International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Punkybrewster]

I have high humidity year round where i live with no central air.

I is a huge issue for me. Im still trying to find what works best re temp and humidity.

A lot of trial and error.

This next go round, i may try chooks man method. Same temp and humidity from start to finish.

I am from New England and had the opposite problem up there. Keeping humidity up. But that was an easy fix and i always had good hatch rates.

Here, humidity is my enemy and the bane of my existence.
Add to that hatching marans eggs...

 

[Chooks man]

Are there any Marans in th U.S. pure? Even original famous breeders without mentioning any names. I got Marans out of that line with yellow legs. Even theirs are not pure.

marans hen is not a new thing neither bastard hen ,Marans hen LA POULE DE MARANS has a standard .has a history .
the Standard tell us what to look for . what traits we should be breeding for . what the conformation of the breed ,
so marans hens does not look like Australorp hens .does not look like Sussex . marans hen look like marans hen described in her Standard .

I m the one who stated that black pullet is 100 % marans .she has all the marans traits except her legs are clean . she is not . maybe some thing has been added to her parent line by crossing or jumping fences . I don t know about that .What I m saying .she has all the marans traits . And I will stand by what I said .

m not recreating the SOP .I m just commenting in the photos you guys post in here . I don t know nothing about any body chooks except @marchick and @kfelton0002 . rest are just photos .

any way that not what I come to the thread for .
chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Couple of days ago some one stated that they could tell if a chicken was pure Marans by just looking at them. I hope this is just wishful thinking. There is no one that can just look and say any Marans is pure. This is very misleading to the newer Marans people .

I stated as well what I think she is marans .because she is exhibiting all marans traits .except leg feathering .could happen . she does not look to me she is cross of other breed .maybe far in distance .
I did not make the marans standard my Dear friend . I just look for the traits been described to us by SOP .

lot peoples know lot different chooks .
me I only know marans breed since I open my eyes over 50 years ago . I know them more than I know my self . 3 generation marans breeders .

@snowbird . what did you see in the pullets .make her look not marans to you ?

chooks man

 

[Minky]

So "rooster day" is coming up again and before we make rooster chilli -- I thought I would please ask for opinions on these two birds. They are the only two that hatched out that looked like this. They were both very late bloomers, at 17 weeks people were still saying that they were hens. They are gentle and have not heard them crow yet. I believe they were the two eggs that were told to me to be French Marans. I had 6 eggs from this one backyard breeder and only 2 made it to lockdown and hatch. Must be these two. What do you think? Marans? Very similar birds to each other except for comb and foot feathers...

 

[Minky]

I have high humidity year round where i live with no central air.

I is a huge issue for me. Im still trying to find what works best re temp and humidity.

A lot of trial and error.

This next go round, i may try chooks man method. Same temp and humidity from start to finish.

I am from New England and had the opposite problem up there. Keeping humidity up. But that was an easy fix and i always had good hatch rates.

Here, humidity is my enemy and the bane of my existence.
Add to that hatching marans eggs...

Good to hear that everyone has a different method and you have to do what works for where you live. I found it hard to get below 47% humidity even with a dry incubator. I only did my first two hatches this may and June. Put in 48 eggs, had about 40 at lockdown and got 33 first time and 34 second time, but I helped out 2 the second time (and one of those didn't make it anyways). My first hatch I had a lot of full grown marans stuck in their shells. It was disappointing.

 

[Minky]

How you hatch has a lot to do with your environment. Is it naturally dry or humid where you live?

Marans shells are thicker than standard poultry so they retain moisture. I incubate at 99.5 degrees and 25% humidity for first 18 days then at lockdown (Day 19) I increase humidity to 65%. During incubation I keep the eggs fat end (air sac) up then lay eggs on their side during lockdown.

Interesting. I dont think I could even get my humidity down to 25%. When I tried in May 47% was the lowest I could get!
Can I ask why you change their position at lockdown?

 

[kcrandall]

Interesting. I dont think I could even get my humidity down to 25%. When I tried in May 47% was the lowest I could get!
Can I ask why you change their position at lockdown?

You could add a dehumidifier to the room where you hatch your eggs. My incubator has two small adjustable vents that are used to help control air flow and humidity. I open these vents as wide as they go to vent excess moisture. Humidity in North Texas can range from 30% to 65% depending on the season.

I don’t really have a good answer for why I change egg position other than that’s what I was taught as a child. I know some people that hatch in egg cartons (fat side up) and they have good hatches.

I also do not candle Marans Eggs so I only open the incubator to reposition the eggs at lockdown then on Day 21 to move the chicks to the brooder.

 

[kcrandall]

So "rooster day" is coming up again and before we make rooster chilli -- I thought I would please ask for opinions on these two birds. They are the only two that hatched out that looked like this. They were both very late bloomers, at 17 weeks people were still saying that they were hens. They are gentle and have not heard them crow yet. I believe they were the two eggs that were told to me to be French Marans. I had 6 eggs from this one backyard breeder and only 2 made it to lockdown and hatch. Must be these two. What do you think? Marans? Very similar birds to each other except for comb and foot feathers...

So how old are these birds now? At 17 weeks a BCM Cockerel should be expressing Copper in his hackle, saddle and back feathers whereas these birds appear all black. The bird in the 1st, 6th and 7th pics appears to have a pea comb which is not correct for a Marans. Can you confirm if it is a pea comb?

 

[Minky]

So how old are these birds now? At 17 weeks a BCM Cockerel should be expressing Copper in his hackle, saddle and back feathers whereas these birds appear all black. The bird in the 1st, 6th and 7th pics appears to have a pea comb which is not correct for a Marans. Can you confirm if it is a pea comb?

These guys are both 22 weeks now. There is certainly no copper anywhere. I recall the lady telling me they were FRENCH marans. She said French about 5 times. LOL. I didnt really know much (even less than I do now) .... yes, the one guy has a modified pea it looks like a glob type comb I see with barnyard mixes. He was going to be dinner.... but the other one Im not sure-its got clean black legs.. Im wondering if it may be a black orpington? or one of the olive egger eggs that hatched possibly. Sounds like we should eat both.

 

[chickengr]

So "rooster day" is coming up again and before we make rooster chilli -- I thought I would please ask for opinions on these two birds. They are the only two that hatched out that looked like this. They were both very late bloomers, at 17 weeks people were still saying that they were hens. They are gentle and have not heard them crow yet. I believe they were the two eggs that were told to me to be French Marans. I had 6 eggs from this one backyard breeder and only 2 made it to lockdown and hatch. Must be these two. What do you think? Marans? Very similar birds to each other except for comb and foot feathers...

they look like mixed breed to me. the one with pea comb probably is OE. unless brahma or similar mix.