Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[kristip]

Question for you..I have bcm and cuckoo marans in the incubator with some other eggs...when they hatch do they look the same or will they differ?

Thanks

the cuckoos will have a dot on their heads

so the bcm will be all black with white belly and the cuckoo will be the same but with a dot. Is there a theory that bigger dot is roo or such?

 

[gilavina]

so the bcm will be all black with white belly and the cuckoo will be the same but with a dot. Is there a theory that bigger dot is roo or such?

yes, some cuckoos will appear more silver in tone as well. The larger dots are usually your roos indeed on the cuckoos

 

[rissamdc]

I got my first Black Copper Marans as eggs for my incubator. I first heard about these out of a magazine for being rare. Marans are beautiful birds that lay precious eggs.

 

[snowbird]

I got my first Black Copper Marans as eggs for my incubator. I first heard about these out of a magazine for being rare. Marans are beautiful birds that lay precious eggs.

Welcome to the Marans thread, Sometimes it moves fast and other times is very slow.

 

[Irishgirl]

I have five beautiful Black copper Marans Roosters. Sadly I need to get rid of them. I don't want to have to put them in the pot as they are great breeding stock. I have tried to sell them on Craigslist but not luck. What other options do I have besides the killing cone?

I may be interested in one. What are you selling them for? And how old are they?

 

[Oil Patch]

I haven't been able to check the thread for a few days. As usual I missed a lot of great stuff. After reading back through, I am sitting here trying to process the information and this question keeps coming to mind. At what point will we have a consistent population of BCMs? My original / current goal is to have a flock of birds with good type, standard color and dark eggs. In my simple mind, I thought I could buy eggs or chicks from top breeders, put them in the lot, and reap the benefits. I apologize to all of you who have and continue to work so hard for the breed. I now only have a few BCMs to work with. My friends are the proud owners of some nice dark egg laying hens. They don't care about SOP and such but LOVE the dark eggs (maybe 4 or 5 on the chart). I don't know if I will ever show or sell but SOMEDAY I will have a flock to be proud of! Thanks for sharing all your experience and knowledge.

 

[Wynette]

Oil Patch, great to see you posting!

It's an interesting question, and "consistent" means different things to different people. Add to this difficult breed cnsistency not only in type, but in egg color, as well, and you further complicate the situation!

Your goal is perfect. Stick to it, keep reading, ask questions...and get out & see some birds at shows to know what is being shown and how consistent they are looking.

You can look at pictures all day long, but they don't tell the whole story.

 

[Flowerbh]

I just hatched a wheaten Marans chick. It was born with black in the wing area. It is only 3 days old. Is this normal for males and females, or will this be the male? No feathers yet, just black ...I don't know what you call them....wing bones??? Anyway, just wondering.

 

[PurpleShoeWoman]

Hi,
I am new to the site but wanted to stop and say hello. I recently (last year) started a small flock in my back yard. My son also just gave me 6 hens and a rooster because he had to move and couldn't take them along. I also have 14 eggs in the incubator, 2 from the new girls and a dozen I won in a silent auction, Marans and Easter Eggers. Hoping for a good hatch. Used to have a lot of critters years ago, just getting back into it. Tough times call for fresh eggs and intensive gardening.

 

[CaptGus]

Ok, quick question. What would a cross of a Black Copper Maran roo over a White Rock Hen?