International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

Ashoka solid blue hen. Dark Angel true sister she lay dark eggs not as dark as her sister . She has a perfect body type . Gorgeous comb and lovely smal tail at the right angle . She is almost finished her molt .
Chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Thee are a few roosters in there, I can take pictures tomorrow. We plan on building more pens this year so I can separate more, smaller groups and have less big groups. The splash/white pen is 6 hens and one rooster, the other pen is bigger group that will be pared down to smaller pens when I get the chance to make more pens.

I prefere small pen breeding does help on fixing the good trait quick . Good luck with your work. Looking forward to see some photos of your Marans . I enjoy looking at them .
Chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Some of my Marans hens with a correct body type , long with flat back , deep chest and small tail at 45 degree angle .
White orchid

Unicorn

Sasha

Hope these photos will help you pick the right hen to breed type from .
All the 3 hens are over the SOP weight limit all around 3.6 to 4 kg well chunky . The SOP call for 2.8 to 3,2 kg my smallest hens are around 3.2 kg my heavy one s are over 4 kg .
My chooks are always on green grass all year around they love it.
Chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Another photo of Sasha

Sasha from the rear well balanced body with a longer neck . Body low to the ground

Sasha is very big and heavy I
Chooks man

 

[Bantambird]

The first one is the most dominant guy in the pen, and the best looking.
There are a few in there as backups, but that big daddy is going on two years old, pretty sure that's John. There are several yearlings in there, along with Jean, who I'm thinking about pulling out. There is the one guy with the white tail feathers, but he's pretty low tier so most of the chicks will be out of John.

 

[Bantambird]

Weather being what it is, most of the boys have lost their points. I usually don't get large combs from my marans in the first place, but even the medium single combs can loose their points in the cold.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Some of my Marans hens with a correct body type , long with flat back , deep chest and small tail at 45 degree angle .
White orchid
View attachment 3437430

Unicorn
View attachment 3437431

Sasha
View attachment 3437432
Hope these photos will help you pick the right hen to breed type from .
All the 3 hens are over the SOP weight limit all around 3.6 to 4 kg well chunky . The SOP call for 2.8 to 3,2 kg my smallest hens are around 3.2 kg my heavy one s are over 4 kg .
My chooks are always on green grass all year around they love it.
Chooks man

This does help a lot. I see it!

 

[Punkybrewster]

Weather being what it is, most of the boys have lost their points. I usually don't get large combs from my marans in the first place, but even the medium single combs can loose their points in the cold.

Mine lost theirs from frostbite this past December. Southern coops are made for hot and humid climate and not built for the kind of cold that we had.

But my guys have large combs I am working on improving.

 

[Sussex19]

That is a good idea. 2 and 4look good to me .
Maybe we can do some swapping I take one of 2 cockerels and I ll send you a couples of Dz fertile eggs . Golden cuckoo and black copper/ blue copper dark eggs layers.
I ll pm you later to see what you think .
Chooks man

I would love to do a swap, but a few months ago I had a buff orp with an eye problem, which looked uncomfortably like ocular Mareks, so I have been keeping a closed flock as far as selling or giving away birds.
I have not had any symptoms in any other of the 80+ members of my flocks, so it is not confirmed, but I would hate to give you a cockerel if there is even a slight chance of something nasty here.
If you still want to, it is up to you, of cause.

 

[Chooks man]

I would love to do a swap, but a few months ago I had a buff orp with an eye problem, which looked uncomfortably like ocular Mareks, so I have been keeping a closed flock as far as selling or giving away birds.
I have not had any symptoms in any other of the 80+ members of my flocks, so it is not confirmed, but I would hate to give you a cockerel if there is even a slight chance of something nasty here.
If you still want to, it is up to you, of cause.

Thank you . I ll take one of then . I will keep him in isolation for as long as I need to see if any thing pop up .
My flock have been isolated from any outsider birds for over 3 years . I have not any sickness .
I still have chooks around Picton area nsw highland . I ll be bringing them up here to the new farm in couples of months start of the winter befor the breeding season .
We have a lot of time .
Chooks man