International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Red Banks]

She has amazing type! And her tail is to die for! You must send her to me immediately!

Since Tony has such nice looking parents it is written in the stars for him to be gorgeous! Antonio had better watch his back, because his son is going to give him some serious competition.

Kudos Redbanks! Your birds are spectacular!

They are just like yours! Thank you!

 

[KF0002]

They are just like yours! Thank you!

My FRF birds are like your FRF birds' red headed step brother/sister. But that's okay! I love them anyway and they have good qualities I can use. But I will call it like I see it. Gideon is no Antonio. And Gretta and Gretchen are no Gabby or Sister.

 

[Red Banks]

My FRF birds are like your FRF birds' red headed step brother/sister. But that's okay! I love them anyway and they have good qualities I can use. But I will call it like I see it. Gideon is no Antonio. And Gretta and Gretchen are no Gabby or Sister.

I don't understand..... they are from the exact same birds. Are they the same age as my birds?

 

[Red Banks]

She has amazing type! And her tail is to die for! You must send her to me immediately!

Since Tony has such nice looking parents it is written in the stars for him to be gorgeous! Antonio had better watch his back, because his son is going to give him some serious competition.

Kudos Redbanks! Your birds are spectacular!

I did send you some just like her. They are growing up in your brooder.

 

[Red Banks]

Here is another one of Apollo and #60's chicks. I only got a closeup of his head and comb because at this point they are mostly all black. It gives us a good opportunity to discuss his comb. The more we talk about combs the better because I am determined to get them right.

His comb has the windblown, saw blade look. That is purely aesthetic and not a disqualification (I have been reading ). But the posterior lobe is split (right @Chooks man?) and that IS a disqualification. He has the correct number of points, 5 am I right?? The points all lie on the same "base comb axis". The "base comb axis" and "peak comb axis" appear to be the same. The comb is not arched. I don't see any double points with my novice eye. No S shape. How did I do on my comb assessment?

He has a handsome face though I think. His eye color will be orange like Apollo's. And check out those ear tufts.. he is going to be well coppered. But I have got to get past these split posterior lobes, double points, and S shaped combs if I want to have birds appropriate for show.

View attachment 1196580

This boy is very handsome!

 

[KF0002]

I am very happy with Lucille, my Blue Copper pullet's egg color so far. Her color is a huge improvement over her mother's. Her mother never laid what you would quite call a 4 that faded to a 3 throughout her laying cycle. I feel confident Lucille's daughters will have even better color next year.

 

[KF0002]

I don't understand..... they are from the exact same birds. Are they the same age as my birds?

My original FRF birds were born July of 2016. Those birds consisted of Mud and Gretta, and 3 other cull cockerels. Gretta was my only pullet. She is a lean bodied bird with a big long fan tail, built more like a Legbar than a Marans. Mud had nice copper color and his leg color and feathering was good. Best I remember his comb was good. His back was very short and his tail very high. His son, Gideon is just awkward looking. His back feathers always look bunched up and he doesn't look as "put together" as one would want. I know I judge my birds very critically so I try to step back and appreciate the good qualities in them. Maybe he just hasn't hit his stride yet, he still has some maturing to do. I think my birds were sired by the GFF cock bird, and yours the LP cock bird. Yours and mine are like daylight and dark.

But as Chooks man has said, I can use my FRF birds to maintain a dark laying line while I breed my LA's and FRF x LA's toward SOP. I will always keep the FRF birds pure and just cull through their offspring hard. Your birds will improve the current FRF birds I have greatly.

 

[KF0002]

I did send you some just like her. They are growing up in your brooder.

Yep and I hope there is a pullet in there that looks just like Sister.

They have grown a lot and are feathering up good. They are very chunky babies. I have been feeding all my chicks 24% gamebird starter lately and it makes a huge difference. They got moved from the baby brooder to one of the big brooders today.

 

[KF0002]

This boy is very handsome!

Thank you! Even though I handle him more than any of the others, I worry he is going to be mean. He already has been "attacking" my boots and acts like he is 10 feet tall and bullet proof. I have to pick him up and snuggle him to show him just exactly who the boss is. I think hanging around all these Game chickens is a bad influence on him. lol

 

[KF0002]

Weighed one of #60's eggs.. its huge! A whopping 72 grams.