International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Red Banks]

Marans are a challenge! It seems like there is always something. Maybe it's the challenge that makes us love them so much. Now my challenge will be to keep mine. My husband wants me to only keep like 6 and get rid of the rest. That would be a lot of chicken dinner.

How many breeds do you have? What are your dreams, goals, plans?

 

[marchick]

How many breeds do you have? What are your dreams, goals, plans?

I have my Marans and 6 Lavender Ameraucanas. I am happy with what I have and have a order in for Birchen and Blue Birchen. I told him I had ordered them. I don't want to get rid of my Marans. He just told me today. We need to cull down to about 6 for eggs. I hope he changes his mind.

 

[KF0002]

Marans are a challenge! It seems like there is always something. Maybe it's the challenge that makes us love them so much. Now my challenge will be to keep mine. My husband wants me to only keep like 6 and get rid of the rest. That would be a lot of chicken dinner.

A lot of very expensive chicken dinners. I hope your hubby changes his mind. I am currently thinning some of mine out as well. Gotta make room for the grow outs and I can't possibly keep them all. I am culling down to only the ones I need to breed, plus a few spares. I rehomed a line A pullet Saturday, and will be rehoming 2 more tomorrow. Marans are very challenging indeed. By far you will inevitably produce more culls than keepers.

 

[KF0002]

Took a few pics today.. I had to use my digital camera and the pictures aren't as good as when I use my phone. I had to crop to zoom in because I couldn't get good close ups.

Here is my Redbanks pullet. I really like her a lot. I think she has beautiful type and is a very elegant looking gal. @RedBanks

 

[KF0002]

Here is her brother, my Redbanks cockerel. He has a lot of color to his breast but that could be useful if my Mashburn cockerel throws a lot of overmelanized daughters. So far he doesn't have any white underfluff so that is good. I'm hoping his tail doesn't get higher, but considering he is still young it likely will. He has been fighting with the other cockerels in the pen so his eye looks a little weird. He had a scabbed place there and now it is a lighter colored scar. I will be butchering those other cockerels soon so that will remedy that problem. @RedBanks

I apologize the pictures aren't the best quality. They are hard to photograph in that little pen. Maybe one day I can let them out to free range when I can supervise and take some pics.

 

[marchick]

Took a few pics today.. I had to use my digital camera and the pictures aren't as good as when I use my phone. I had to crop to zoom in because I couldn't get good close ups.

Here is my Redbanks pullet. I really like her a lot. I think she has beautiful type and is a very elegant looking gal. @RedBanks

View attachment 1313758 View attachment 1313759

Very nice!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

So from my group of New years babies, I ended up with 4 pullets and about 7 cockerels. 3 cockerels, I already moved to the Batchelor/cull pen. 1 has a very obvious coronation comb, the other two have a LOT of extra points and are very over colored on their chests. They won't be culled for quite a while yet though. I won't do it till they're big enough for meat and til I'm sure that I have a decent boy from the offer group. The rest all moved out to the main coop today. The pullets are all beautifully colored with nice copper hackles. I need to get pictures to share

 

[marchick]

A lot of very expensive chicken dinners. I hope your hubby changes his mind. I am currently thinning some of mine out as well. Gotta make room for the grow outs and I can't possibly keep them all. I am culling down to only the ones I need to breed, plus a few spares. I rehomed a line A pullet Saturday, and will be rehoming 2 more tomorrow. Marans are very challenging indeed. By far you will inevitably produce more culls than keepers.

Maybe if I thin out my flock it will be enough but I think he wants my pens for pheasants.

 

[KF0002]

Took a few updated shots of Maximus as he is recovering from frost bite damage. I didn't end up dubbing him because I wanted to see how he would fair on his own. The necrotic tissue is falling off and does look a little awkward but he still has some healthy comb tissue left. He is still my best looking boy. I love him very much.

 

[KF0002]

So from my group of New years babies, I ended up with 4 pullets and about 7 cockerels. 3 cockerels, I already moved to the Batchelor/cull pen. 1 has a very obvious coronation comb, the other two have a LOT of extra points and are very over colored on their chests. They won't be culled for quite a while yet though. I won't do it till they're big enough for meat and til I'm sure that I have a decent boy from the offer group. The rest all moved out to the main coop today. The pullets are all beautifully colored with nice copper hackles. I need to get pictures to share

Yay! Yes post pics! Four pullets is a good number. I have been hatching very cockerel heavy also. Especially in the Legbars..

How do you cook your roosters? I have been researching the best methods to cook older roosters that are tougher. Old timers are telling me the old pressure cookers are a god method, but there are more modern electric pressure cookers that are safer and user friendly.