International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[BlueTheBrahma]

@wrathsfarm
You say the purple band is not as wide, do you mean overall or at a single point. Marans should still have good width at the shoulders, but this should be maintained down the entire back towards the tail. That is Kong’s big issue: his width is lost in the rear.

I’m struggling to tell in the photos, but is the purple band good and rectangular from above? The double purple is slightly triangular from above, I think this is what you were trying to highlight.

Double purple also looks rather triangular from the side: his breast is very lean. Hopefully he is yet to fatten up nicely. This might be true of both and I can only see in the pictures of double purple.

I stress choosing type when replacing your cocks. I think you’ll find that when you breed these boys from under coloured dams back to under coloured hens next season, then you will see real improvement in chest copper.

The narrowness of the hips is the main issue, so choose the one which is most rectangular from above (provided it has no other major faults).

P.S stunning looking cockerels, Kong’s copper is clearly a dominant trait which will serve your line well.

 

[wrathsfarm]

@wrathsfarm
You say the purple band is not as wide, do you mean overall or at a single point. Marans should still have good width at the shoulders, but this should be maintained down the entire back towards the tail. That is Kong’s big issue: his width is lost in the rear.

I’m struggling to tell in the photos, but is the purple band good and rectangular from above? The double purple is slightly triangular from above, I think this is what you were trying to highlight.

Double purple also looks rather triangular from the side: his breast is very lean. Hopefully he is yet to fatten up nicely. This might be true of both and I can only see in the pictures of double purple.

I stress choosing type when replacing your cocks. I think you’ll find that when you breed these boys from under coloured dams back to under coloured hens next season, then you will see real improvement in chest copper.

The narrowness of the hips is the main issue, so choose the one which is most rectangular from above (provided it has no other major faults).

Single has more width in the chest but more triangular towards the rear. I believe double is more rectangular, his width is more even towards the rear but he's not as wide as single in the chest. This is all looking from overhead.
Kong doesn't have a super wide stance in the hips either.
I'll get better over head pics this morning.
If neither are an improvement in Kongs type, I've got 7 more cockerels that are roughly 10 weeks, 4 more chicks just hatched and 14 more eggs set to hatch.

There's 3 boys I'm really watching, 1 from Angel (below) and 2 from Betty (head spot)

Too early for them yet I realize, what I'm seeing is less chest copper and all 3 are good size. I'll get some updated on them today, as copper is coming in more.

July 28th (1 of Angels)

 

[wrathsfarm]

P.S stunning looking cockerels, Kong’s copper is clearly a dominant trait which will serve your line well.

Thanks, yes I love his color. Just got to get the right pairing to fix his type.
Angel has 3 boys, Betty has 4 boys. Just hatched 2 from Black and 2 from Raven, with 8 more eggs from Raven and 6 from Momma under the remaining 2 broodys.

 

[The Coop Crew]

Just posting here to see what you guys think of my BCM pullet. Shes around 15 weeks.
These are the best pictures I have at the moment.

 

[The Coop Crew]

Just posting here to see what you guys think of my BCM pullet. Shes around 15 weeks.
These are the best pictures I have at the moment.

Here are some better full body pictures!

 

[Tstraub]

My rooster Axl has been standing differently today than usual. He is keeping his neck retreated and holding his head close to his shoulders. He typically stands tall and proud with his head and tail both up. Today he is just sort of scrunched up.

When he walks around he stretches out like normal no balance issues and he seems to be able to move his head normally so I don’t think it’s wry neck. I haven’t noticed anything odd with his poop or his appetite. Diet is mostly all flock 18% crumbles. But they have been getting a lot of garden scraps this time of year corn, cucumbers, pumpkin and brassicas. Not all at the same time just like when we put up corn we let them pick the cobs clean or if a cucumbers get overgrown and bitter they go to the chickens, etc

None of the girls are acting sick just him. attached are a couple snapshots of how he is standing today

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Here are some better full body pictures!

Type, carriage: 12/40
Size, quality: 8/20
Colour, markings: 14/15
Head: 7/10
Condition: 9/10
Legs, feet: 2/5
—————————-
Total: 52/100

A healthy, well coloured pullet. Correct amount of copper of a great colour.
Frankly (sorry to be blunt), she looks like a really good marans was skinned and put over the body of a Welsummer.
By that I mean her type (build, body, frame and silhouette) is too lean and graceful. The tail is too long and high. A marans should be powerful, heavy and well muscled. They are, after all, a duel-purpose breed.

Your pullet looses out because of how much stress the marans standard (this is the standard presented by the UK marans club, as I know it best. The USA/Continental standards are very similar) puts on the correct type.

Her legs are also incorrect. They are well feathered and look healthy, but are all slate grey, like they have the slate legged gene (supported by the very black beak). Marans should have pink/white legs with only grey shading, which comes from the birchen gene.

Colour could be passed on and her line improved by breeding to a well built rooster.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

My rooster Axl has been standing differently today than usual. He is keeping his neck retreated and holding his head close to his shoulders. He typically stands tall and proud with his head and tail both up. Today he is just sort of scrunched up.

When he walks around he stretches out like normal no balance issues and he seems to be able to move his head normally so I don’t think it’s wry neck. I haven’t noticed anything odd with his poop or his appetite. Diet is mostly all flock 18% crumbles. But they have been getting a lot of garden scraps this time of year corn, cucumbers, pumpkin and brassicas. Not all at the same time just like when we put up corn we let them pick the cobs clean or if a cucumbers get overgrown and bitter they go to the chickens, etc

None of the girls are acting sick just him. attached are a couple snapshots of how he is standing today
View attachment 3914662View attachment 3914663View attachment 3914664

He is showing signs of illness or weakness. I don’t have much to recommend other than keep an eye out for other symptoms. He is too young to be showing signs of age related weakness/deterioration presumably, making illness the more likely option.
Wish you luck and Axl health.

 

[The Coop Crew]

Type, carriage: 12/40
Size, quality: 8/20
Colour, markings: 14/15
Head: 7/10
Condition: 9/10
Legs, feet: 2/5
—————————-
Total: 52/100

A healthy, well coloured pullet. Correct amount of copper of a great colour.
Frankly (sorry to be blunt), she looks like a really good marans was skinned and put over the body of a Welsummer.
By that I mean her type (build, body, frame and silhouette) is too lean and graceful. The tail is too long and high. A marans should be powerful, heavy and well muscled. They are, after all, a duel-purpose breed.

Your pullet looses out because of how much stress the marans standard (this is the standard presented by the UK marans club, as I know it best. The USA/Continental standards are very similar) puts on the correct type.

Her legs are also incorrect. They are well feathered and look healthy, but are all slate grey, like they have the slate legged gene (supported by the very black beak). Marans should have pink/white legs with only grey shading, which comes from the birchen gene.

Colour could be passed on and her line improved by breeding to a well built rooster.

Thank you for that! I appreciate it. She is our biggest pullet so she seems huge to me but I have no other BCM for comparison lol
Will any of this change as she matures?

 

[Tstraub]

He is showing signs of illness or weakness. I don’t have much to recommend other than keep an eye out for other symptoms. He is too young to be showing signs of age related weakness/deterioration presumably, making illness the more likely option.
Wish you luck and Axl health.

I didn’t have much time with him today because it’s a work day but he looked a lot better for the few minutes I had with him. Maybe he had a little something caught in his crop and it cleared overnight? I’ll keep an eye on him