International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

@Punkybrewster the chick on my right the shorter one has all the traits I look for when I m selecting for a body type .he is 100% correct .keeper for sure .
the taller chicks in the back has all the traits I avoid .not a keeper in my book .
hope this information will help you to select early .keep the best one and look after them very well .
chooks man

 

[Punkybrewster]

yes there is a difference between them I like the shorter legs chicks on the front .stocky but I can t see how long his body is .need side shot for that .

in my experience correct body type chicks will grow up to have a correct body type as an adult .I always hear peoples saying they need time to grow they will fill up ,blah blah blah .
I select my chicks at when they are very young ,. when selecting for body type if I m selecting for body colour than I have to wait .
I you go back and see my post from 2 years ago when I hatch my last group using broosdy hens I showed the best looking chicks as early stange chicks with a long low to the ground body type ,very thick bonnes .
here the traits I reject at early stage when I m selcting for body type ;
chicks with long legs .
with thinner narrow body.
square body
smaller head with a thin beak
narrow rear
bent inward or outward legs
chooks man

I don't have any from the side. I will be sure to get them from now on. I notice the difference when I take pictures better than just looking at them. So far, there are a mix of both types.

 

[Chooks man]

the chick on the left on the photo great body type not the BC walking away

@Punkybrewster here are few photos of my old post showing chicks with great and correct body type at a early age .
chooks man

 

[Punkybrewster]

the chick on the left on the photo great body type not the BC walking away

@Punkybrewster here are few photos of my old post showing chicks with great and correct body type at a early age .
chooks man

Ahhhh
I see it.
Thank you for these pictures!
I am going to go out later and look at the young cockerels and younger chicks to study on this.

 

[Lady-Bird]

Looking at the brown colour on his wing tip I think he is a wheaten cross . If he is a pure BC his wing tip will be crow wing meat black . But better to test him . To do that you need to Nate him to any wheaten or buff hen from any breed. If all chicks hatch black than he is a pure BC but if some chicks hatch with a yellow hatch down than he is a split wheaten .
Chooks man

I have Salmon Faverolles I could test mate him to. I think they are considered wheaten. If he is a wheaten cross, can I use him to create my own line of wheaten Marans? I guess that might involve way too much culling.

 

[Lady-Bird]

Looking at the brown colour on his wing tip I think he is a wheaten cross . If he is a pure BC his wing tip will be crow wing meat black . But better to test him . To do that you need to Nate him to any wheaten or buff hen from any breed. If all chicks hatch black than he is a pure BC but if some chicks hatch with a yellow hatch down than he is a split wheaten .
Chooks man

I have pictures of the hen but she’s in such rough shape I’m embarrassed to post them She was really badly abused out in the coop by the hens and the rooster. I was thinking of her as a cull because she didn’t hold Herself like a Maran she was always hunched and walked backwards a lot. She’s actually doing a lot better with Russel who is super gentle and treats her like a queen. She has pale earlobes. I don’t know if that’s normal for her or if she’s just anemic from being on the bottom of the pecking order. I checked all my other hens and they all have red earlobes. She is however my best layer. 5 dark brown eggs a week. MyMarans hens are amazing they’ve been laying since January 3-5 eggs a day from 8 hens. The “cull” hen is pictured below along with her egg.

 

[Lady-Bird]

This was my original breeding rooster. I have some of his eggs in the incubator. This was supposed to be my F2 generation cross. Correct me if I’m wrong. It was a brother sister crossing From the same generation. I bought them as chicks from a lady who had just done an out cross. He’s dead unfortunately. I can’t get anymore chicks from him this season so I hope the eggs hatch

 

[Lady-Bird]

Here are some of the hens he was bred to.

 

[Chooks man]

I have Salmon Faverolles I could test mate him to. I think they are considered wheaten. If he is a wheaten cross, can I use him to create my own line of wheaten Marans? I guess that might involve way too much culling.

Yes mate him to salmon faverolles hen and see the result.
First we have to establish if he has a wheaten on him or just overly coloured before we star thinking about creating a wheaten line .
Chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

This was my original breeding rooster. I have some of his eggs in the incubator. This was supposed to be my F2 generation cross. Correct me if I’m wrong. It was a brother sister crossing From the same generation. I bought them as chicks from a lady who had just done an out cross. He’s dead unfortunately. I can’t get anymore chicks from him this season so I hope the eggs hatch

This guy look like a pure BC . Try to avoid breeding brother and sister bad practice . You will run into a lot troubles in future generation.
Chooks man