International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

This is the cockerel I'm hoping to keep. Not much colour yet but I had one a cpl years ago that was about the same and coloured up perfect by 9 months. These are all 4.5 month old. A few pullets in the background are over melanized, not sure what to do with them yet





Hens that these came from, except I believe the roo came from one of my over melanized hens. The proper colour hens throw a fair bit of colour. They are all pretty much identical, slight variation of leg feathering but all pretty close with body and tail.

in all the colorful cockerels you have you end up choosing a darker possible one .
What breeding books or method are you following ? please .

here the way I see it ; you got right first time by mating a well colored rooster but small to your hens .got a lot color and size to chose from .

now you are choosing a bigger one but less colorful ,you are going backward .

do a same thing if you are working with a same hens .CHOSE a well colored cockerel even if he is a small . ( size come from the hen).

your hens are nice and big so you only need coloreful rooster not a bigger one .

cheers .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

this hens have a nice body type and a nice hackle DO NOT mate them to a darker rooster .he will trow you backward .

use a well colored cockerel ( you have a lot to chose from ) and correct body shape even if he is a smaller . the hens will correct that .

we need to make a breeding plan to breed this beautiful chooks you have .

post photos of the cockerel numbered please . so we can help you find a best much for your hens .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Yesterday I added a organic top soil to the breeders pens .one bag ( 50L ) by pen . the soil is mix with a ash dust .

they will help them to take they daily dust bath .

they are loving it .

did not take them long to get into it . very important to them if they are penned in to have they bath .

chooks man

 

[Braxton Brigade]

Yesterday I added a organic top soil to the breeders pens .one bag ( 50L ) by pen . the soil is mix with a ash dust .

they will help them to take they daily dust bath .

they are loving it .

did not take them long to get into it . very important to them if they are penned in to have they bath .

chooks man

That's so great.

Well cared for Marans right there.

 

[chickengr]

Yesterday I added a organic top soil to the breeders pens .one bag ( 50L ) by pen . the soil is mix with a ash dust .

they will help them to take they daily dust bath .

they are loving it .

did not take them long to get into it . very important to them if they are penned in to have they bath .

chooks man

do you by soil with ash or you mix it? what is this white stuff on the ground, next to the soil you put?

 

[Chooks man]

That's so great.

Well cared for Marans right there.

i have to look after them if I want to have a great result .plus they have no body else to do that.

i like to keep them on top shape good for they well being .

today I added to them fresh grass to give them they green and keeping them occupy .

 

[Chooks man]

do you by soil with ash or you mix it? what is this white stuff on the ground, next to the soil you put?

No the soil come without I have to add the ash to it
ratio 1 litre of ash to one bag of soil 50L.

the white stuff is a wood shaving to keep the thing dry .because I gave them fresh cut grass .

all this stuff is added so the chooks can mix it for me , they working for me to do the composting . they seem happy to do it .keep them happy and occupy .

all they bedding is a compost for my summer garden .

they are going to stay penned in only for a month or 6 weeks tell I check every is fine plus I need more time to finish they outdoor free ranging pens .

choks man

 

[Chooks man]

today was the pen 6 out free ranging .

every day I let one group out tell I finish they outdoor pens .

here Shamrock and his hens loving a day out .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

the last 4 day I had a trouble matching the black coppers hens to any of my roosters . big Blue , his son the Blue copper , the Golden cuckoo , the big splash .
none of them worked . the hens and my self didn t like none of this roosters.

today I had a break through . I decided to use a smaller 6 month old Splash cockerel SAFFRON . he has a correct body type ,well colored for the splash ,nice red shoulder and cream chest ( presence of the correct Autossomal red .
nice light colored shank with a lot pink and free from any unwanted color ( yellow )
nice eyes . nice tail , and great comb .

The hens like him strait away . and I was happy with him how he behave with them . nice and gentle .

I should have 100% blue copper well marked

he look s miles better in the pen . the other 4 where odd , some thing was telling me is not alright ( lazy , Yellow feet , too violent etc ............) need balance and harmony to achieve a great result .
every body has to be happy .

here few photos of Saffron .





I like him . he is the chosen one .

I m after a Blue copper cockerels well marked from this pen .
I want Soumaya to give me a few nice boys like she did before ( Wallace and William ) with Walker .
let see Saffron is better than Walker , future will tell .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

both of this pullets are gorgeous. type. color and every thing I can see .

nice coppery hackles .
nice long back .
nice tail

do they come from your hens ?

chooks man