International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

Tough break Chooks man.

We ran into bad luck this time last year but we ended up raising plenty of chicks despite the setback. Everything will work out hopefully and your brooders will be full soon!

Our Sportsman is nearly packed full already and our first hatch is due this friday. No Marans though, too early for them.. plus none of them are laying. My husband has lights on his Game breeders and they are producing well. My birds are taking a break for the winter except for one Sussex and a couple White Leghorns.

good luck with your first hatch .

a broody hen hatch me a few chicks today . she did better than Man technology . she only had 6 eggs . I ll see tomorrow how many she managed to hatch .

chooks man

 

[winterhorses]

Yeah, the black guy is no more. I got him as an OE from a hatchery and he was ugly as sin! Had the personality to match it and was attacking me all the time. I figured with my BCMs and LAs, I'd make my own OEs!

Demented, ha, perfect way to describe how they look. I got them both along with the male from My Pet Chicken, I think.

I'll ask about the blue color. I'm curious, too!

I don like the black one .
I like the partridge looking one with a black crest gorgeous looking . demented but cute

I had one like her couple years ago without a crest . a Fox got her .wasn t happy about it . never had that color pattern showed up again . bloody fox .

chooks man

 

[winterhorses]

Finally got some half decent pics of my young cockerels. I'd love any feedback about whether I should hang onto one or both. Newbie question: All three have the little clear shafts around their heads that I haven't seen in any of my others. Are those considered pin feathers or is that shaftiness? (What does shaftiness look like?)

Cockerel #1:
This guy is obviously overcolored; is he a definite cull?







Cockerel #2:
He's the Shy Guy of the bunch. There's a tuft of gray fuzzy feathers at the base of his tail. Is that BAD or just a leftover chick thing?









And here's a group shot of a few of my youngest. Floppy comb cockerel is a cull.



Thanks so much! This forum has been invaluable for teaching me about Marans!

 

[Chooks man]

Finally got some half decent pics of my young cockerels. I'd love any feedback about whether I should hang onto one or both. Newbie question: All three have the little clear shafts around their heads that I haven't seen in any of my others. Are those considered pin feathers or is that shaftiness? (What does shaftiness look like?)

Cockerel #1:
This guy is obviously overcolored; is he a definite cull?







Cockerel #2:
He's the Shy Guy of the bunch. There's a tuft of gray fuzzy feathers at the base of his tail. Is that BAD or just a leftover chick thing?









And here's a group shot of a few of my youngest. Floppy comb cockerel is a cull.



Thanks so much! This forum has been invaluable for teaching me about Marans!

you make me lough . you are just using term without knowing what they mean .haha..........

your cockerel 1 is not overcolored it is actually well colored ,he still young .
he has a best comb and body color than cockerel 2 .
he is missing the feather on his shank bugger .

cockerel 2 is on the dark side ,his comb is not the best but he is chunky and have feathered shank

both of your cockerels have a great body type and nice long back .
both have they strength and weaknesses .

I ll work with them both make at least 25 chicks of each and select from they progeny

love the Birchen pullets ,nice pure silver hackle and great body type

you have nice marans type chooks . they are young but have a lot quality I can see .
let them do more growing and do no kill this 2 cockerels .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

cockerel 1=

stunning body type . fit perfectly the description of the standard .
long and rectangulair body .
nice long flat back tilted a little toward the back
nice solid neck well colored
pretty head ( a little smaller )
nicely colored eyes .
great comb
nice tail angle . a tail is a little longer . should be short and wide at the base .
strait leg
SHANK NOT FEATHERED
shoulder color is coming along nicely
chest well colored too .

I love this guy has a lot going for him
chooks man

 

[baunlee]

good luck with your first hatch .

a broody hen hatch me a few chicks today . she did better than Man technology . she only had 6 eggs . I ll see tomorrow how many she managed to hatch .

chooks man

Whoot! alright!! glad to hear that luck has hit after your troubles!!

 

[Chooks man]

Cockerel 2 .

great body type .strong and solidly build .
nice thick head with a solid beak
nice neck
nice long back flat and tilted
tail sit on a high angle FAULT plus a white fluff coming at the base .that is a nightmare to breed out .
nice deep chest .
well feathered shanks and strait too , well colored

he is poor on body color.

chooks man

 

[baunlee]

Finally got some half decent pics of my young cockerels. I'd love any feedback about whether I should hang onto one or both. Newbie question: All three have the little clear shafts around their heads that I haven't seen in any of my others. Are those considered pin feathers or is that shaftiness? (What does shaftiness look like?)

Cockerel #1:
This guy is obviously overcolored; is he a definite cull?







Cockerel #2:
He's the Shy Guy of the bunch. There's a tuft of gray fuzzy feathers at the base of his tail. Is that BAD or just a leftover chick thing?









And here's a group shot of a few of my youngest. Floppy comb cockerel is a cull.



Thanks so much! This forum has been invaluable for teaching me about Marans!

To me the birds other than 1 look like game bird body type.and that might change when they grow and chunk up. Pinky is amazing tho. But I actually know 0% about this, and I think my marans may be to chubby? I have a hard time discerning what is good and what isn't. I just know what I like. I like the first one! who knows.

also diggin ur birchens

 

[Chooks man]

Whoot! alright!! glad to hear that luck has hit after your troubles!!

thank you my luck is really changing .
all my new incubator are full and running smoothly .
every thing back under control .

the broody hen hatched 3 out of the 6 eggs she had . one on the 3 was dead . so she left with 2 .
she did great well happy about it . 1 is Aras and 2 is Wheaten aran.

getting there slowly but surely .

chooks man

 

[winterhorses]

cockerel 1=

stunning body type . fit perfectly the description of the standard .
long and rectangulair body .
nice long flat back tilted a little toward the back
nice solid neck well colored
pretty head ( a little smaller )
nicely colored eyes .
great comb
nice tail angle . a tail is a little longer . should be short and wide at the base .
strait leg
SHANK NOT FEATHERED
shoulder color is coming along nicely
chest well colored too .

I love this guy has a lot going for him
chooks man

Haha, oops on using overcolored wrong. I thought that meant there was too much copper on the body, and I thought this guy had too much copper on his chest...like there should be some but not a big patch like he has? Well, I'm glad to be wrong in this case!

I did see the unfortunately unfeathered shanks, but I'm hoping that might help balance out two of my heavily feathered pullets who have a feather or two on the middle toe? (Does it work that way, lol?) I was also wondering about the long tail. It'll be fun to see how he matures.

Thanks for the feedback!!