International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP


Your pullets have very nice copper hackles. They look to have good type. How old are your birds? Some of your birds look to have dark eyes(brown or black; we want blue / green as chicks turning to orange red as they mature) but it's hard to tell from the pics due to the lighting. The cockerel in the 4th pic looks to have dark gray or black ear tufts (we want copper color). Cockerels with dark colored ear tufts most likely will not produce pullets with the desired copper hackles. Overall, I like your birds.

Take Care,
Keith
 
Received 15 BCM 2-day-old chicks today from Frasier Creek Farm. Had to cull one and another looks weak and small. So I may end up with lucky 13.

The owner has a very honest description on his website regarding the difficulty of breeding for conformation while retaining dark egg color. (Link if you want to read it)

I will do my best to try and breed for conformation, while retaining dark egg color.

Here are a few of the chicks.

CameraZOOM-20170608195631782.jpg

CameraZOOM-20170608195718455.jpg

CameraZOOM-20170608195822557.jpg


This is a very long thread. I’ll do my best to read all pages. Any advice/recommendation/observation/comments/criticism would be more than welcomed.
 
Your pullets have very nice copper hackles. They look to have good type. How old are your birds? Some of your birds look to have dark eyes(brown or black; we want blue / green as chicks turning to orange red as they mature) but it's hard to tell from the pics due to the lighting. The cockerel in the 4th pic looks to have dark gray or black ear tufts (we want copper color). Cockerels with dark colored ear tufts most likely will not produce pullets with the desired copper hackles. Overall, I like your birds.

Take Care,
Keith
Thank you, the birds in 3rd and 4th pictures are 9 weeks old. 5th, 6th and 7th pictures are 7 weeks old.
 
Received 15 BCM 2-day-old chicks today from Frasier Creek Farm. Had to cull one and another looks weak and small. So I may end up with lucky 13.

The owner has a very honest description on his website regarding the difficulty of breeding for conformation while retaining dark egg color. (Link if you want to read it)

I will do my best to try and breed for conformation, while retaining dark egg color.

Here are a few of the chicks.

CameraZOOM-20170608195631782.jpg

CameraZOOM-20170608195718455.jpg

CameraZOOM-20170608195822557.jpg


This is a very long thread. I’ll do my best to read all pages. Any advice/recommendation/observation/comments/criticism would be more than welcomed.

nice chicks!

but culling at young age is wrong. with proper diet they might have been your biggest and strongest birds.
 
My first BCM hen is laying eggs... they are light brown. :( She hatched from a very dark shell... is there any chance her eggs will darken up?

how many eggs did she lay?

I had a hen who's first egg was #3, the second was a bit darker and she ended up with #5-6. you must follow her first 30 eggs.
 
It had a broken toe and it was suffering. Couldn't walk nor put pressure on the foot. I guess something happened during shipping.


I see.

I cannot tell how bad it was but I personally would separate the chick and watch it. this is my personal opinion, I am not sure if I am right or wrong. unfortunately I keep chickens even if I know I shouldn't. a sentimental idiot:oops:
 
Some of your birds look to have dark eyes.

The cockerel in the 4th pic looks to have dark gray or black ear tufts (we want copper color). Cockerels with dark colored ear tufts most likely will not produce pullets with the desired copper hackles. Overall, I like your birds.

Take Care,
Keith

I double checked this morning. All of my birds have copper ear tufts.
Its hard to tell in the pictures. Their eyes are all a orange reddish color.
You had me worried last night.
Thank you again for your comments.
I have been working with my marans for a while and wasn't sure that it was paying off. I'm finally starting to see results. This thread has been helpful in letting me know that I'm headed in the right direction.

Thanks again to all that have helped make this thread the best thread on BYC. In my opinion anyway.
 
Received 15 BCM 2-day-old chicks today from Frasier Creek Farm. Had to cull one and another looks weak and small. So I may end up with lucky 13.

The owner has a very honest description on his website regarding the difficulty of breeding for conformation while retaining dark egg color. (Link if you want to read it)

I will do my best to try and breed for conformation, while retaining dark egg color.

Here are a few of the chicks.

CameraZOOM-20170608195631782.jpg

CameraZOOM-20170608195718455.jpg

CameraZOOM-20170608195822557.jpg


This is a very long thread. I’ll do my best to read all pages. Any advice/recommendation/observation/comments/criticism would be more than welcomed.
I purchased chics from Brian in Oct. 2016. Very nice person. He has a Bev Davis line and a Little Peddler line. Did you get some of each. I just received new chics on Thrus. June 8 very healthy chics. TOM
 

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