International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[wrathsfarm]

Took all these today also

 

[wrathsfarm]

And a few of the 7 week olds

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

@wrathsfarm
Who did it better?!

Kong

Freddy

Spot

Votes open 10pm GMT.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Took all these today also
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Type, Carriage & table merit: 25/40
tail too high, not too long though. Width decreases moving down, rather than remaining throughout. Other than that, good type, back long, breast full, etc.

Size & quality: 18/20
Looks like a big, powerful bird. Looses out on two points due to his tail feathers being a bit messy, as if they need to grow in again. Quality is largely about quality of feathering.

Colour & markings: 14/15
I hate to take even one point off of his colour pricessless copper colour that makes me jealous whenever I see it. Black good and shiny. The one point, you are probably aware, was deducted for two things: the white feather and over coloured breast. As the white is hidden it doesn’t warrant another point deduction.

Head: 6/10
Eye could be bolder orange/red. Signs of what was once a really good head but has become rougher and wider with age.

Condition: 6/10
Looses out on the scaliness of his feet and state of his comb and wattles. I know this is uncontrollable, it’s not like you haven’t looked after him well, it’s just the signs of an aging chook. But unfortunately it deducts points. I don’t know how a judge would actually consider the neurological thing (that is Kong, isn’t it?), so I’ve ignored it.

Legs & feet: 4/5
Well set apart and not too long. Just noticing a couple of feathers where they shouldn’t be.

Total: 73/100

Best so far (I think). The colour is his strong suit, it’s a shame his rear is thinner than this breast.
I believe it would be in a judges right to disqualify him in a show because of the falling and shaking head thing, so I’ve judged him on looks alone.

You’ve probably realised how much I like him, you have some good chooks that will hopefully form the foundations of a great line. It’s all about those smart pairings to balance out traits.

Tell Kong well done from me.
Sorry if I’ve got King and Kong mixed up!

 

[wrathsfarm]

@wrathsfarm
Who did it better?!
View attachment 3843137KongView attachment 3843138
Freddy
View attachment 3843139Spot

Votes open 10pm GMT.

Spot !! Looks like he's trying to catch a burst of air to lift off...

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I don’t know if you’ll remember, but about this time last year (it’s crazy it was a year ago now) all three silkies managed to hatch two chicks between them. I was going to update you all when the marans eggs they were sat on hatched but they never did. Spot is the white chick that had the grey spot on his head from that hatch.

He’s such a funny cockerel, always bottom of the pecking order but he never seems bothered by it. He is the son of Thor, my F0 SDW. That makes spot half brothers to Freddy and Cpt Jack.

I’m hoping to crossbreed breed him to create a true breeding line of birds that lay lots of pale eggs covered in huge speckles. Might introduce the mottling or slash gene so they are speckled birds laying speckled eggs. I have three legbar eggs being hatched with the DCMs that could be sired by him, but more likely by his much bigger brother Freddy.

Spot !! Looks like he's trying to catch a burst of air to lift off...

 

[wrathsfarm]

Type, Carriage & table merit: 25/40
tail too high, not too long though. Width decreases moving down, rather than remaining throughout. Other than that, good type, back long, breast full, etc.

Size & quality: 18/20
Looks like a big, powerful bird. Looses out on two points due to his tail feathers being a bit messy, as if they need to grow in again. Quality is largely about quality of feathering.

Colour & markings: 14/15
I hate to take even one point off of his colour pricessless copper colour that makes me jealous whenever I see it. Black good and shiny. The one point, you are probably aware, was deducted for two things: the white feather and over coloured breast. As the white is hidden it doesn’t warrant another point deduction.

Head: 6/10
Eye could be bolder orange/red. Signs of what was once a really good head but has become rougher and wider with age.

Condition: 6/10
Looses out on the scaliness of his feet and state of his comb and wattles. I know this is uncontrollable, it’s not like you haven’t looked after him well, it’s just the signs of an aging chook. But unfortunately it deducts points. I don’t know how a judge would actually consider the neurological thing (that is Kong, isn’t it?), so I’ve ignored it.

Legs & feet: 4/5
Well set apart and not too long. Just noticing a couple of feathers where they shouldn’t be.

Total: 73/100

Best so far (I think). The colour is his strong suit, it’s a shame his rear is thinner than this breast.
I believe it would be in a judges right to disqualify him in a show because of the falling and shaking head thing, so I’ve judged him on looks alone.

You’ve probably realised how much I like him, you have some good chooks that will hopefully form the foundations of a great line. It’s all about those smart pairings to balance out traits.

Tell Kong well done from me.
Sorry if I’ve got King and Kong mixed up!

Thank you very much... You've pointed out some I already knew of course but some I didn't and that helps me to see in him what I should be looking at in others. I'll let it sink in and may have more questions I'm sure.

His width is the main fix I need to concentrate on if I'm working with him. Tone that comb down and lose the over coloring in his chest. Just unclear on who to mate him to, I've got to get pics of the hens for this.
Betty's eggs hatching hopefully we'll see some good colored boys and take note of their width as they grow. She's not a big gal, tho.

King has the neurological issue.

That was great, I appreciate the insight, and the way I look at it really is, we're dealing with hatchery birds and I'm pretty fortunate to have what I have.. especially his color. King is my first thought to be a hatchery bird with the Recessive white?, squirrel tail, and neurological issue.

I just took down the windbreaks to Kongs run and need to get the secondary fence up to stop King from getting worked up so close to Kong.

Thanks again....

 

[wrathsfarm]

I don’t know if you’ll remember, but about this time last year (it’s crazy it was a year ago now) all three silkies managed to hatch two chicks between them. I was going to update you all when the marans eggs they were sat on hatched but they never did. Spot is the white chick that had the grey spot on his head from that hatch.

He’s such a funny cockerel, always bottom of the pecking order but he never seems bothered by it. He is the son of Thor, my F0 SDW. That makes spot half brothers to Freddy and Cpt Jack.

I’m hoping to crossbreed breed him to create a true breeding line of birds that lay lots of pale eggs covered in huge speckles. Might introduce the mottling or slash gene so they are speckled birds laying speckled eggs. I have three legbar eggs being hatched with the DCMs that could be sired by him, but more likely by his much bigger brother Freddy.

Speckled birds and speckled eggs for sure... Any idea why none of the Marans eggs hatched? I don't remember if you said.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Speckled birds and speckled eggs for sure... Any idea why none of the Marans eggs hatched? I don't remember if you said.

I should have left them another day. It got to day 26 and I composted them. One marans chick was still alive when I put a spade through the egg. It’s beak popped out with a bit of blood, but luckily I didn’t go all the way through. I put it back under but it died and got eaten by the hens.

I think the issue was that day 1 was different for each egg as the hens began stealing eggs from under each other and moving the nests about. This lead to some not really being consistently incubated until a few days after I put them under. Now, I separate them all and give them a nest box each rather than letting them share a larger space for incubation.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Thank you very much... You've pointed out some I already knew of course but some I didn't and that helps me to see in him what I should be looking at in others. I'll let it sink in and may have more questions I'm sure.

His width is the main fix I need to concentrate on if I'm working with him. Tone that comb down and lose the over coloring in his chest. Just unclear on who to mate him to, I've got to get pics of the hens for this.
Betty's eggs hatching hopefully we'll see some good colored boys and take note of their width as they grow. She's not a big gal, tho.

King has the neurological issue.

That was great, I appreciate the insight, and the way I look at it really is, we're dealing with hatchery birds and I'm pretty fortunate to have what I have.. especially his color. King is my first thought to be a hatchery bird with the Recessive white?, squirrel tail, and neurological issue.

I just took down the windbreaks to Kongs run and need to get the secondary fence up to stop King from getting worked up so close to Kong.

Thanks again....

Do you mean parasitic white? Recessive white makes a bird entirely white, but does nothing if split. Parasitic white is one we don’t know much about, but occurs in the tail base and wings, often increasing with age.

They really are fantastic for hatchery birds, you’d think they were from an independent breeder. I think you’ve mentioned the hatchery before, they deserve a well done, hopefully they keep it up and it wasn’t just good luck, so more people can have access to good marans.

Once I evaluate all then hens and the pullets when older, I will try and think of the best pairs. I don’t have all the experience others have at this though, but I’m happy to give suggestions anyway.