Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[BCMaraniac]

Maran cross questions: I just put some eggs in the incubator. Some pure Black Copper Marans and others are mixed with the Black Copper Maran roo. Any idea how these crosses will turn out?:

Black Copper Maran with:
Buff Orpington
RIR
Barred Rock


I also have some Ameraucauna Roo (prob an EE) with:
Blue Ameraucauna
Gold Laced Wyandotte

Any pics out there of the chicks and adults?

Thanks!

My avatar is a BCM/Lavender Orpington cross....but he is a capon and weighs around 10 pounds now. All of my Marans/LO cross hens actually have some substance to them so I am planning to butcher them as soon as I can because I don't need the layers. I don't have any pictures of them, however. They are all black, and a couple of them have a little copper in their hackles, but smooth legs

 

[DMRippy]

Maran cross questions: I just put some eggs in the incubator. Some pure Black Copper Marans and others are mixed with the Black Copper Maran roo. Any idea how these crosses will turn out?:

Black Copper Maran with:
Buff Orpington
RIR
Barred Rock


I also have some Ameraucauna Roo (prob an EE) with:
Blue Ameraucauna
Gold Laced Wyandotte

Any pics out there of the chicks and adults?

Thanks!

Not 100% sure on the orps or RIR. But the BR will give you sex links and make GREAT Meat birds. I would think the RIR would make good meat birds too but I don't mix my birds without a reason so I don't know what you would get.

 

[pinkchick]

Maran cross questions:  I just put some eggs in the incubator.  Some pure Black Copper Marans and others are mixed with the Black Copper Maran roo.  Any idea how these crosses will turn out?:

Black Copper Maran with:
Buff Orpington
RIR
Barred Rock


I also have some Ameraucauna Roo (prob an EE) with:
Blue Ameraucauna
Gold Laced Wyandotte

Any pics out there of the chicks and adults?

Thanks!

Not sure what you will get with the Buff Orp, or RIR, but, can say that the babies that come from the Black Copper crossed to the Barred Rock hen will be as follows:
Males will be black, and have a larger white dot on their head when dried off after hatch. Female will/should have a small white dot on the head, or may not show any white on head at all. Females from this cross should be solid black, they will not get the barring gene from their mother. The females may show copper/reddish leakage in the hackles later on after maturity, but don't count on that, then again, don't be surprised either. The males that are from the BR mother, and the BCM male, will all be barred, and you will see the barring start to come in within about 7 to 10 days on the males.

Edited to change the fact that I typed that males will be barred at hatch, didn't meant to type that.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Not sure what you will get with the Buff Orp, or RIR, but, can say that the babies that come from the Black Copper crossed to the Barred Rock hen will be as follows:
Males will be barred and have a larger white dot on their head when dried off after hatch. Female will/should have a small white dot on the head, or may not show any white on head at all. Females from this cross should be solid black, they will not get the barring gene from their mother. The females may show copper/reddish leakage in the hackles later on after maturity, but don't count on that, then again, don't be surprised either. The males that are from the BR mother, and the BCM male, will all be barred, and you will see the barring start to come in within about 7 to 10 days on the males.

I had a RIR/BCM cross that was mostly black as a chick. She didn't make it however...that RIR laid a very elongated egg and it was a small chick that died at about 4 days old.

I keep my "backup" cock/erels in with the layer flock so will have some BR, SS, and golden buff crosses hatching in a while. Backyarders love the darker eggs from adding in the Marans and meat is always good! Thanks for the info RE: BR crosses. We are always careful to toe punch/leg mark the babies. You should see my "partitioned" hatching trays. We call it "egg jail."

 

[8isenuff]

I had a RIR/BCM cross that was mostly black as a chick.  She didn't make it however...that RIR laid a very elongated egg and it was a small chick that died at about 4 days old.

I keep my "backup" cock/erels in with the layer flock so will have some BR, SS, and golden buff crosses hatching in a while.  Backyarders love the darker eggs from adding in the Marans and meat is always good!  Thanks for the info RE: BR crosses.  We are always careful to toe punch/leg mark the babies.  You should see my "partitioned" hatching trays.  We call it "egg jail."

I'd love to see the partitions! Tryin to figure out how to keep breeds separated or know which is which...thinkong if making chick photo flash cards!

 

[Wynette]

I'd love to see the partitions! Tryin to figure out how to keep breeds separated or know which is which...thinkong if making chick photo flash cards!

Some folks use those garment bags that women use to wash their pantyhose in...just put the eggs inside the bag. I've never tried it, but I know many longtime Marans breeders who do so without issue. I partition off my hatching trays, too.

 

[Raven1]

I use the bags they work great with plenty of room.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I just want to clarify the pullets from this cross will NOT have any spots on their heads. They will be solid black. Any spot no matter the size will be a roo.

 

[DMRippy]

I got this idea from Vicky and modified it for me. I used that canvas for needle crafting. Cut it to the right size and wired it into the baskets I had. You could make the baskets completely out of the canvas if you wanted.













Most are just divided in half but I did do a few in 1/3 and 1/4s. Some times i have just one egg from a breed... not so much anymore.

 

[Wynette]

Some times i have just one egg from a breed... not so much anymore.

HA! True that. Thanks for sharing pics!!