International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Bantambird]

Bantambird, I just love your birchens. I would love to have one someday. I think birchen may be my most favorite marans color!!

One of the best birchen Marans breeders here in the states is Harvey Moore. He's got much greater pool than myself, and he's got a Facebook group called birchen Marans. Mine aren't from him directly, but if I need more later, that's where I will go. He also is working on a blue birchen project, but on a scale I can't match.

 

[littlepeeps81]

One of the best birchen Marans breeders here in the states is Harvey Moore. He's got much greater pool than myself, and he's got a Facebook group called birchen Marans. Mine aren't from him directly, but if I need more later, that's where I will go. He also is working on a blue birchen project, but on a scale I can't match.

Wow, that is awesome! I'd love to see photos of his birchens.

 

[littlepeeps81]

View attachment 1112104 View attachment 1112105 View attachment 1112106 View attachment 1112107
Here is Handsome on the upper and the cull blue birchen View attachment 1112108
Handsome is either molting his tail or got into a fight with Jack, who I have found loves pulling tails.
The eyes on the green fire lines aren't quite as clear orange as my original line. Will this cause problems bringing in Handsome over all my girls? I'm finding I was overzealous in culling out the sprigs and lost a bit of silver in the process, not to mention the raccoons. I'm actually rather excited to see what Handsome will do next spring.

Bantambird, I bought a bcm from the green fire line along with Blue Boy yesterday, and I too noticed that his eyes were not as nice and orange as the Bev Davis/Wade cockerels. The woman I bought these cockerels from has several different lines and I have always wanted to try Green Fire so I went ahead and got one. I have heard GFF chickens lay very dark eggs. She showed me her GFF eggs and they were indeed very dark. I will have to post a pic of his eyes later. I to have wondered about the eyes.

 

[Bantambird]

Here's some of Harvey Moore's birds.

 

[KF0002]

kfelton0002 , beautiful pullets!

Thank you! The pullets are definitely looking better than the cockerels for the most part. I am very pleased with my FRF x LA pullets, I have around 6-7 of them to pick through best I can tell. I will get a more accurate count when I get to wing banding everybody.

 

[KF0002]

she is true marans type .all grass and beauty

she is up there with EX95 and up for sure

there is a lot great marans photos in this thread .we should be proud of our breeding stock .
they are making proud and keeping us together

Bravo to all how posted photos and shared they idea and comment

chooks man

Thank you so much! I am really hoping to have nice tail angles in this group of pullets.

I am very happy to have this thread for guidance and advice. Only you guys appreciate and share my crazy Marans obsession.

 

[KF0002]

She is gorgeous! Breed to a BCM Rooster she will make some quality BCM and BLCMs. Well done Kayla!

Keith

Very pretty group of girls! Nice copper copper hackles, eyes and tail angles. First girl looks to have a nice short, closed tail. More pics when they get to point of lay.

Keith

Thank you Keith! The blue copper pullet was fathered by Mud (FRF) so both cockerels I have my eye on right now out of my grow outs are both her 1/2 brothers. I will pair her with the best of the two. I think with her being darker will help correct some of the copper leakage in the chest of the cockerels.

I am very pleased with my FRF x LA pullets. I think I will end up with a few that will help me correct tail angles in my Marans.

 

[KF0002]

Mud and Gretta combination is not doing well on type and tail angle .
doing great on a hackle marking and the long back plus well feathered shanks and well colored .
this combination is throwing a lot major fault .

I like the pullet 3 little back one . type wise and love her thick head even with a black eyes

chooks man

I agree. The first two FRF pullets have long gamey looking fan tails and leaner bodies like Gretta. I will keep them though because likely they will have very nice egg color. They will stick around as layers if nothing else.

If #3 has a nice tail, I may be able to use her after all.

 

[KF0002]

she is sublime ,you cracked it in that one 10/10 all style and class .
do more of the same pairing . greatness is within they genome .

love every thing about her .BRAVO

chooks man

Unfortunately when I thinned out some of my birds, I sold my 3 splash hens. Their egg color wasn't great and I had only planned on using them to breed a few blue copper pullets to breed back to black copper to improve egg color. Hoping her tail angle remains good as she reaches point of lay.

 

[KF0002]

Here are a few of my pullets from this Spring. For the most part I'm liking what I'm seeing in these girls but, of course, it comes down to the color of their eggs.

Pullet #1 - I like the dark blue plumage, eyes, type and tail set / angle on this pullet. Copper hackles could use more coverage. She is more complete than my other pullets.
View attachment 1111913

Pullet #2 - I like her dark blue plumage, type and copper hackles. She has an open fan tail but I like the angle. She has brown eyes. She is an early maturing pullet, her comb / wattles are fuller and more red than her hatch mates. She will be first to lay.
View attachment 1111914

Pullet #3 - I like her tail angle but it is longer than I prefer. I was also hoping for more copper on the hackles but I like the dark copper color that is there.
View attachment 1111915

Pullet #4 (right) - She is my favorite - great disposition, she likes to be petted and will fly up on my lap to roost. I like her type, eye color (starting to turn orange), long back and tail angle / set. Her plumage is a nice medium blue. I have hopes for her as a future breeder. Her sire is Briscoe not Otis.
View attachment 1111916

Pullet #5 (she is on the left in Pic#4) - I like her type, long back, and mass (she's gonna be a big girl). I like her tail angle but not sure if she will have a closed fan tail or thin point tail as she is going thru her juvenile molt. She has medium blue plumage and her copper hackles could use more coverage.
View attachment 1111917

I have high hopes for Pullets #1 and #4 as they are the most complete in my eyes. @ChooksMan, give it to me straight on these girls.

Thanks All,
Keith

Oh they are stunning! I agree with you on #1 and #4. I love #1's dark blue color.
Number 4 has beautiful type.. that long back and tail angle. And they look like they will have the closed tails that Chooksman loves so much! Lucky!!