International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[TexasBlues]

#4 and #4+. they might be darker than in the pic. if so #4+ might be #4-5 or even #5. only you can compare eggs with this pic.

I’ve noticed a couple things about my marans eggs.
They normally have some blood spots on the yolk like in the photo below. The 2 on the right are marans and the 2 on left are true blues.
They also have larger yolks than my whitings, but the marans are a 1-2 months older.
The shells seem hard to crack because the membrane is kinda loose and causes the egg to basically collapse and I have to tear the membrane to get the insides to slide out. Y’all know what I’m talking bout? The whiting shells crack sharply and cleanly and separate easily.

 

[BrahmasMama02]

Looks great! How’s his temperament?

That’s actually something that I’ve been curious about. I think it’s “okay”.

Activity I’ve noticed with hens: He doesn’t take no for an answer. If he gets rejected he runs them down. He gives up after his 2nd/3rd attempt tho, and usually the hens are agreeable. He calls them to bed at night, and he shares his food findings with them.

Activity with me: I’ve upset him a couple times. If I spook a hen he comes running toward me. He usually stops like 7-10ft and just stare him down. If I step toward him he runs off usually. He likes treats and has more recently been coming up to me for them. He used to not take them from my hand, but now busts through the hens to grab what I have. He’s very wary of me usually. If he does get aggressive, then he’s gonna have to be soup.. cuz he’s too big for all that haha

 

[chickengr]

Yes he’s only 11weeks.. Thank you so much for this! I kept reading horror stories and just was not sure what to expect. Some folks made it sound like one day they woke up and their rooster hit puberty and did a 180 becoming a total nightmare. Seems like I just have to keep an eye out for their flock dynamic, see how it changes, and only intervene when necessary. Again, I really appreciate the solid advice. I’ve been so stressed about how to handle a growing rooster (probably need to stop reading those horror stories people post about on those FB groups.) He’s starting to grow at much faster rate than the pullets his age. I’ll update with some pictures soon.

Oh and my head hen is a Rhode Island Red. She loves cuddles and attention from people, but boy is she bossy to the other girls. I think he’s got a long ways to prove himself before she’ll be ready to hand over that leadership role.

marans roos usually are tame. I hope your RIR girl will teach him the lesson if he tries to behave the way he shouldn't.

 

[chickengr]

I’ve noticed a couple things about my marans eggs.
They normally have some blood spots on the yolk like in the photo below. The 2 on the right are marans and the 2 on left are true blues.
They also have larger yolks than my whitings, but the marans are a 1-2 months older.
The shells seem hard to crack because the membrane is kinda loose and causes the egg to basically collapse and I have to tear the membrane to get the insides to slide out. Y’all know what I’m talking bout? The whiting shells crack sharply and cleanly and separate easily.

View attachment 3891579

usual thing for marans eggs.

 

[TexasBlues]

usual thing for marans eggs.

I don’t mind the blood spots, but it gets tricky cracking the eggs without damaging the yolk. It’s like the membrane easily separates from the shell. So that’s common for everyone here?

I do love the color of the egg shell and the taste is top notch. My breakfast has never been so good.
I chicken-watched for a friend recently and the fresh eggs I collected from his flock had yellow thin yolks. They were confined to a run without grass. My marans yolks are a rich creamy orange.

I also noticed when I hatched the last clutch of black copper marans, I had 2 or maybe 3 chicks that were fully developed, but that membrane had stuck tightly to the chicks and they never pipped.

 

[chickengr]

it gets tricky cracking the eggs without damaging the yolk.

maybe heat is responsible for that?

 

[wrathsfarm]

I don’t mind the blood spots, but it gets tricky cracking the eggs without damaging the yolk. It’s like the membrane easily separates from the shell. So that’s common for everyone here?

I do love the color of the egg shell and the taste is top notch. My breakfast has never been so good.
I chicken-watched for a friend recently and the fresh eggs I collected from his flock had yellow thin yolks. They were confined to a run without grass. My marans yolks are a rich creamy orange.

I get blood spots but not often and usually just from certain hens but not enough to tell you which ones it's coming from.

And the shells are harder than regular eggs but rarely break yolks.

 

[TexasBlues]

I don’t think it’s the heat, I usually collect eggs right after laying.
Todays egg was bloodier than normal.

 

[Lovethefarm22]

This thread is dedicated to Black Copper Marans worldwide. All are welcome..... those with their very first BCMs .... the experienced breeders and everyone in between. We can share our experiences, knowledge and love of the breed.

We bought 2 Black Copper Marans 2 days ago! Love them already and am excited for there beautiful eggs!

 

[wrathsfarm]

We bought 2 Black Copper Marans 2 days ago! Love them already and am excited for there beautiful eggs!

That's awesome... we would love to see pics of them