Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[mikefields]

Beautiful first egg! It is such a thrill to get those first eggs.

 

[jaybobrenn]

If you are looking for darker color, try the Dos Equis Amber.

lol, funnny

 

[DMRippy]

If you are looking for darker color, try the Dos Equis Amber.

lol, funnny

x2

 

[Broad St Farm]

.

 

[pinkchick]

Thank you for posting more photos. The lighter bird with copper is just lovely. I have never seen one like her, I am wondering if she is a very very very light washed out blue copper. The other gal is definitely Splash Copper, she is the one that I would test breed, but that is just me.

They are pretty, thank you for sharing them.

 

[pinkchick]

What about the Black Copper Marans from a Blue Copper/Black Copper mix?

I have a Black Copper cockerel that comes from that color mix and he has too much copper on his chest. I was thinking he needed to go but then I read they could help in the dark egg??? I'm working on a dark egg project with a friend. It's hard to not want to pick the closest to SOP to breed but I know it's all about the egg for this project.

Breeding the Black Copper from a Blue Copper/Black Copper mix back in with the Blue Copper and the Splash Copper is good, a person just doesn't want to breed the Black Coppers that come from blue back into their regular Black Coppers that do not have blue in the genetics, this is where it will mess with the black color.

Color on the male breast should not exceed 10% and the rest should be black or blue depending on variety color. Using a male with color in the breast should help with correcting color in hackle of the females if they are lacking.

I have not heard of using a male with color in the breast to increase egg color. The only way I have been able to improve egg color is back crossing for several generations.

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Is the Wheaton gene "rare"?

 

[Zanna]

Is the Wheaton gene "rare"?

OH my word!!! I would say it is more prevalent than we would like and certainly NOT desired in BCM!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote: Thanks for the clarification. I thought I read on this thread that someone had used a male with too much color and improved egg color?

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Thanks Zanna, guess I won't add them to my flock.