International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Thomas Bright]

I have been going nonstop. I just caught up on reading everyone's posts. I went out this morning and took a few pictures. Out of all the 3rd and 4th hatch this BC cockerel is the only guy looks promising. He is 14 weeks old now. These are bad pictures since they are still not coming out of the house into the pen.
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I love this cockerel!! 14 weeks he looks great.Nice chest color (black) feathered legs, good copper! Eye color is great and tail is still low. Way to go. GOOD JOB TOM

 

[marchick]

I love this cockerel!! 14 weeks he looks great.Nice chest color (black) feathered legs, good copper! Eye color is great and tail is still low. Way to go. GOOD JOB TOM

Thank you! That gives me 3 with potential. Not sure on batch 5 and 6 yet. They are too young.

 

[kcrandall]

I have been going nonstop. I just caught up on reading everyone's posts. I went out this morning and took a few pictures. Out of all the 3rd and 4th hatch this BC cockerel is the only guy looks promising. He is 14 weeks old now. These are bad pictures since they are still not coming out of the house into the pen.
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He is worth the feed to grow out to maturity. The only thing I see is that he may have a slight hint of shafting on his breast but hopefully that will molt out with his last juvenile molt.

 

[chickenpolo]

Hi, I’m pretty new to BC Marans and I was wondering if I could get some opinions on my rooster Whitmer, he’s about 10 months old and I hatched him from eggs I got from a breeder who said they were Greenfire line if that matters. Thanks in advance!

 

[kcrandall]

Hi, I’m pretty new to BC Marans and I was wondering if I could get some opinions on my rooster Whitmer, he’s about 10 months old and I hatched him from eggs I got from a breeder who said they were Greenfire line if that matters. Thanks in advance!

Chickenpolo - Your Cockerel has a few issues:

1. His hackle has a halo (gold/yellowish feathers). We prefer the hackle, back and saddle feathers to be an even copper color. When I think of copper color, I visualize a penny - the copper color can range from the color of a new penny to an old penny.
2. His tail is very high, almost a squirrel tail (90 degree angle). We prefer a Marans tail (male or female) to be no more than a 45 degree angle. If mated to a hen with a low tail you will get some male chicks that have a correct tail.
3. His ear tufts are dark - probably dark gray or black. We prefer the ear tufts to be copper colored similar to the hackle, back and saddle feathers.
4. His eyes appear to be lightly colored. We prefer the Marans (both Male and Female) to have a deep redish-orange eye color.
5. His foot / shank feathering is very light. We prefer the shank and outer foot/toe to be lightly feathered.

All of these issues are fixable in future generations if you breed this cockerel to a correct hen. The correct BCM hen should have good type, nice copper hackle, good redish-orange eyes and good feathered feet / legs. Is this cockerel your only option as a breeder? If so then you can work with him if paired to the right hen(s) to offset his deficiencies. If you have other options then post pics so we can see what you have to work with. It would also help if you posted pics of your pullets / hens so we can see how they may compliment this cockerel. You can’t fix all of these issues in one breeding season so it’s best to pick one or two issues to work on. I would start with trying to improve tails and color (eliminating halo) which can take 2-3 generations. Foot/shank feathering and eye color can be corrected in one maybe two generations.

Keith

 

[chickengr]

If you’ve seen them being mated by the older males then they’re pullets.

Post pics on any bird you want an opinion on.

not necessarily. I had dominant roos pretending to mate cockerels and young roos.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Hi, I’m pretty new to BC Marans and I was wondering if I could get some opinions on my rooster Whitmer, he’s about 10 months old and I hatched him from eggs I got from a breeder who said they were Greenfire line if that matters. Thanks in advance!

I like his comb and his mass.
Nice type.

 

[kcrandall]

Chick pics at 3 weeks old. Most are fast feathering type with a few slow feathering type. First pic is of a cockerel that is super fast feathering type.

 

[Chooks man]

I have been going nonstop. I just caught up on reading everyone's posts. I went out this morning and took a few pictures. Out of all the 3rd and 4th hatch this BC cockerel is the only guy looks promising. He is 14 weeks old now. These are bad pictures since they are still not coming out of the house into the pen.
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Hi @marchick .
2 different cockerels in those photos not one cockerel .
this photo is one colorful cockerel .look like Ace.

this 2 photos are of a same big dark cockerel. look like Black Jack

I like both cockerels .seem one hens is giving you big dark cockerels .other hen gave you colorful cockerels .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Thank you! That gives me 3 with potential. Not sure on batch 5 and 6 yet. They are too young.

that will give you 4 not 3 .
all you my friends are wrong ,2 cockerels in the photos not one cockerel .Hahahaaaaaaaaaaa
one is colorful photo #2 .the other is dark and bigger{ 1 and 3 photos }

chooks man