International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Two rivers]

I have to ask why you want a Wheaten Cock Bird? Do you have Wheaten hens or pullets or just the BCM pullet? BCM genetics (ER/ER) and Wheaten genetics (eWh/eWh) are very different and should not be interbred - it just creates a mess.

I want a wheaten hen for the silver salmon rooster. Or a black copper rooster for the black copper hen.

 

[kcrandall]

I want a wheaten hen for the silver salmon rooster. Or a black copper rooster for the black copper hen.

OK, I misunderstood your original post then. It’s good to keep BCM pure.

 

[kcrandall]

they have a good bpdy type and great hackle marking .love they small tails .
chooks man

I’m well happy with them so far.

 

[Minky]

My "new" rooster Millbrook ( I got him about 2 months ago) attacked me the other day. When I got him (free from a lady off Facebook) she said she was getting rid of him, because her neighbours were complaining about crowing. He is 9 months old. I had him in quarantine for a month, then I put him in a pen alone, next to my coop. Then one day I added 4 hens for company.... and to try and teach him good chicken manners... I have seen him mating them. He is a bit of an a$$. Not too bad, but pecks them on the head for no reason, they can just be eating or walking by- minding their own business- he pulls out their neck feathers every once in a while.. just for fun..etc... He doesn't cluck cluck cluck for them with tidbits of food at all.. and they spend most of the day on their roosts, while he struts around. The other day I let them have the roam of the entire barn and I locked the flock out to free range all day. When I came in to check on them all- he ran at me, feet up , thankfully I had long pants and big muck boots on, so I put up my leg, he came again, over and over- maybe 5 or 6 times in a row-I ended up having to kick him to the ground. He ran and hid behind a 5x5. bale of hay. He remained there for 2 hours, until I pulled him out. He hasn't tried anything since (this was a week ago).
When he was in quarantine he would even let me pet him. Any ideas what got into him? will this happen again? Will he pass his ill humour to his offspring? I have noticed his tail is on the high side- If it happens again I will eat him.

 

[Punkybrewster]

My "new" rooster Millbrook ( I got him about 2 months ago) attacked me the other day. When I got him (free from a lady off Facebook) she said she was getting rid of him, because her neighbours were complaining about crowing. He is 9 months old. I had him in quarantine for a month, then I put him in a pen alone, next to my coop. Then one day I added 4 hens for company.... and to try and teach him good chicken manners... I have seen him mating them. He is a bit of an a$$. Not too bad, but pecks them on the head for no reason, they can just be eating or walking by- minding their own business- he pulls out their neck feathers every once in a while.. just for fun..etc... He doesn't cluck cluck cluck for them with tidbits of food at all.. and they spend most of the day on their roosts, while he struts around. The other day I let them have the roam of the entire barn and I locked the flock out to free range all day. When I came in to check on them all- he ran at me, feet up , thankfully I had long pants and big muck boots on, so I put up my leg, he came again, over and over- maybe 5 or 6 times in a row-I ended up having to kick him to the ground. He ran and hid behind a 5x5. bale of hay. He remained there for 2 hours, until I pulled him out. He hasn't tried anything since (this was a week ago).
When he was in quarantine he would even let me pet him. Any ideas what got into him? will this happen again? Will he pass his ill humour to his offspring? I have noticed his tail is on the high side- If it happens again I will eat him.

I have a 6 month old cream legbar who tries to flog me all the time. Hes the only cockerel i have for my legbar flock or he would be soup already.

I pin him to the ground and it helps for a few days and then he is back to being a jerk.

As soon as i can hatch out some eggs and get another cockerel, hes gone.

If it was one of my marans cockerels, i would not keep him because i dont want to breed aggression.

Your problem is, hes your only cockerel so thats a hard decision.

Maybe breed him and keep a few of his offspring to grow out and keep the gentle ones.

Being penned with the hens will make your guy a jerk too. I have found with my marans cockerels being in a seperate pen calms them down. They have no one to impress.

 

[Minky]

I have a 6 month old cream legbar who tries to flog me all the time. Hes the only cockerel i have for my legbar flock or he would be soup already.

I pin him to the ground and it helps for a few days and then he is back to being a jerk.

As soon as i can hatch out some eggs and get another cockerel, hes gone.

If it was one of my marans cockerels, i would not keep him because i dont want to breed aggression.

Your problem is, hes your only cockerel so thats a hard decision.

Maybe breed him and keep a few of his offspring to grow out and keep the gentle ones.

Being penned with the hens will make your guy a jerk too. I have found with my marans cockerels being in a seperate pen calms them down. They have no one to impress.

The thing is- I do have one other BCM cockerel- but he is my "over-coloured" one... so I guess I'm in the same boat as you...need to wait until I mate him and have other options. And I can't even put him with my other cockerels, since he is "new" I think he will get attacked.. sheesh.

 

[Minky]

My pullets are coming along nicely as well. I have 4 pullets that are expressing full copper hackles (see pics), 2 pullets with partial copper hackles (darker shade of copper) and 4 pullets that are expressing no copper hackles. I noticed today that one of my pullets with full copper hackles also has a few copper spots on her breast (I’ll have to get a pic of her).

They are very nice looking pullets. Do their combs ever get to be big? I know they won't reach cockerel size- but, for example my Cream Leg Bar hen and my Welsummers hens, they have much bigger single combs than my BCM pullets. Does the comb develop later or is the smaller comb the norm for females of this breed?

 

[kcrandall]

They are very nice looking pullets. Do their combs ever get to be big? I know they won't reach cockerel size- but, for example my Cream Leg Bar hen and my Welsummers hens, they have much bigger single combs than my BCM pullets. Does the comb develop later or is the smaller comb the norm for females of this breed?

Some BCM Hens / Pullets can have big floppy combs while others have nice straight medium sized combs, depends on the line. The SOP calls for medium sized single combs in both males and females. In my experience, their combs stay small until about 30 days prior to point of lay then they grow and turn bright red. I’d say BCM Hen / Pullet combs are similar in size to Welsumers.

 

[chickengr]

My "new" rooster Millbrook ( I got him about 2 months ago) attacked me the other day. When I got him (free from a lady off Facebook) she said she was getting rid of him, because her neighbours were complaining about crowing. He is 9 months old. I had him in quarantine for a month, then I put him in a pen alone, next to my coop. Then one day I added 4 hens for company.... and to try and teach him good chicken manners... I have seen him mating them. He is a bit of an a$$. Not too bad, but pecks them on the head for no reason, they can just be eating or walking by- minding their own business- he pulls out their neck feathers every once in a while.. just for fun..etc... He doesn't cluck cluck cluck for them with tidbits of food at all.. and they spend most of the day on their roosts, while he struts around. The other day I let them have the roam of the entire barn and I locked the flock out to free range all day. When I came in to check on them all- he ran at me, feet up , thankfully I had long pants and big muck boots on, so I put up my leg, he came again, over and over- maybe 5 or 6 times in a row-I ended up having to kick him to the ground. He ran and hid behind a 5x5. bale of hay. He remained there for 2 hours, until I pulled him out. He hasn't tried anything since (this was a week ago).
When he was in quarantine he would even let me pet him. Any ideas what got into him? will this happen again? Will he pass his ill humour to his offspring? I have noticed his tail is on the high side- If it happens again I will eat him.

I have been in quarantine for 3 days only and I already feel like your roo. give him some time to adjust before making any decision.

I carry and pet my roos so they calm down and learn manners.

 

[Punkybrewster]

The thing is- I do have one other BCM cockerel- but he is my "over-coloured" one... so I guess I'm in the same boat as you...need to wait until I mate him and have other options. And I can't even put him with my other cockerels, since he is "new" I think he will get attacked.. sheesh.

Have you tried putting him in with the other cockerels?

2 days ago, I put my 3 cockerels together in a pen and expected blood and chaos. I did it at night when they were on the roost. The next morning there was squabbling for about 10 minutes and that was it. By mid day, they were eating and drinking side by side.

I have found it to be much easier than pullets integration. Guys just get along better.