International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Magnolia Hill]

I think they are going to mature out to look great! Cant wait to see their egg color!

Im always nervous to see them lay, i just hope they lay dark enough that i can work with them. Once again, fingers crossed.

 

[Magnolia Hill]

How

Im done with the heat also! Im also sick of hatching.. I need a break for a few months. I had a horrible nightmare last night.. I dreamed that my best hen had yellow legs! You know you are really a chicken nut when the chickens are even in your dreams! Lol

How many marans did you end up hatching good year?

 

[KF0002]

How

How many marans did you end up hatching good year?

I havent done a true head count but I know I have 5 pullets and 1 cockerel from Queen and Max, one pullet and one cockerel from #8, and about 7 more chicks in the brooder from Queen. I only have 4 blue copper pullets. We have culled a lot of cockerels. It was a good year for raising roosters thats for sure because that is what the majority has been in every breed I raise. Definitely not as many Marans as I'd hoped, Ive lost birds here and there. But Ive done really well raising Games and Legbars this year though. Im hoping next year is a better year for Marans.

 

[KF0002]

Im always nervous to see them lay, i just hope they lay dark enough that i can work with them. Once again, fingers crossed.

Im sure they will! I love first eggs! Its always so exciting, but the waiting is torture! I still havent gotten a first egg from my best blue copper pullet yet (Bella). Im hoping to get an egg from her soon so I can see whether there is an improvement over her mother's egg color. That was my goal.

 

[juliejohnson805]

These are my 2 BFCM pullets. They are 18 weeks old. Thoughts?

 

[Magnolia Hill]

View attachment 1493303 View attachment 1493302
These are my 2 BFCM pullets. They are 18 weeks old. Thoughts?

Are you saying that yellow one is a fbcm? The other black one is very mossy, she would make a good layer but i wouldn't use her for breeding. Are these of the same flock as your cockerel you posted earlier? If so i see why he has that drastic of a halo. I would try and get some better stock if you plan on trying to breed, with the birds you have you'll be breeding forward a lot of issuess that plague the marans breed. I had to go through 4 differnt lines of before i found some i could truly work with so stay positive and don't give up.

 

[Magnolia Hill]

Here's a couple of my favorite cockerels.

This one here has chest leakage, but that's what i need to put with my overmelanized gals so i welcome the leakage.

And this one here is a little overmelanized, i plan to run him with my gals that have lighter colored hackels

 

[Hensndoes]

Sad. Let my new batch freerange today. We were here the whole time. Yet somehow my prize cockerel isn't.

Oh thank god! Found him harassing the adult ladies (and challenging chester) but so glad he didn't disappear!

 

[chickengr]

Sad. Let my new batch freerange today. We were here the whole time. Yet somehow my prize cockerel isn't.

Oh thank god! Found him harassing the adult ladies (and challenging chester) but so glad he didn't disappear!

that's great news!

 

[KF0002]

Here's a couple of my favorite cockerels.
View attachment 1493336 View attachment 1493337 View attachment 1493338 View attachment 1493339
This one here has chest leakage, but that's what i need to put with my overmelanized gals so i welcome the leakage.View attachment 1493340 View attachment 1493341 View attachment 1493342 View attachment 1493349 View attachment 1493350
And this one here is a little overmelanized, i plan to run him with my gals that have lighter colored hackels
View attachment 1493353 View attachment 1493355 View attachment 1493358

They look amazing!! These should do well bred to your best pullets! Kudos! Im jealous!!