International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[KF0002]

Gretchen laid again today. It's difficult to capture just how dark the eggs are in a picture so that's where the egg card helps. So far she is laying a 6. Very happy to be getting good egg color from her.

Here is her newest egg #3 next to her egg #2. They both look like a 6 to me. What do you guys think?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Looks like my other pullet may have laid her first egg today seeing as how there were 2 there Since both eggs were equally dark, I'll never know who lays which but I'm still thrilled to death! They're all going in the incubator on Monday to play along with the New Years Hatch a long so well see if anything hatches

 

[shepherd6567]

Gretchen laid again today. It's difficult to capture just how dark the eggs are in a picture so that's where the egg card helps. So far she is laying a 6. Very happy to be getting good egg color from her.

View attachment 1205668

Here is her newest egg #3 next to her egg #2. They both look like a 6 to me. What do you guys think?

View attachment 1205674

Those are great colored! looks like a 6 to me.

 

[shepherd6567]

It looks to be very common in BCM's but not only in BCM's. I saw posts concerning other breeds as well, just like syndactyly can affect many feather legged breeds. This is why as breeders it so important we look over every inch of our birds to look for defects.. split wing, split tail, side sprigs, crooked keels, and so on so we can remove birds with such problems to keep them from carrying it forward.

Is this considered a defect that would be inheritable?

 

[KF0002]

Is this considered a defect that would be inheritable?

I am still working on looking up info. So far I'm not coming up with a lot aside from what I have read posted by folks seeking answers themselves. It appears to be a cyst or tumor like mass on the beak area. It doesn't appear to be causing the cockerel any problems but I won't likely be using him. I wouldn't want to risk it being hereditary. I will wait until Chooks man chimes in with his input. I'm sure he has encountered it during his many years of experience with Marans.

 

[KF0002]

Those are great colored! looks like a 6 to me.

Thank you! Hoping she keeps it up so I can hatch some of those little beauties!

 

[chickengr]

Gretchen laid again today. It's difficult to capture just how dark the eggs are in a picture so that's where the egg card helps. So far she is laying a 6. Very happy to be getting good egg color from her.

View attachment 1205668

Here is her newest egg #3 next to her egg #2. They both look like a 6 to me. What do you guys think?

View attachment 1205674

looks like #6 to me.

I have one #6 layer . I yesterday collected 6 eggs, the other days 5. as I have 8 pullets it is possible that all of them lay by now. the minimum number I collect every day is 4 eggs, usually 5. only 2 eggs were light, non marans colour. not sure if the same pullet laid them as the second one was close to #4. BUT yesterday all 6 eggs were marans colour.

 

[KF0002]

Looks like my other pullet may have laid her first egg today seeing as how there were 2 there Since both eggs were equally dark, I'll never know who lays which but I'm still thrilled to death! They're all going in the incubator on Monday to play along with the New Years Hatch a long so well see if anything hatches

Good luck on your hatch! What is the New Years hatch along? Oh and congratulations on getting two eggs today! New layers are the best!

 

[KF0002]

looks like #6 to me.

I have one #6 layer . I yesterday collected 6 eggs, the other days 5. as I have 8 pullets it is possible that all of them lay by now. the minimum number I collect every day is 4 eggs, usually 5. only 2 eggs were light, non marans colour. not sure if the same pullet laid them as the second one was close to #4. BUT yesterday all 6 eggs were marans colour.

Most of my Marans are every other day kinda gals. Occasionally some will lay two days in a row, but its definitely possible all 8 of your pullets are laying. It's hard to tell though because one pullet's egg can look so different from one day to the next. Congrats on getting so many eggs each day! I get 2-3 Marans eggs a day, sometimes less, sometimes none. lol.

 

[Chooks man]

Looks like my other pullet may have laid her first egg today seeing as how there were 2 there Since both eggs were equally dark, I'll never know who lays which but I'm still thrilled to death! They're all going in the incubator on Monday to play along with the New Years Hatch a long so well see if anything hatches

well happy for you .both dark egg .one of them is a bonus .
do not incubate the first pullets eggs .you need to wait tell they reach 65g for the marans.
I select my breeders pullets from they first 30 eggs they lay . the average of all the 30 eggs in all this traits like .color ,sheen , weight , shape . speckled or no . will dictate if the pullet is breeder or not .

after they first 30 eggs and if they are selected than I test mate them ( chicks that hatch from those mating are all a cull not part of any breeding program ). if I m happy with a the result than I tug them as future breeders and wait for them to reach 11 months of age .young hens .

good luck with your NY hatch

chooks man