International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[ChloeSilkie08]

please do not breed your gorgeous BC pullets yet ,she need to be separated from the cockerels ,so she can keep growing to her full potential .
marans are slow maturing and if pullets are kept with cockerels ,that will stun they growth .

she need to reach 2.5kg minimum to mate her to cockerel . other wise she will never grow properly .
chooks man

Well, I have no way or means to separate her from cockerels. I haven't ever done that or knew it was even a suggested thing to do. I have other Black Coppers she isn't the only one.

 

[Chooks man]

Well, I have no way or means to separate her from cockerels. I haven't ever done that or knew it was even a suggested thing to do. I have other Black Coppers she isn't the only one.

Ah good to know you have other BCM pullet .
for marans pullet to reach adult weight of 3kg she need all the energy she can get to make it . good practice we separate pullets from cockerels at 4 months of age . we give a pullets all time they need to reach the proper weight .
if you no space than it is hard to do ,

pullets deal with a lot stuff when they start laying ,they have to keep growing to reach they full weight ,plus they have to lay eggs , plus they have to make ink to color the eggs , we don t want to add the cockerel stress on a top of that .
10 month old ,pullets can be penned with cockerels . not before ,not fair on the pullets .

I m not telling you what to do with your chooks .I m just trying to help you understand how breeding marans work .

chooks man

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

Ah good to know you have other BCM pullet .
for marans pullet to reach adult weight of 3kg she need all the energy she can get to make it . good practice we separate pullets from cockerels at 4 months of age . we give a pullets all time they need to reach the proper weight .
if you no space than it is hard to do ,

pullets deal with a lot stuff when they start laying ,they have to keep growing to reach they full weight ,plus they have to lay eggs , plus they have to make ink to color the eggs , we don t want to add the cockerel stress on a top of that .
10 month old ,pullets can be penned with cockerels . not before ,not fair on the pullets .

I m not telling you what to do with your chooks .I m just trying to help you understand how breeding marans work .

chooks man

Thank you! I wish I had the means to do it the right way but I sadly don't.

 

[LaFleche]

Ah good to know you have other BCM pullet .
for marans pullet to reach adult weight of 3kg she need all the energy she can get to make it . good practice we separate pullets from cockerels at 4 months of age . we give a pullets all time they need to reach the proper weight .
if you no space than it is hard to do ,

pullets deal with a lot stuff when they start laying ,they have to keep growing to reach they full weight ,plus they have to lay eggs , plus they have to make ink to color the eggs , we don t want to add the cockerel stress on a top of that .
10 month old ,pullets can be penned with cockerels . not before ,not fair on the pullets .

I m not telling you what to do with your chooks .I m just trying to help you understand how breeding marans work .

chooks man

This is very good advice, and does not only apply for the Marans breed.

I separate the cockerels from the pullets at an even earlier age, as the cockerels mature rather quickly starting to harass and chase the pullets starting at 5-6 weeks old, thus not leaving them time to eat and preen etc. as they will always be on the run to escape the unwanted and often violent attention.
My youngest cockerel started to crow and tried mating the mother hen and his siblings at the tender age of 5 weeks old.

 

[Chooks man]

This is very good advice, and does not only apply for the Marans breed.

I separate the cockerels from the pullets at an even earlier age, as the cockerels mature rather quickly starting to harass and chase the pullets starting at 5-6 weeks old, thus not leaving them time to eat and preen etc. as they will always be on the run to escape the unwanted and often violent attention.
My youngest cockerel started to crow and tried mating the mother hen and his siblings at the tender age of 5 weeks old.

wow very fast maturing line . any way your pullets are happy ti be without they brothers ,they have all the calmness and the space they need to grow well .
chooks man

 

[Bantambird]

Egg photography is hard to get right, guys! But I got some nice pullet eggs!

 

[Punkybrewster]

Egg photography is hard to get right, guys! But I got some nice pullet eggs! View attachment 2496615 View attachment 2496616 View attachment 2496619

Very nice!

 

[Punkybrewster]

Very nice!

Its hard to get correct color of marans eggs in a photo. You have a nice round one there too.

 

[Chooks man]

Egg photography is hard to get right, guys! But I got some nice pullet eggs! View attachment 2496615 View attachment 2496616 View attachment 2496619

very nice plus your line have the body type ,complete body pattern ,pure silver ,and gorgeous tails.
you have done well my friend .Bravo
chooks man

 

[Minky]

Last year I hatched out some marans April 29-30 and they are now in the breeding pens with their rooster. They started laying in October (I was surprised) . Their eggs are averaging 65-75 g.
I have two unrelated roosters and 3 unrelated hens.

I realize it is strongly recommended to wait til after 1 year and even 2, but when you are starting out and they are so hard to find here, its impossible to wait so long.

Should I breed all 3 hens to rooster 1, then all 3 hens to rooster 2?
Their eggs are all acceptable colour. They all have issues but I need to start somewhere. Ideally I would only have 1 rooster and 4 or 5 hens. (I have other varieties of chickens and would like to keep my "winter flock" to around 30-35. I am just breeding for myself, not to show or do anything fabulous. I just want to try and have the best looking and producing flock I can, working towards SOP.

Do I always need to have two roosters? I'm a bit confused how to start. And if I replace my rooster (s) every year, or only if I hatch out one who is a better specimen. Do always breed line 1 to line 2? and then what does that become line 3?



Also- as a side question- out of the 5 marans I own, one is blue. I am not especially a fan of blue. I wouldn't consider keeping any blue roosters. Will crossing a blue and a black produce 50% of each, and will I be able to tell at hatch which are blue? If I only keep black ones, will those black one be able to produce blue if theiy are only bred to a black? Do you think I should remove that hen from my breeding pen ?