International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[BlueTheBrahma]

I made the mistake of letting him out for a bit last night and he went into the coop and tried jumping up to the roost and overshot it crashing onto the pb.
Looks like I'm going to have to add a ramp and hopefully he retrains himself to use it or I'm afraid he's gonna hurt himself getting up and down if this continues, feel bad for the poor guy.
Is there anything you've done to accommodate your Wellie Roo to make his life easier?

There are a few things but I don’t know how much they’d apply to your case. Sorry I’m advance for all the words!

My pen is a little unconventional, it is fully covered by mesh at the sides and floor and roofed with black plastic so it stays dry. The coop (an omelet egloo) is in the middle, but as it is on legs it doesn’t take up floor space. Since Welsummers are good flyers, much better than marans, I give them lots of vertical space, perches, old tree branches and swings, starting from a few feet from the ground up to the top. The whole back of the pen is like this, allowing them to live semi-arboreally. He does well to navigate this, but sometimes jerks backwards and falls. For this reason, make sure there is plenty of straw. You have two options with perches I think to accommodate him falling, either have lots close together so he is kept up by other perches, or make sure they are far apart so he doesn’t hit anything when falling. Round perches (particularly tree branches) are better for holding on to, and cause less damage if h fallen in to. Some wide, flat perches work too because he can sit on them better.

Sometimes he would stumble backwards and keep walking into the mesh between his pen and the Brahmas, so he would get a surprise attack from a rooster more than twice his size (or on the other side from a silkie who thinks he’s way bigger than he is), scaring him more. So I’ve put sheets of plastic 2 feet up across the mesh so they can’t see each other (Blue can still poke his head above but not jump at him).

The Egloo also works well for him sleeping because it’s enclosed and the bars are so close together.

I keep the floor free from obstacles, feeder, drinker (hung from the walls even though he stills knocks it off) and dust bath, nothing else. When I let them out to range he barely comes out, but the same applies here.


Sorry this is a lot of words that probably don’t help you, I just thought I’d include everything I have done in case you can copy it. Frankly, when I breed a better SDW cock from him I’ll probably put him out of his misery, but I don’t think you will have to do that with yours, he’s in a way better state than Captain Jack.

 

[Chooks man]

I made the mistake of letting him out for a bit last night and he went into the coop and tried jumping up to the roost and overshot it crashing onto the pb.
Looks like I'm going to have to add a ramp and hopefully he retrains himself to use it or I'm afraid he's gonna hurt himself getting up and down if this continues, feel bad for the poor guy.
Is there anything you've done to accommodate your Wellie Roo to make his life easier?

I told you my friend do not let him out now till he get used to his new condition other wise he will hert him self .
his condition will stay with him for the rest of his life so learn how to hunddle him with care if you want to keep him .
do not breed from him ,he will pass his genes to his progeny ,a friend of mine had a rooster with a similar condition to yours ,he kept him for 5 years and bred frrom him .5 to 7 % of his progeny did show the symptom at a early stage of the life as chicks . I had few of them because I bought fertile egs from him ,his hens lay dark eggs . big mistake . I still have one of his daughter 5 years old now she did not show the symptom for the first 4 year but last year she is doing what your rooster is doing .she is fine most of time ,I have a lower roost bar for her ,some time she will roost on the floor in the corner when she is not feeling good but most of the time she rooston the bar .
she lay eggs ,she mate and foarage well .she alway sit next to me when i m in the pen with the chooks because she got used too me handdling her all the time to check on her .
she is a pet now .
take you time and don t rush him pen him with a youngster or some old hens if you can and lower the roost bar just a foot from the ground . he will be fine .
I will say it again DO NOT BREED FROM HIM PLEASE NOT FAIR FOR THE CHOOKS WELL BEEN IN A LONG RUN, ( BUT it is your chooks do what you like with them ,I just had to tell you it is my respopnsabality to tell the truth because you guys trust me ) what you do is up to you my friend
good luck
chooks man

 

[wrathsfarm]

There are a few things but I don’t know how much they’d apply to your case. Sorry I’m advance for all the words!

My pen is a little unconventional, it is fully covered by mesh at the sides and floor and roofed with black plastic so it stays dry. The coop (an omelet egloo) is in the middle, but as it is on legs it doesn’t take up floor space. Since Welsummers are good flyers, much better than marans, I give them lots of vertical space, perches, old tree branches and swings, starting from a few feet from the ground up to the top. The whole back of the pen is like this, allowing them to live semi-arboreally. He does well to navigate this, but sometimes jerks backwards and falls. For this reason, make sure there is plenty of straw. You have two options with perches I think to accommodate him falling, either have lots close together so he is kept up by other perches, or make sure they are far apart so he doesn’t hit anything when falling. Round perches (particularly tree branches) are better for holding on to, and cause less damage if h fallen in to. Some wide, flat perches work too because he can sit on them better.

Sometimes he would stumble backwards and keep walking into the mesh between his pen and the Brahmas, so he would get a surprise attack from a rooster more than twice his size (or on the other side from a silkie who thinks he’s way bigger than he is), scaring him more. So I’ve put sheets of plastic 2 feet up across the mesh so they can’t see each other (Blue can still poke his head above but not jump at him).

The Egloo also works well for him sleeping because it’s enclosed and the bars are so close together.

I keep the floor free from obstacles, feeder, drinker (hung from the walls even though he stills knocks it off) and dust bath, nothing else. When I let them out to range he barely comes out, but the same applies here.


Sorry this is a lot of words that probably don’t help you, I just thought I’d include everything I have done in case you can copy it. Frankly, when I breed a better SDW cock from him I’ll probably put him out of his misery, but I don’t think you will have to do that with yours, he’s in a way better state than Captain Jack.

Thank you. No that's a big help on things I might otherwise overlook, like extra bedding.. until he falls then it's a facepalm moment.

He seemed fine in the morning, so later in the afternoon I let him out to see his girls. I think when he gets worked up it triggers for him. I've had him caged all day today and he's acting fine but I'm gonna keep him caged now a few more days to keep an eye on him, see if anything specific triggers it and give me time to work out a lower roost or ramp. Thanks for the help.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I told you my friend do not let him out now till he get used to his new condition other wise he will hert him self .
his condition will stay with him for the rest of his life so learn how to hunddle him with care if you want to keep him .
do not breed from him ,he will pass his genes to his progeny ,a friend of mine had a rooster with a similar condition to yours ,he kept him for 5 years and bred frrom him .5 to 7 % of his progeny did show the symptom at a early stage of the life as chicks . I had few of them because I bought fertile egs from him ,his hens lay dark eggs . big mistake . I still have one of his daughter 5 years old now she did not show the symptom for the first 4 year but last year she is doing what your rooster is doing .she is fine most of time ,I have a lower roost bar for her ,some time she will roost on the floor in the corner when she is not feeling good but most of the time she rooston the bar .
she lay eggs ,she mate and foarage well .she alway sit next to me when i m in the pen with the chooks because she got used too me handdling her all the time to check on her .
she is a pet now .
take you time and don t rush him pen him with a youngster or some old hens if you can and lower the roost bar just a foot from the ground . he will be fine .
I will say it again DO NOT BREED FROM HIM PLEASE NOT FAIR FOR THE CHOOKS WELL BEEN IN A LONG RUN, ( BUT it is your chooks do what you like with them ,I just had to tell you it is my respopnsabality to tell the truth because you guys trust me ) what you do is up to you my friend
good luck
chooks man

Yes, lesson learned. I appreciate your help, my friend. Problem now is I've got 3 of his daughters with him now, plus Prince is his.....and the 3 of the newest babies are his.
We were talking about getting rid of King, Prince and his 3 sisters before this happened so I maybe need to just go ahead with it now plus re-home the 3 babies also.

I would then keep Joannie, Jett, and Betty which are the 3 oldest and move them in with Kong. (1flock)... Thank you for your help it's appreciated my friend. Lots of thinking to do.

 

[Chooks man]

Yes, lesson learned. I appreciate your help, my friend. Problem now is I've got 3 of his daughters with him now, plus Prince is his.....and the 3 of the newest babies are his.
We were talking about getting rid of King, Prince and his 3 sisters before this happened so I maybe need to just go ahead with it now plus re-home the 3 babies also.

I would then keep Joannie, Jett, and Betty which are the 3 oldest and move them in with Kong. (1flock)... Thank you for your help it's appreciated my friend. Lots of thinking to do.

that will be great . you can keep his daughters as layers if you have a space .not all of them will inherit his gene. like I said before e and my friend we did a study and we observed only 5 to 7 % of the progeny did exhibit the problem .
Kong is your way out .
you know hatching and looking after chicks till they grow out itake a lot time and money plus the emotionnal atachement . so better to avoid any nusty surprise .
good luck to you with kong and his new girls joanne,jett and betty enough for you to restart new flock .
all the best .
chooks man

 

[wrathsfarm]

that will be great . you can keep his daughters as layers if you have a space .not all of them will inherit his gene. like I said before e and my friend we did a study and we observed only 5 to 7 % of the progeny did exhibit the problem .
Kong is your way out .
you know hatching and looking after chicks till they grow out itake a lot time and money plus the emotionnal atachement . so better to avoid any nusty surprise .
good luck to you with kong and his new girls joanne,jett and betty enough for you to restart new flock .
all the best .
chooks man

Yes, that's the way I was headed. I need to leg band which daughters are laying the darkest eggs and move forward from there. I've got the latest daughter (broody) leg banded and been collecting her eggs since she started back up. (I'll get a pic so you can look see)
I know Joannie, Betty's and Jett's eggs. Just need to tag other 2 after they start the color back up. They are pretty light right now, one of them is splashing some pinkish purple bloom on some of her eggs.

But kinda where I was headed was to downsize some birds to one flock and then shoot for Black Silvers by Spring... If I can find quality breeders is the magic question.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I told you my friend do not let him out now till he get used to his new condition other wise he will hert him self .
his condition will stay with him for the rest of his life so learn how to hunddle him with care if you want to keep him .
do not breed from him ,he will pass his genes to his progeny ,a friend of mine had a rooster with a similar condition to yours ,he kept him for 5 years and bred frrom him .5 to 7 % of his progeny did show the symptom at a early stage of the life as chicks . I had few of them because I bought fertile egs from him ,his hens lay dark eggs . big mistake . I still have one of his daughter 5 years old now she did not show the symptom for the first 4 year but last year she is doing what your rooster is doing .she is fine most of time ,I have a lower roost bar for her ,some time she will roost on the floor in the corner when she is not feeling good but most of the time she rooston the bar .
she lay eggs ,she mate and foarage well .she alway sit next to me when i m in the pen with the chooks because she got used too me handdling her all the time to check on her .
she is a pet now .
take you time and don t rush him pen him with a youngster or some old hens if you can and lower the roost bar just a foot from the ground . he will be fine .
I will say it again DO NOT BREED FROM HIM PLEASE NOT FAIR FOR THE CHOOKS WELL BEEN IN A LONG RUN, ( BUT it is your chooks do what you like with them ,I just had to tell you it is my respopnsabality to tell the truth because you guys trust me ) what you do is up to you my friend
good luck
chooks man

Thank you for this info on not breeding them. I’d had a thought yesterday when talking about it if it may be genetic.
There might be 20 Drunk looking Welsummers around England now! (Selling hatching eggs). I’ll make sure I remove my bird from the breeding programme and get him rehomed if I can. I’ll have to do the same thing, have his daughters as layers.
I have another SDW roo, his half brother, though he has no symptoms. He has a tidier head but more black in his back and a less impressive tail, but he doesn’t have a brain issue! Their father, Thor, who died last week from old age, went through a phase of shaking his head side to side, but I’m pretty sure that was mites. A bucket full of diatomaceous Earth and one suspicious looking roo and he seemed to stop. As far as I know, it’s only 022/Captain Jack that has the brain issue.

P.S: can you still eat birds with this condition?

 

[Punkybrewster]

Thank you Chooks man! Glad you are moving birds to the knew property. I am so excited for you! Blessings my friend! I need to make time to go out and observe my Marans more often. My back and hip is holding me back. I can't sit down if I do I can't get up. I get sharp pain with ever step. I do better if I don't bend over or sit down. I am flooded with work but I have to keep going. I can't get as much done as I use to I just keep putting along. I am making new watering buckets with lids for all the pens with cups on them. That keeps the water cleaner. I have had this system in the big pen for a couple weeks now. It's working good! My chicks should start hatching in about 9 days.

I use these and side nipple waterers. So much better than any watering system Ive ever tried.

 

[Punkybrewster]

The removable cups are supposed to be so you can clean them easier, I think. But my waterers are only 2 gallons, so I just carry them to the hose and blast the cup and the inside of the bucket clean.

The problem will be when it gets colder. They'll freeze. So I need to get some nipple waterers too, so I can mount them on a heated water bucket in cold weather.

I put couple of nipple waterers in between the cups on the bucket for when the cups freeze in winter. So far it has worked well.
BUT....im in the south. We dont usually get deep freezes.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Had to laugh at "roofing tar". LOL. But whatever works. Sounds like a good solution to the problem.

I wonder if using just some food coloring concentrate would work, something other than red. Dab it on with a Qtip.

Ive used blue food coloring mixed with triple antibiotic in a pinch.