International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[KF0002]

Happy Easter everyone!

 

[marchick]

Happy Easter everyone!


Happy Easter!

 

[marchick]

I have 4 chicks so far two Blue Copper one Splash Copper and one Black Copper. Exactly like last hatch but there are 3 more pipped.

 

[KF0002]

I have 4 chicks so far two Blue Copper one Splash Copper and one Black Copper. Exactly like last hatch but there are 3 more pipped.

Yay!! Congratulations! You are going to have a really colorful flock!

 

[KF0002]

If your Easter outfit consists of camo Muck boots, you might be a redneck. ​

 

[marchick]

Yay!! Congratulations! You are going to have a really colorful flock!

Thank you! I hope the three make it out. Two are making good progress. I hope you had a good Easter.

 

[Red Banks]

I'm all for saving animals but I agree...if an animal is after my chickens, it's done. I was able to relocate some opossum last year within the 5 mile radius stipulation that we have but I didn't feel comfortable. I know I was introducing them into an area that probably already has an established population of them and animals can be cruel to each other due to competition. Unfortunately, our property is so small that dispatching properly and humanely would have the local authorities at my house in 2 seconds flat so it was my only option. But if I lived somewhere rural, anything legal that comes after my chickens would be humanely dispatched. For the record, if I found a nest of orphaned opossums, I'd hand rear them and bring to a rehabilitator for acclimation and release that's far away. There's a balance with life...we just need to figure it out That said, I'm dying to know if my boy that I posted above it correct enough to warrant getting some marans hens to breed. No response yet....are you guys familiar with the standard? Any chance you can weigh in on his quality? Thanks so much! His name is Jasper...I adore him even if he's an awful representation of the breed. He's a great roo either way. But I'm interested in getting some purebreeds as I'm not a fan of the 2 year plan with our hybrids. And if he's a decent enough example, then I think Marans is one of the directions I'd like to go

Whether or not Jasper is good enough really depends on your plans. Do you want Marans to show or do you want some dark eggs? If you decide to go with Jasper and get some hens/pullets you can decide how to direct your program and that can be in any direction you want. This thread has a lot of good information. I love my Marans over the other breeds I have owned. I have had Bielefelders, Ameraucanas, Cream Legbars and Aracaunas. I only have Marans now. The Marans SOP is posted on the Clubs websites. I like the French Clubs website the best because there is a lot of good information there.

 

[marchick]

When you have BBS Marans. What are the best combinations for breeding? What combinations do we want to avoid and why?

 

[KF0002]

When you have BBS Marans. What are the best combinations for breeding? What combinations do we want to avoid and why?

You can breed blue x blue, black x blue (to yield a darker blue), or black x splash to prevent washing the blue out excessively. Blue x blue will wash out the blue color a little from my understanding, but not as bad as blue x splash. If you want to darken the blue breed black x blue. Think of the splash as the color white on a canvas. Mix white with other colors and you get a diluted color. Blue x splash is going to lighten the blue, while black x blue will darken the blue. If you're not careful and you keep diluting the color by using blue x splash generation after generation they will start to produce birds that look washed out.

Breed them to the blue shade you like, the BBS is a fun gene to work with. I love a deeper blue with dark lacing so that is what I would love to achieve without getting the blue too light so that is washes the copper out. In the lighter blue birds the copper in their hackles looked too light from my experience. The darker blue birds have more correct copper without looking too pale like gold or straw.

 

[marchick]

You can breed blue x blue, black x blue (to yield a darker blue), or black x splash to prevent washing the blue out excessively. Blue x blue will wash out the blue color a little from my understanding, but not as bad as blue x splash. If you want to darken the blue breed black x blue. Think of the splash as the color white on a canvas. Mix white with other colors and you get a diluted color. Blue x splash is going to lighten the blue, while black x blue will darken the blue. If you're not careful and you keep diluting the color by using blue x splash generation after generation they will start to produce birds that look washed out.

Breed them to the blue shade you like, the BBS is a fun gene to work with. I love a deeper blue with dark lacing so that is what I would love to achieve without getting the blue too light so that is washes the copper out. In the lighter blue birds the copper in their hackles looked too light from my experience. The darker blue birds have more correct copper without looking too pale like gold or straw.

Thank you, I have 9 chicks hatch so far. Go babies go!!!! At least a better hatch than last time.