International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Bantambird]

I'm hoping this year becomes a banner year for everyone here...

Let's do this.

What's everyone plans for the season ? You all know mine for the most part. Test hatch as many Marans as I can do.
But, I also want some Olives and Midnights. Just a couple each would be fine.
Id like to start selling hatching eggs but I really only have the 2 dark layers so I could/should start small and local with them and BCM x EE and BCM x BR.

And I'm hoping, really hoping to have a new color appear this year. If that happens I'll be all kinds of gah gah.

So what's your plans, hopes, future birds, experiments, anything...

Annnd GO!!

I am planning on continuing to pick over old and new birds for improvements, and we are going to re fence the coral, build a buck pen, possibly plant some pie cherry trees ( if I can convince my husband), kidding will be starting in May, and my first batch of chicks got moved to the baby brooder today. It looks like there might have been a little crossing with 3 of the chicks, but there seems to be some people advertising for what I heard called mar-bar, which I dislike as a name way more than olive egger, since it is just a cross that lays olive eggs.... I am not sure why I dislike these weird crossbreed naming trends, but they annoy me.
also planning out the garden now, picking out seeds, going to warm up the seedling tent in a few weeks, but in Montana last frost date is around May 18th, so it will be a while before planting some things, but maybe if it stays pleasant enough we could get beets, certain greens, peas and carrots in, maybe in March? I never trust February to stay nice for long, with calving coming there will inevitably be a winter storm for the cattlemen to wade through.

 

[Punkybrewster]

I did "Mars bars" one year. Marans/ Legbar cross for olive eggs.
I hate the name too.

But they make a nice bird. Like a Marans with a mohawk. Egg color was nice for f1+f2.

Last frost date is in May?
I would have thought later. Thats good.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I did "Mars bars" one year. Marans/ Legbar cross for olive eggs.
I hate the name too.

But they make a nice bird. Like a Marans with a mohawk. Egg color was nice for f1+f2.

Last frost date is in May?
I would have thought later. Thats good.

Yeah, I don’t like the name marsbar either. F1 crossbreeds don’t need their own names in my opinion, maybe you can name them after they are your own distinct barnyard mix, after a few generations.

 

[wrathsfarm]

As far as just names go... I like Olive Egger better than Mars bar.
One is to the point. Other is a candy bar.
Then I like Ice cream bar (icb) even less than that.... Isbar x CL

But I'm not the creator selling these designer birds to the masses making money hand over fist, so there's that.
Just a weird thing that this kind of resembles. I went to lock down the birds for the night and walked up to the Marans and all 10 were crammed on the longer roost with Kong in the middle.
1. Now that's a first
2. I don't have my phone but really wish I did.
3. I love my "all Marans flock"

 

[NanaK]

I think giving a name to what is just a mix implies they are a breed and should breed true. I would prefer them to be labeled hybrid, such as Marans Hybrid or Legbar Hybrid. It just seems more honest. I think giving them names is very confusing for newbies.

As for a plan for this year, I have no real plan other than I would love to hatch a few of my Wyandottes. I have a rooster I would like to replace. He has become a pain in the butt! He is beautiful but it is not possible to work around him without watching your back. I will not put up with him much longer. He is the only one I've ever had like this and I do hate it but he has got to go.

Has anyone ever bred a mean rooster and had luck with getting a nice son or 2 from them?

 

[marchick]

I have just ordered marans eggs for my friend. I cannot have more breeds right now. I still have not finished all the coops and fences I need not to mention my house.

I plan to work with geese and ducks this year. a bit with silkies too. I prefer to sell hatching eggs. I'll try to enlarge my pita pita flock as well as egyptian fayoumi. they and dutch bantams are "bad times" birds. if they have enough room to forage they don't require a lot of feed.

When you get everything done that will be awesome. Lots of work for sure. I like my pheasants for the fact that they eat less feed than my Marans and ducks. I have red golden, lady amherst and mandarin ducks. They have to all be completely enclosed or they would be gone.

 

[Bantambird]

When you get everything done that will be awesome. Lots of work for sure. I like my pheasants for the fact that they eat less feed than my Marans and ducks. I have red golden, lady amherst and mandarin ducks. They have to all be completely enclosed or they would be gone.

lady amherst are such pretty birds. I would have to become a much better carpenter to house pheasants.

 

[marchick]

lady amherst are such pretty birds. I would have to become a much better carpenter to house pheasants.

I only have the one lady amherst hen. All 4 of her babies where males sadly. I will try again when she start laying. When it was calling for really cold temperatures here I moved the 5 male pheasants and the 4 mandarin ducks. They all went into the Marans houses with the Marans. Trying to get everyone through the -10 F that we got. They will go back into the other sections soon.

 

[Punkybrewster]

I think giving a name to what is just a mix implies they are a breed and should breed true. I would prefer them to be labeled hybrid, such as Marans Hybrid or Legbar Hybrid. It just seems more honest. I think giving them names is very confusing for newbies.

As for a plan for this year, I have no real plan other than I would love to hatch a few of my Wyandottes. I have a rooster I would like to replace. He has become a pain in the butt! He is beautiful but it is not possible to work around him without watching your back. I will not put up with him much longer. He is the only one I've ever had like this and I do hate it but he has got to go.

Has anyone ever bred a mean rooster and had luck with getting a nice son or 2 from them?

I have, when I didnt have a choice I needed to breed a mean one once.

Yes, I ended up with a few nice ones but also some mean ones.

Its understandable if you must, just dont make it a practice because there is a genetic link.

But you could also have a really nice rooster throw nasty cockerels too. It happens all the time.

By selecting only calm, nice roosters to breed forward, your chances of getting a mean one goes down with every breeding season.

 

[chickengr]

Last frost date is in May?
I would have thought later. Thats good.

good? I would not survive there, lol.