International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[KF0002]

Nice, I think the blue copper are the most elegant of all the marans variety, especially the lady blue coppers. All class!! and I'm super jealous, one of my main reasons for getting the splashes i got is to try and establish a blue copper line. You just can't find good quality around my way. I drove 250 miles twice to get the chicks i just got trying to find quality. I'm hoping these will be the ones that finally jump start my breeding program.

Thank you! I am excited to watch them grow out. I plan on mating my best blue copper cockerel back to his mother, Lucille, to create a few splashes for my neighbor. I will also probably put Maximus bak over his best blue copper daughters to further darken the egg color of the blue copper line.

 

[Red Banks]

I don't recall any discussion about halos here yet. I can't help but wonder how it is any different than any other fault to be worked on. What happened to chooks?! I think he has become a legend at this point...

I guess it would just be another fault to be worked on if I had to but I have other choices with other problems so I can eliminate that one by eliminating that cockerel at least for now. There is not one cockerel in the bunch that doesn't have faults but I will do what Monique says, just as I do with Chooks man. I am thrilled she answered my question.

 

[KF0002]

View attachment 1351273 View attachment 1351270 Chester is pretty big now. I'm guessing 8lbs. Once we got rid of the bantam roo he has sprout his manliness. His crow sounds like that video death metal rooster. It's so bad it's hilarious. He doesn't normally carry his tail this high. Just when he goes in alert mode (like when I come along with a camera). His feathers are starting to settle since he isn't getting spanked multiple times a day either. That white feather went away on its own but his underfluff is quite light. Darn near white everywhere. I still think he will be my starting point. I have black coppers coming and like the idea of being able to get blue and splash on the next gen. And I just filled what would have been my second cockerel coop with fancy feathered birds as I have no self control. Chester really did have a perfect comb and waddle until frostbite claimed them.

Edit to add: slicked his legs with Vaseline as I saw his legs were starting to look scaled.

His colors are very vibrant and striking! You have to have a starting point. My foundation birds weren't the greatest, but I have worked with my birds and I'm seeing improvements every generation. As Redbanks said, there will always be something to work on. I'm glad I have a tiny bit of self-control at least or I would have more chickens than I would be able to afford to feed. My husband is my buffer when I get the urge to buy more chickens. lol

 

[KF0002]

I asked Monique Bertie to look at the cockerels. She said not to use the cockerel in the second picture because of the halo. She liked the cockerel in the first picture. View attachment 1351223

View attachment 1351214

The first rooster is stunning! I would love to have one just like him. You are a very lucky woman to own such a fine bird.

It's awesome Monique answered your question! She is like Marans royalty! Was that really nerdy of me to say?

 

[KF0002]

He has nice back length. He looks good.

Thank you! I think so too, and the tail angle can be refined next. I am very happy with how he turned out. We butchered his brothers today, except for the one with the dark underfluff (spare line A cockerel). Plenty of fresh meat to go in the freezer.

 

[Red Banks]

The first rooster is stunning! I would love to have one just like him. You are a very lucky woman to own such a fine bird.

It's awesome Monique answered your question! She is like Marans royalty! Was that really nerdy of me to say?

I am a bigger nerd than you are. I am just as thrilled as I can be. She liked one of the pullets. She said to put a rooster with a few spots on his chest over the pullets with less hackle. Have you introduced yourself yet so you can have access to the whole website?

 

[KF0002]

I am a bigger nerd than you are. I am just as thrilled as I can be. She liked one of the pullets. She said to put a rooster with a few spots on his chest over the pullets with less hackle. Have you introduced yourself yet so you can have access to the whole website?

No not yet. Ive been crazy busy but I will as soon as I can. Her advice sounds like what Chooks man would tell us, to balance the color of the cockerel with the lack of color in the pullet. I would hang on Monique's every word. I am such a huge admirer of her.

I am missing Chooks man though! I hope he graces us with his presence soon.

 

[KF0002]

Pictures I took while we processed my cull Marans cockerels. My neighbor helped me and we did 4 today. It was a job, but we had a lot of fun.

The feathers came out like butter. Our scalding water temp was on point.

Meat resting on ice in the cooler.

 

[Red Banks]

No not yet. Ive been crazy busy but I will as soon as I can. Her advice sounds like what Chooks man would tell us, to balance the color of the cockerel with the lack of color in the pullet. I would hang on Monique's every word. I am such a huge admirer of her.

I am missing Chooks man though! I hope he graces us with his presence soon.

Me too!

 

[Red Banks]

Pictures I took while we processed my cull Marans cockerels. My neighbor helped me and we did 4 today. It was a job, but we had a lot of fun.

The feathers came out like butter. Our scalding water temp was on point.

View attachment 1351569 View attachment 1351570
Meat resting on ice in the cooler.
View attachment 1351571

Great job! I have to laugh.... my first thought was....... it looks just like chicken. Just think if we had to really produce/process all of our food..... things would be very different. A woman has offered to help me learn. She has been taking all my cockerels. @kfelton0002 . Did the Redbanks cockerel go?