Breeders . they are not far off at all .

I do no see any major or DQ faults .few points need to be refine that all .
I need to know they mass .should be 3 to 3.3 Kg or 6 to 7 pounds .
what they eggs color is like?
BLC hen her blue plumage could be more uniform , it is well laced but not uniform

your Splash and BLC hens are worthy of breeding pure marans out of them if they mass and eggs are correct .I don t see why not .

chooks man

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

she is gorgeous .correct body type ,head and tail .
correct feet ,well spaced ,great sign of mass .
deep chest and wide not too high from the ground .
nice head .correct eyes .almost correct comb .points need to be tidy that all { the midle 2 points are going on different direction forming M like } but the rest of the comb is actually correct . if I had her I will put her in comb breeding pens for sure .
great plumage .well sleek . you marans have great plumage and body type .Bravo to the Breeders . they are not far off at all .

I do no see any major or DQ faults .few points need to be refine that all .
I need to know they mass .should be 3 to 3.3 Kg or 6 to 7 pounds .
what they eggs color is like?
BLC hen her blue plumage could be more uniform , it is well laced but not uniform

your Splash and BLC hens are worthy of breeding pure marans out of them if they mass and eggs are correct .I don t see why not .

chooks man

Thank you so much Chooks Man. I think maybe I can be over critical! I’m excited to hear all those good things about her. I don’t have a scale so I will look into getting one. Their eggs are okay in my book. Not super dark, but good size I think.
The blue and splash were sold to me as Birchen, but as you can see, they don’t show Birchen markings on their hackles. Can I breed them to one of the Birchen cockerels I grow out next year or no? Or do I have to try it out to see what happens? The breeder doesn’t breed copper, so i’d hope they are silver based, but is there a way to know just by looking?
Below are some pictures of the splash’s width. What do you think?

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Here is a picture of the Blue pullets eggs.

 

[chickengr]

Here is a picture of the Blue pullets eggs. View attachment 2068002

nice eggs!

what beauty is your avatar?

 

[Chooks man]

Thank you so much Chooks Man. I think maybe I can be over critical! I’m excited to hear all those good things about her. I don’t have a scale so I will look into getting one. Their eggs are okay in my book. Not super dark, but good size I think.
The blue and splash were sold to me as Birchen, but as you can see, they don’t show Birchen markings on their hackles. Can I breed them to one of the Birchen cockerels I grow out next year or no? Or do I have to try it out to see what happens? The breeder doesn’t breed copper, so i’d hope they are silver based, but is there a way to know just by looking?
Below are some pictures of the splash’s width. What do you think?
View attachment 2067944
View attachment 2067945

great thing for you they are silver based .yes you can breed them to your birchen cockerel next year if every thing goes fine.
your splash hen has good leg ,well spaced .she has deep chest .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Here is a picture of the Blue pullets eggs. View attachment 2068002

they are nice . your hens are worthy of breeding them next year for sure .
chooks man

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

they are nice . your hens are worthy of breeding them next year for sure .
chooks man

Thank you so much for all of your help and knowledge. I’ll be sure to come post pictures on this thread as the 3 little Birchens grow out.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

nice eggs!

what beauty is your avatar?

Thank you!
That is one of my Swedish Flower Hen pullets.