Is anyone ordered Black Copper Marans from My Pet Chicken before?

[off-grid hen]

Well? Are they laying yet? What color are the eggs? Can you post a photo? I'm considering getting some of these from MPC.

 

[BlazeJester]

I have not been happy with my MPC quality. They have a contract with Meyer Hatchery, which ships small batches. I'd see if you can get one of the breeders on here to ship chicks for you in the spring. Definitely don't expect show- or breeder-quality chickens from MPC.

 

[off-grid hen]

I'm not looking for show quality birds. I just want darker eggs than I'm getting currently. They don't need to be the perfect chocolate brown either, just darker than my light brown eggs. I know people don't like to hear this, but I'm being honest.

 

[BlazeJester]

Totally fine! I guess I was hoping for better coloring on my partridge rocks and columbian wyandottes, so it's just fair for people to have the right expectations ordering from a hatchery. I'd guess that if the genes are anywhere close to good for BCM, the eggs should be darker than "regular" brown eggs. Good luck!

 

[Illia]

Okay, so in my avatar, the third egg over from the white one - That's what you can expect from Cuckoo Marans. If that's dark enough for you, then yes, go ahead with hatcheries.

The fourth egg from the white is what I'd probably expect from MPC/Meyer's Black Coppers. Best to them them ASAP before the hatchery breeds them to the point of laying paler eggs though.


Few people actually have "show quality" Marans but the egg color is an important thing, easily bred out with careless breeding for production. I understand ya though, so the best help comes from "How dark do you want it?"

 

[off-grid hen]

Quote:
I agree totally, thanks for the input. Before I started using this forum regularly, I wouldn't have known to be wary. I have seen a few 4-H ers get a little upset when they don't get a show quality bird from a hatchery. I'm just a backyard flock owner looking for a rainbow of eggs from a rainbow-variety flock.

 

[off-grid hen]

Quote:
Thank you! I just like the black coppers bc I don't have black chickens. I have Dominiques, so was looking for a different color pattern. I already have brown leghorns, or I'd be looking into welsummers. welsumers. Whatever.

Part of my problem: I'd LOVE to be able to get a few chickens from breeders but I want to: 1. Raise them as day-old SEXED chicks. Raising chicks is most of the fun of having chickens. I only want 2 of each breed. 3. I don't want roosters, and am terrible at incubating eggs- so I'm less inclined to go the hatching egg route.

It'll be hard enough to find a hatchery with a small enough minimum order. I already have 16 chickens and don't want to expand the coop. I have room for a few more birds and this should accomodate my need for new chickens with different colored eggs. (Chicken math has not set in yet. )

If I could find a breeder in northern NY who could give me 2 sexed day-old chicks for blue/green (not olive) eggs, and 2 sexed day-old dark layers (preferrably a black chicken) I'd be all for it. I'd prefer it, actually.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

 

[kari_dawn]

I ordered BCM from MPC, and they are still young. I too wonder about the color of the eggs. They do state that their birds come from Wade-Jean lines. I think that hatcheries are really limiting on the quality and variety of poultry you can get, but alas, I do not have an incubator. I have been pretty happy with MPC quality though (except their buff orpingtons...they seem gangly and their personalities are not very orpington-ish). I am not a breeder or a show keeper, but i do not think my hatchery birds are ugly

Here are a couple of pictures of my birds, all from MPC. The black copper marans are still babies, so time will tell how their egg color turns out.

 

[nincomcoop]

Quote:
WOW! I have your SS's twin!!! I know she too was from a hatchery, but not sure which one.

 

[neilgal]

OK, I found two little dark brown eggs today. One of my "My Pet Chicken" B.C Marans start layings. Woo Hoo.