International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

On the other hand, the green glints in the black plumage are not so far required in the Brown-red Marans. The absence of bright glints (known as "green scarals") is a quality which is regarded as being correlative to the presence of a rather gray than black down, orangery-red eyes rather than black or brown eggs, or even punkish-white tarsus i.e to a quantity of melanin which is relatively in the skin and on the whole body contributing to the maintenance of the standard quality.
So the ideal compromise consists in seeking and preserving by a rigorous selection, a perfect balance between black excess and coppery excess.
It must be understood that this balance of the Brown-red color was to be characteristised in the following way in the farmed cocks :

• - a sufficiently strong coppery color (but not excissevely black) and with red-colored shoulders
• - a slightly coppery marked breast
• - a black breast but only if the shoulders and the "ear-tufts" are good
• - orangery-red eyes and quite clear tarsus

Moreover, when we select a stock with a very red coppery color, it seems more difficult to contain a black excess on the whole body. The black tonality is often deeper and more glinting. So, the searh of a good and strong coppery color but no more than that, appears to be very commendable brom the moment that we want to stabilize the color at the very best.

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

On the other hand, the green glints in the black plumage are not so far required in the Brown-red Marans. The absence of bright glints (known as "green scarals") is a quality which is regarded as being correlative to the presence of a rather gray than black down, orangery-red eyes rather than black or brown eggs, or even punkish-white tarsus i.e to a quantity of melanin which is relatively in the skin and on the whole body contributing to the maintenance of the standard quality.
So the ideal compromise consists in seeking and preserving by a rigorous selection, a perfect balance between black excess and coppery excess.
It must be understood that this balance of the Brown-red color was to be characteristised in the following way in the farmed cocks :

• - a sufficiently strong coppery color (but not excissevely black) and with red-colored shoulders
• - a slightly coppery marked breast
• - a black breast but only if the shoulders and the "ear-tufts" are good
• - orangery-red eyes and quite clear tarsus

Moreover, when we select a stock with a very red coppery color, it seems more difficult to contain a black excess on the whole body. The black tonality is often deeper and more glinting. So, the searh of a good and strong coppery color but no more than that, appears to be very commendable brom the moment that we want to stabilize the color at the very best.

chooks man

from the French Marans Club .


chooks man

 

[Red Banks]

Quote: That is what I meant by I don't feed them very much. They aren't really that interested in the commercial feed. It is hot here, wet very wet. There are bugs, worms, frogs, snakes and all kinds of creatures. I watched them yesterday running after one pullet, she had a frog. Then they played tug of war with the frog. I also had to laugh at the ten 6 week old olive eggers. They were all running after a butterfly, so cute.

Old timers here say they used to feed them cornmeal. I really think they could get by with no extra feed during the summer. I have woods and before I got the chickens it was so thick you couldn't walk in it. They have cleared all the undergrowth and everywhere is evidence of their scratching and looking for bugs. That is why I hate to have to lock them up. Last night I was out with them for two hours, they have never been confined and they pace the coop all day.

 

[Red Banks]

here few photos of different pens in different section on the farm . some are from Marans Australia ( Victoria farm ) other from my set up in NSW. MistyRiverMarans.

Enjoy

I saw some of these pictures on your profile, what an amazing set up! Can't wait to see what you do with the new place. I saw a coop that Laurent was building out of pallets. It was very interesting. I liked the design.

 

[Red Banks]

Quote: I am sorry to hear you have sickness.

Most of my flock has been exposed to fowl pox. I am fairly certain the mosquitoes carried it from the wild turkey we have here in abundance. The old timers call it sore head and it is very hard on the turkey population. I am glad mine have all been exposed and came thru it easily. Now most of them are immune.

 

[Red Banks]

Quote:

Such pretty eggs and we all know the quality. I am so sorry but I know that things are going to work out for you. I told you my "Mon Dieu" story. Well I didn't tell you what made me have that reaction. A very famous Marans breeder had 340 eggs in an incubator and it malfunctioned, breaking almost all of them. In the picture the eggs were in a plastic bin cracked shells floating in scrambled eggs. Just like the pictures above.... such a waste.

 

[chickengr]

I am sorry to hear you have sickness.

Most of my flock has been exposed to fowl pox. I am fairly certain the mosquitoes carried it from the wild turkey we have here in abundance. The old timers call it sore head and it is very hard on the turkey population. I am glad mine have all been exposed and came thru it easily. Now most of them are immune.

this time the sickness is not so bad. I just hope it will not damage them inside.

Such pretty eggs and we all know the quality. I am so sorry but I know that things are going to work out for you. I told you my "Mon Dieu" story. Well I didn't tell you what made me have that reaction. A very famous Marans breeder had 340 eggs in an incubator and it malfunctioned, breaking almost all of them. In the picture the eggs were in a plastic bin cracked shells floating in scrambled eggs. Just like the pictures above.... such a waste.

I saw that pic. so my luck is not the worst one!

 

[chickengr]

My chooks don t sleep they are party animal. hahaha

I give them 30 cm of perch space by chook. a lot room to sleep without getting pushed over.

chooks man

I like your party chickens!

whatever space I give to mine they will end up 10 cm per bird and the rest empty, lol

 

[Red Banks]

Quote: I didn't see this post when I mentioned Laurent's coop in another post. I like it very much but I use very different kind of coop here. It is so hot and walls are not necessary. I built one exactly like the first one below without the nesting box. The second picture is my first coop but the nesting boxes are too small and too high so I block them off. The first picture is a coop I copied. The coop maker is in Arizona, you can see the desert all around. Hot and dry there. Hot and wet where I am. Mild winters if any. No solid walls works best for me.

 

[chickengr]

I didn't see this post when I mentioned Laurent's coop in another post. I like it very much but I use very different kind of coop here. It is so hot and walls are not necessary. I built one exactly like the first one below without the nesting box. The second picture is my first coop but the nesting boxes are too small and too high so I block them off. The first picture is a coop I copied. The coop maker is in Arizona, you can see the desert all around. Hot and dry there. Hot and wet where I am. Mild winters if any. No solid walls works best for me.

nice coops. I don't need that much protection. I have wire fence only.

I don't need real walls but I need something that will protect them from winds and heavy rain in winter and from sun in summer. it is windy here all year around. I usually go to the plot next to my property to pick up things that wind brought there. there are sometimes metal bowls and stuff that is not light from my porch.