International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[winterhorses]

I lost all my early Ameraucanas to predators. I only have pure Black left - not split but I got my lavenders at Sawmill Chicken Farm in Live Oak, Florida. Check out their website. I guess when the predators are eyeballing my flock they go for the smallest ones. My Ameraucanas and Cream Legbars suffer the most casualties.

I contacted Sawmill a few months ago, and either they didn't get back to me or didn't have any. I'll have to try again.

Yeah, I hear you on predators. I'm sure I must have had a few girls out of my first LavAm hatch (11), but the 5 left after an attack turned out to be all boys!

 

[Red Banks]

Quote: These descriptions had me chuckling out loud. I know exactly what you are talking about. I would love to see Otis again. Really liked him. Maybe it is time for us both to post pics! I am going to pick up the LP and Greenfire roosters on Sunday. They are the sires of my flock. I get to skip one whole step and move on. I can take my pullets back to their sires. When the time comes I will post pics so we can match them up. I am going to need some unbiased eyes.

 

[Red Banks]

Quote:
Crazy isn't it! It is certainly hard to get a break in the chicken world! I have some really nice blacks from Sand Castle Farms in SC if you ever need to help out your lavender line.

 

[kcrandall]

Here are pics of my three cockerels:

This is Briscoe

This is Ernest the highstepper!

This is Ernest (left) and Otis (right).

Otis' copper hackles look like velvet compared to Ernest and Briscoe. Sorry I don't have a better current pic of Otis. I plan to take better photos of my three boys and girls for critiques this weekend.

Here is Ellie Mae my BCM pullet. She's my best pullet - I wish her copper hackles were more like Gabby but Otis will take care of that for me.

Here is Thelma Lou my Blue CM pullet. She has dark eyes and flop comb.

Charlene is my Splash Copper Pullet but she doesn't cooperate with the camera. I plan to get appropriate pics for my 3 cockerels and 3 pullets this weekend.

Keith

 

[winterhorses]

Here are pics of my three cockerels:

This is Briscoe


This is Ernest the highstepper!


This is Ernest (left) and Otis (right).


Otis' copper hackles look like velvet compared to Ernest and Briscoe. Sorry I don't have a better current pic of Otis. I plan to take better photos of my three boys and girls for critiques this weekend.

Here is Ellie Mae my BCM pullet. She's my best pullet - I wish her copper hackles were more like Gabby but Otis will take care of that for me.

Here is Thelma Lou my Blue CM pullet. She has dark eyes and flop comb.


Charlene is my Splash Copper Pullet but she doesn't cooperate with the camera. I plan to get appropriate pics for my 3 cockerels and 3 pullets this weekend.

Keith

The boys look great to my untrained eye! What are their backgrounds?

I love your blue pullet. Can't wait to see pics of the splash!

 

[Red Banks]

Here are pics of my three cockerels:

This is Briscoe


This is Ernest the highstepper!


This is Ernest (left) and Otis (right).


Otis' copper hackles look like velvet compared to Ernest and Briscoe. Sorry I don't have a better current pic of Otis. I plan to take better photos of my three boys and girls for critiques this weekend.

Here is Ellie Mae my BCM pullet. She's my best pullet - I wish her copper hackles were more like Gabby but Otis will take care of that for me.

Here is Thelma Lou my Blue CM pullet. She has dark eyes and flop comb.


Charlene is my Splash Copper Pullet but she doesn't cooperate with the camera. I plan to get appropriate pics for my 3 cockerels and 3 pullets this weekend.

Keith

Beautiful pullets and the cockerels look good. I will get some pictures too!

 

[chickengr]

how old can be marans eggs to incubate? it is really hard to collect enough from 1 girl only.

 

[winterhorses]

how old can be marans eggs to incubate? it is really hard to collect enough from 1 girl only.

I've got one developing right now that was 10 days old when I put it in the incubator. I've heard as long as 2 weeks. Maybe just collect a bunch over a week, stick them in, and hope for the best? Keeping them dry and cool is important.

https://www.pasreform.com/academy/f...tching-eggs/133-storage-of-hatching-eggs.html

 

[chickengr]

I've got one developing right now that was 10 days old when I put it in the incubator. I've heard as long as 2 weeks. Maybe just collect a bunch over a week, stick them in, and hope for the best? Keeping them dry and cool is important.

https://www.pasreform.com/academy/f...tching-eggs/133-storage-of-hatching-eggs.html

thanks.

I keep the eggs in a room with no heating so I guess they can be stored longer. I must try to incubate older eggs as there is no point of incubating 3-4 eggs only.

 

[kcrandall]

The boys look great to my untrained eye!  What are their backgrounds?  

I love your blue pullet.  Can't wait to see pics of the splash!  

My birds are from Fitz Farms (David Fitzgerald) in Oklahoma. After researching several breeders in the U.S. I decided on Fitz Farms line of BCMs because David breeds first for egg color then type then color and pictures of his birds and eggs were pleasing to my eye. Also, David is located within 4 hours of my farm. David received his original birds directly from Wade Jeanne and he told me that he has bred those original birds true (no outside lines). I took him at his word. David is a very nice man and he took the time to disclose known faults in his BCM line and made sure that I should not expect perfect birds if I purchased hatching eggs from him. But, he also said that with selective breeding and hard work I could create my own line from his birds that I could be proud of.

In April 2016 I visited Fitz Farms, David's BCMs (50+ birds) were of very good type, color and the eggs were the darkest that I had ever seen in person. David breeds several varieties of Marans. I purchased a dozen each of BCM and BBS Copper. The eggs I received ranged from 6 to 7 on the Marans color scale and one egg was an 8 (Otis). I hatched 13 chicks - 8 eggs were infertile - of those 7 BCM (4 Roos / 3 Pullets) and 6 BBS (4 Roos / 2 Pullets). After losses and obvious culls I ended up with 3 Cockerels (all BCM) and 3 Pullets (1 BCM / 2 BBS). I will breed the BCM and BBS lines separate. The BCM and Splash Pullets average a 6 on the Marans scale and the Blue averages a 5 (once in a while she'll lay a 6). My birds have their faults but I look forward to working to improve on them. Like David, I will breed for egg color then type then color.

In November 2016, David sold his entire flock of BCM and Wheaten Marans so he could concentrate on his Columbian, Golden Cuckoo, Black Tailed Buff and Blue Copper Marans lines. Jerry Fitch of Cowboy Country Chickens (Oklahoma) purchased the entire flock of BCMs. Harvey Moore with HD Poultry and Jay Brenneman of Sand Hills Poultry purchased the Wheatens.

David has a Facebook Page under Fitz Farm and Poultry - take a look at pictures of the eggs his various lines of Marans produce. Cowboy Country Chickens also has a Facebook page - Mr. Fitch's story is really cool.

Goodnight,
Keith