International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

You are very busy and a lot of new stock. I am glad things are going well and that you are safe from the flooding.

Thank you for the updates.

This thread is not very active at the moment but it is spring in the US.
I have a feeling everyone is busy breeding and shuffling their stock around too.

hope so , can any one tell us what they are breeding this spring .
peoples where so keen to breed in the winter where they pullets where younger ,but now it is the right time ,they all went quite .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

I kept my 2 silver black (birchen) males in with my black coppers this year for winter heat. I didn't have enough birchens for them to be alone in the other coop. Anyways, the false spring has crept up on me, now eggs everywhere. I'm moving the silver boys today. I keep a closed flock so I wont personally be keeping these eggs, but this has me wondering, if I give them away locally as "brown layers" what would the outcome be of

black silver roo x black copper hen

I dont have any birchen hens in there and obviously, these aren't eggs I should bother setting since my bcm line is pure and separate. *thanks chicken genetics people

if your Silver Black rooster have a pure silver than it is easy to cross them to BC hens . all the cockerels will be a cull but the pullets will be silver black { not pure yet } you can mate the to the original silver Black roosters .
waiting for the photos .
chooks ma

 

[Minky]

Hello to all. I have been busy enjoying the weather here. Last week we went from 3-4 foot snow piles and complete frozen driveway and forest floor, to grass and squishy gravel roads. The flock is loving being outside and my OE pullets that hatched out in late November are finally seeing that they weren't born in the arctic . LOL They are loving sunbathing and scratching the mud and roots.
I've got marans hatching out today, its going well so far. I also bought 3 little splash chicks, I couldn't resist.
This time hatching I tried keeping it around 45-55% and then at hatch 65% humidity and I had a much better result.
I wish they could be out free ranging like Chooks man 's chicks. That is just a perfect set up.

Its funny, my hens we're laying REALLY WELL all winter--January and February were great-- and then March 1 we started to thaw and it went from -20 (Celsius) to +12 (Celsius) in 24 hours..... 3 of my roosters turned to A-holes, and my egg production dropped by about 40%. The past 3 weeks of warmer weather and egg production still about half of what it was in January. Makes no sense.

Anyways, juggling chicks and pens is always a challenge.. Hope it stays warm so they can move to the barn soon.

Will post some photos of babies soon.

 

[chickengr]

due to this covid carneval I am stuck. unfortunately another year wasted. I cannot breed here as I already have problems with evil neighbors. but a friend of mine in north greece got a new roo and will breed her lovely hens. I will get marans from her when I move to my new place.

 

[Minky]

My Marans (BCM roo, 2 BCM hen and a blue hen) have produced 3 pure white chicks so far this season. I contacted the lady I bought them from (as eggs ) and she said she has one white hen. (white, not splash).
How can my chickens (none of which are splash or white) produce an all white chick?
Thanks

 

[Punkybrewster]

hope so , can any one tell us what they are breeding this spring .
peoples where so keen to breed in the winter where they pullets where younger ,but now it is the right time ,they all went quite .

chooks man

I am moving in 10 days so everything is at a stand still until I get them settled.

Before the move, I am going to cull that aggressive cockerel. Hes a jerk and taking up space. That leaves me only Waylon but I have a bunch of young ones to grow out from the last hatch.

I am also going to cull a couple of pullets who consistantly lay light eggs. They never did lay dark ones. #4's.

Im noticing that many pullet eggs are getting light. Isnt it too soon for that?
There are around 4-5 pullets who are still laying nice dark eggs.

Do I only keep the few who lay dark eggs over time? Is it still worth keeping the others if their egg color lightens this fast? I think the problem is they lay every day.

After the move, I plan to hatch out some from Waylon and Georgia. The low tailed pullet and see what we get.

Be safe @ Chooks Man

 

[Chooks man]

I am moving in 10 days so everything is at a stand still until I get them settled.

Before the move, I am going to cull that aggressive cockerel. Hes a jerk and taking up space. That leaves me only Waylon but I have a bunch of young ones to grow out from the last hatch.

I am also going to cull a couple of pullets who consistantly lay light eggs. They never did lay dark ones. #4's.

Im noticing that many pullet eggs are getting light. Isnt it too soon for that?
There are around 4-5 pullets who are still laying nice dark eggs.

Do I only keep the few who lay dark eggs over time? Is it still worth keeping the others if their egg color lightens this fast? I think the problem is they lay every day.

After the move, I plan to hatch out some from Waylon and Georgia. The low tailed pullet and see what we get.

Be safe @ Chooks Man

hope your move is going to be easy and smooth .
cull any thing you are not happy about .
you are saying there 4-5 pullets laying dark eggs .that is great ,enough to breed from them .
breed the best to the best hope for best .
Georgia now is ready to breed from ,she is mature now and will give you big healthy chicks . looking forward to see her progeny .
all the best my dear friend .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

My Marans (BCM roo, 2 BCM hen and a blue hen) have produced 3 pure white chicks so far this season. I contacted the lady I bought them from (as eggs ) and she said she has one white hen. (white, not splash).
How can my chickens (none of which are splash or white) produce an all white chick?
Thanks

some of your breeders are split white . it is a reason they are throwing recessive white chicks .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

due to this covid carneval I am stuck. unfortunately another year wasted. I cannot breed here as I already have problems with evil neighbors. but a friend of mine in north greece got a new roo and will breed her lovely hens. I will get marans from her when I move to my new place.

my dear friend when you finish building your new home and you move I will send you some of the best marans eggs I have ,
one of my business partner is from UK ,he can t not go to England to see his family because of Covid 19 . as soon as they open the border and every thing goes back to normal ,he will be going back to UK few times a year to see his mother . he agreed to drop some fertile eggs for you in Greece on his way to UK .
future looking bright my friend ,we just have to wait .
all the best .

chooks man

 

[chickengr]

my dear friend when you finish building your new home and you move I will send you some of the best marans eggs I have ,
one of my business partner is from UK ,he can t not go to England to see his family because of Covid 19 . as soon as they open the border and every thing goes back to normal ,he will be going back to UK few times a year to see his mother . he agreed to drop some fertile eggs for you in Greece on his way to UK .
future looking bright my friend ,we just have to wait .
all the best .

chooks man

this is the best news in my life! thank you very much my dear friend.