My BLACK Copper Marans is BROWN. When will he develop proper coloring?

[millebantam]

Unfortunatley, the "kinks" are being added to this breed at a faster rate than they are being worked out. If someone is truly serious about raising quality BCM's, the safest method of procuring foundation stock is to buy adult or started birds from a breeder who allows you to see the birds in person. Hatching eggs are a crapshoot at best. As long as people are willing to pay big money for hatching eggs, every possible egg will be sold, from every laying hen available.

The reality is that it doesn't make sense for anyone to cull an off colored, or poorly typed hen as long as she is shooting out 5 dollar bills. when the dust settles, and the "craze wears off, the "sharks" will drop this breed like a hot potato and move on to the next money maker. Only then will there be a majority of breeders culling the way that they have to, to improve the breed.

A fancy website, and pretty dark eggs recieved in the mail is no guarantee that anything good will hatch from those eggs. This site is littered with horror stories of junk hatching out of eggs from "reputable" breeders. I bought some eggs for my son a while back and got everything BUT Blue Copper Marans that the "reputable" seller had advertised. What's funny is, those mutt hens are laying some really impressive dark eggs. Anybody wanna' buy some "quality BCM eggs" from [insert famous name breeder here]? LOL!!!

 

[Sparklee]

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This little chick is from an imported Black Copper Marans line. I have no reason to doubt the breeder. There is only one chick that made the hatch (1 out of 8). And it was from a teeny tiny little egg that was sent as an extra.

Is this brown/black standard coloring for a Black Copper Marans at 5 weeks?

 

[onthespot]

I hatch several from each clutch that look like that, espceciall from the roo I posted the pic of. They outgrow the brown barring on the wings. The down and butt feathers may retain a dull brownish hue as they mature. I don't like it, but mine are otherwise nice. Eventually i would cull away from it. since you only hatched one roo, I would pass him on to a new home and start new with a different clutch or get started chicks that you know don't look like that if you don't want your next generation to look like that too. Some people are not bothered by it. The standard says black, not brownish black... That being said, I have two hens that look like that in my flock. I prefer the shiny, greenish glow black myself

 

[blackdotte]

The chick is carrying a recessive gene,probably Wheaten or less likely Duckwing. Recessive Wheaten is very common in Brown-Reds (Black Coppers) in the USA. Being from an imported line is also fairly meaningless as the infusion of Wheaten & Duckwing it to Brown-Reds is a common problem in French farm stocks.
David

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

blackdotte David what do you think of this roo he 24 weeks old...Thanks Dawn

 

[Sparklee]

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What good would he be to the new home? You know, since they also would only have one roo and it's most likely recessive Wheaten. (I'm sure the answer is obvious to those who've been involved with chickens for a while, so please excuse the duh questions. I'm new at this and semi-sleep deprived until we get the bigger feed grinder.)

 

[Sparklee]

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Yeah, I'd have to use my skymiles just to go see a bird in person. I haven't seen any breeders listed anywhere nearby.

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Ouch! Yeah. Found out the hard way. ;-) Just wanted some variety in my egg bowl in the morning. Bought the eggs on a lark. But if I'm going to own some, I don't want to hurt the breed if I decide to give some hatching eggs or chicks to friends so that they, too, can have some dark eggs for breakfast. I would only want to give proper BCMs. I just didn't know how difficult it was to get a true BCM.

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A little cynical, are we? Heh. You make me laugh because you are exactly right in a few cases at least. Some breeders are perfectly legit and in it for the right reasons. But $5 is just about right. Paid over $30 for 6 eggs (s&h included) and nearly $60 for 12 when the first batch gave me just 1 hatch.

 

[pinkchick]

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Looks like he has 6 points on his comb is that right? Other than the comb he is a very pretty bird.
*edited to say*
Sorry, I was thinking Welsummer.....got Welsummer on the brain and I know I read the title of the post. I must be brain dead I knew that was a Marans but I was still thinking Welsummer. He is still a very pretty bird.

 

[geebs]

I don't understand the comb comment... What is the strived for "standard"?

 

[cityslickers]

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Looks like he has 6 points on his comb is that right? Other than the comb he is a very pretty bird.

That's what his comb is suppose to look like!!!!!

Those Marans are beautiful...