International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

Yes.
So much great advice.

let them do more growing ,when time come to select we can go throw breeding them .

Advice to you and to all the readers . you can not keep breeding some body else line from unmarked /shipped eggs .
to keep some body else line ,the eggs should be shipped to you marked ,from witch pen ,sire ,dams etc ..............better if the breeder can send you 2 different lines or combination .

best way to keep some body line pure is to buy live correct birds from them .other way is not worth it .
inbreeding depression is no joke .. the worst thing in any chooks ward .

chooks man

 

[RoosterML]

Same pullet her 2nd egg(on right ) is alittle darker

 

[Punkybrewster]

Beautiful.

 

[kcrandall]

Same pullet her 2nd egg(on right ) is alittle darker
View attachment 2296236

very nice start for your pullet!

 

[Thomas Bright]

Feed question? I get my feed from local farmer. Very nice feed, tested at 16% protein. Hens lay nice big eggs. All are doing fine. I pay .16 cents a lb for this feed. That is $120 for 740 Lbs of feed. Nice to live in Eastern Washington. The question is how soon can I switch my young chics to this feed. Purina chic feed is $20 per 50lbs that is .40 cents per Lb!!! The label says to feed until point of lay, which for a Marans can be 20 to 30 weeks old. Thanks Tom

 

[humblehillsfarm]

This may have been answered on here before, but I'm not reading through all 1623 pages

Has anyone been breeding blue copper marans to black copper marans? Do you feel there is a difference in egg color, or enough difference to matter? I understand that resulting chicks should be 50% black and 50% blue. I bought a black copper hen from Meyer, but can you believe it, they were out of roosters! Plus, reviews frequently noted the roosters were mean. So I bought a blue copper maran rooster with the intention of breeding the two, and also creating my own generation of olive eggers and f2 olive eggers. I have a blue Americauna and I think her and the blue copper's babies have potential to be gorgeous.

 

[Two rivers]

Feed question? I get my feed from local farmer. Very nice feed, tested at 16% protein. Hens lay nice big eggs. All are doing fine. I pay .16 cents a lb for this feed. That is $120 for 740 Lbs of feed. Nice to live in Eastern Washington. The question is how soon can I switch my young chics to this feed. Purina chic feed is $20 per 50lbs that is .40 cents per Lb!!! The label says to feed until point of lay, which for a Marans can be 20 to 30 weeks old. Thanks Tom

I asked my husband's uncle who runs an "egg factory" he says 4 weeks for the chick starter then a grower feed till they go in the layer barn and then they get the high calcium layer feed. Hope that helps. ‍ the layer feed is formulated for chickens who lay every day. He didn't get into the protein %..

K i found out the grower feed for the pullets is 20% protein

 

[Thomas Bright]

I asked my husband's uncle who runs an "egg factory" he says 4 weeks for the chick starter then a grower feed till they go in the layer barn and then they get the high calcium layer feed. Hope that helps. ‍ the layer feed is formulated for chickens who lay every day. He didn't get into the protein %..

K i found out the grower feed for the pullets is 20% protein

Yes the grower feed at most "Feed Supply" places is 20%. I'm trying to beat the .40 cents a Lb price. My processor guys adds peas to this mix and that bumps it to 20%. He feeds this to his flock of Cornish Cross and sells finished, processed birds. All USDA. Great people. I think that's the way I will go. I have 20 pullets this hatch and maybe 4 cockerels that look like keepers. I will know in a year or so. That is great, but the feed bill just keeps going up. I process all my culls and give most of the eggs away. You really have to Love these birds or any breed to become a breeder. TOM

 

[RoosterML]

Yes the grower feed at most "Feed Supply" places is 20%. I'm trying to beat the .40 cents a Lb price. My processor guys adds peas to this mix and that bumps it to 20%. He feeds this to his flock of Cornish Cross and sells finished, processed birds. All USDA. Great people. I think that's the way I will go. I have 20 pullets this hatch and maybe 4 cockerels that look like keepers. I will know in a year or so. That is great, but the feed bill just keeps going up. I process all my culls and give most of the eggs away. You really have to Love these birds or any breed to become a breeder. TOM

Grower feed is usually low protein 15% for Poulin Grain. Starter 20%. Layer 16.5%

 

[Thomas Bright]

Grower feed is usually low protein 15% for Poulin Grain. Starter 20%. Layer 16.5%

Purina All Flock 18% Purina Flock Raiser 20% according to the label I feed it to Cocks when they are molting, makes nice feathers. They also have one that is a Feather Fixer with even more protein. My original Question was( when can I take my chics off $.40 cents a Lb to $.16 cents a Lb feed Chic feed is 18% local feed is 16%. TOM