International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Red Banks]

Update on Jazz. He is 6 months old today. He doesn't have that nice long marans back, so I am a little disappointed. His back is just way to short. He's got a straw colored hackle like his father at the bottom. I wish his comb was better, and not resting on his head in the back. Also got some black fuzz at the base of his tail. Lots of cons with this guy. He's very colorful and sweet. I am hoping, maybe a better rooster will come along in this last batch that just hatched. It's fun watching them grow and change. Gonna stick some more F1's in the bator tomorrow.

I remember when he was hatched. It is hard to get everything in one bird isn't it? Tony2 has the best copper hackle but no back, high tail, triangle body. I feel your pain.

 

[shepherd6567]

Update on Jazz. He is 6 months old today. He doesn't have that nice long marans back, so I am a little disappointed. His back is just way to short. He's got a straw colored hackle like his father at the bottom. I wish his comb was better, and not resting on his head in the back. Also got some black fuzz at the base of his tail. Lots of cons with this guy. He's very colorful and sweet. I am hoping, maybe a better rooster will come along in this last batch that just hatched. It's fun watching them grow and change. Gonna stick some more F1's in the bator tomorrow.

I think you are being a little too hard on this rooster. He has a lot of good qualities in him. Definitely a bird you could breed to.

 

[Red Banks]

I think you are being a little too hard on this rooster. He has a lot of good qualities in him. Definitely a bird you could breed to.

I agree Ben. I just understand how she feels..... we want instant greatness. I believe Chooks man and Kfelton0002 both gave a strategy for using this type of rooster to good effect. We are all too hard on them. When I wrote the word culls above my cockerels I felt bad.... they are good cockerels..... they are just not as good as some of the other choices I have. In truth, we could develop good birds from all the birds we see here and paraphrasing Chooks man we are not giving the hens any credit at all.

 

[marchick]

Looks like you are having great hatches!! I have never hatched a chic!! I have 15 BLC Marans in the bator, I have the temp 99.5 to 100 looks great holding 99.5 to 100 degrees. What humidity do I need?? I have heard all th way from 10% to 45% for the first 18 days??

The hatch before this one I only had 4 hatch. I had incubator problems and had to reset both thermostats. I was getting 5 different thermometer readings from 5 different thermometers. By the time my incubator was ready the first eggs where older. That didn't help either. It was by far my worse hatch ever!!! Praying you have a good hatch! Keep us updated!

 

[shepherd6567]

I agree Ben. I just understand how she feels..... we want instant greatness. I believe Chooks man and Kfelton0002 both gave a strategy for using this type of rooster to good effect. We are all too hard on them. When I wrote the word culls above my cockerels I felt bad.... they are good cockerels..... they are just not as good as some of the other choices I have. In truth, we could develop good birds from all the birds we see here and paraphrasing Chooks man we are not giving the hens any credit at all.

Well when you have options like you have to cull birds of that quality, you are doing very well with your breeding program!

 

[Red Banks]

Well when you have options like you have to cull birds of that quality, you are doing very well with your breeding program!

I appreciate that but honestly these birds make themselves.

 

[marchick]

Here are my 4 that hatched about 5-6 weeks ago. What do you think of them so far? Did I end up with 1 cockeral 3 pullets?

 

[Red Banks]

View attachment 1324429 Here are my 4 that hatched about 5-6 weeks ago. What do you think of them so far? Did I end up with 1 cockeral 3 pullets?
View attachment 1324417 View attachment 1324419 View attachment 1324422

That is what it looks like to me.

 

[shepherd6567]

I appreciate that but honestly these birds make themselves.

That is not entirely true. You as a breeder select and cull for quality. Some struggle forever and never get to that point. As a breeder of sheep for many years, I have seen many succeed and many fail. It’s what keeps the industry going.

 

[marchick]

Remember I said I could hear peeping from the remaining eggs! I decided to let nature take its course. The one egg has pipped day 25.