Mixing Marans With Marans

[Just cluckingaround]

I’m somewhat new to hatching chickens. But I am very confused on what I read about Marans. My question is, I have 3 hen Black Copper Marans, 3 Midnight Majesty Marans and 1 Cuckoo Marans All hens….. the cockerel is a Pure Black Copper Marans. If I decide to hatch eggs from say one of my Midnight Majesty hens bred with Black copper Marans have I screwed things up for the Marans or even what will it produce?

Breeding chickens is so complex and I just want to try and understand it more.

Thank you for any help!!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Midnight Majesty Marans aren't 100% Marans. They're Marans X Barred Rock. A type of black sex-link with a fancy name.

Backcrossing(if you did) helps with bringing back purity, extending genetic diversity, & bringing back certain traits. Don't worry too much.

 

[Just cluckingaround]

Thank you! Not worried so much as I am just trying to figure out this “chicken breeding code” with all the crosses and mixes it’s hard to tell what the heck you will come out with

 

[Just cluckingaround]

I will add we haven’t crossed them yet. They are still young for that and that is why I am asking ahead of time

 

[MysteryChicken]

Thank you! Not worried so much as I am just trying to figure out this “chicken breeding code” with all the crosses and mixes it’s hard to tell what the heck you will come out with

Not sure what you mean by chicken breeding code.

If you learn genetics, it takes away some of the difficulty of figuring out what the results of certain crosses will create.

Here's this calculator which is a handy learning tool.
https://kippenjungle.nl/kruisingCQ.html

Some more learning material.
https://kippenjungle.nl/basisEN.htm

 

[123RedBeard]

You will end up with a dark colored chicken that mostly resembles a marans ... Because of the genetic diversity you will probably have a more robust and healthy chicken ... Even mixing your Black Copper with the Cuckoo will add genetic diversity, quite often refered to as "hybrid vigor".

 

[shroberts]

So can the genetic diversity or 'hybrid vigor' be sexed at a day old by the white dot on the head is a male bird?