International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

View attachment 2332095
@marchick
this cockerel is Jasper son ? look very good ,
are his toes bent or just because he is on top of table ?
chooks man

sorry @marchick
I had a good look .his toes are normal .they just over lapping each other . made look twisted . all good .

chooks man

 

[marchick]

This is t

View attachment 2332095
@marchick
this cockerel is Jasper son ? look very good ,
are his toes bent or just because he is on top of table ?
chooks man

This is the only BC cockerel from Jasper. Not sure on toe I will check.

 

[marchick]

sorry @marchick
I had a good look .his toes are normal .they just over lapping each other . made look twisted . all good .

chooks man

It's ok. I startled them and probably made that happen. Trying to get pictures is not always easy.

 

[Minky]

we have hard water too and it is packed with calcium witch helps laying.

what do you feed them? try to feed them a good layers feed for a week and see what happens. they are young and supposed to be good layers so you might have egg eaters or some predators who eat their eggs.

free ranging is supposed to be good for laying if they can find enough staff to eat.

our forest is packed with bugs. I have trail cameras set up so I know there are no predators(only chipmunks, toads and tree frogs) . I dont find evidence of egg eaters, and I'm in the barn a lot so I would see it. Or at least there would be wet hay/gooey.
I feed layer pellets from two different local farm stores.(how do I know if it is good?? one is 17% and the other 18% protein. I am ready to sell the whole lot- but I figure its something I must be doing??? So darn maddening.

 

[Minky]

View attachment 2331481
@RoosterML

this cockerel is the best but he is not perfect .he has great qualities and bad faults .


Bad stuff =
parasitic white on his tail .
bulge in his comb right side .

what egg color did he hatched from ?

chooks man

Is the parasitic white in this photo that tiny bit of white fluff I see by the base of his tail?

 

[kcrandall]

our forest is packed with bugs. I have trail cameras set up so I know there are no predators(only chipmunks, toads and tree frogs) . I dont find evidence of egg eaters, and I'm in the barn a lot so I would see it. Or at least there would be wet hay/gooey.
I feed layer pellets from two different local farm stores.(how do I know if it is good?? one is 17% and the other 18% protein. I am ready to sell the whole lot- but I figure its something I must be doing??? So darn maddening.

Most layer feeds from major suppliers (Purina, Nutrena, etc.) have 16% protein, 2.5% fat and 3-4% calcium. There could be a lot of different reasons why your chooks are off the lay - feed quality, over or under fed, environmental conditions, predators, etc. Since you free range it’s possible they have a hidden nest. Hens/Pullets are very skilled at hiding their nesting spots - you’d be amazed. I know people who thought for sure their favorite hen was taken by a predator only to have her show back up 3 weeks later with a brood of chicks.

I feed a pellet and grain mix (barley, oats, peas, wheat, flaxseed and BOSS) that is 19% protein, 4% fat and 2.5-3.5% calcium. This feed also has the amino acids that chooks need to maintain good health. These are the main things I look for in a chooks feed. I have noticed that their molts aren’t as hard since I’ve been feeding this feed too so that is a bonus.

I like the higer protein to prevent feather picking and lower calcium so I can feed it to the Cocks during breeding season. I supplement oyster shell to provide hens with extra calcium. I also limit treats because of higher fat content of this feed. Every other day they get a few dried mealworms or crickets. In the colder months I give a little scratch before evening to give them a little energy boost to stay warm.

Sorry, I seem to rambled with this post!!

 

[Chooks man]

Is the parasitic white in this photo that tiny bit of white fluff I see by the base of his tail?

Yes it is. Start small and will affect rest on the feather. Goes bad with age some times.

Chooks man

 

[chickengr]

I don't think she is as nice as I thought. I went out and she has a part white foot feather on one foot. Bummer!

many feet feathers get damaged and become white. please don't rush!

 

[chickengr]

our forest is packed with bugs. I have trail cameras set up so I know there are no predators(only chipmunks, toads and tree frogs) . I dont find evidence of egg eaters, and I'm in the barn a lot so I would see it. Or at least there would be wet hay/gooey.
I feed layer pellets from two different local farm stores.(how do I know if it is good?? one is 17% and the other 18% protein. I am ready to sell the whole lot- but I figure its something I must be doing??? So darn maddening.

hidden nests? are they fat? stressed for some reason?

their feed is ok, free range is a plus.

 

[RoosterML]

My color chart finally came in!