Well I always wanted Black Copper Marans so this spring I ordered 12 Black/Blue Copper Maran Chicks. I figured what better place to document my progress with this Awesome and I'm finding out a complicated breed. It is my goal to see if I can establish myself a half decent looking flock of Marans by the French standard. Im not looking to show or anything like that, I figure it would be a good rewarding hobby to keep me out of trouble lol and its fun 
I have went out and bought a lot of reading material, joined the Marans Club Of America and I have plenty of reading here on BYC for research material.
My starter flock was born on April 8th.
Out of the 12 chicks I got 7 Blue Coppers (3 roos and 4 Pullets) and 5 Black Coppers ( 1 roo and 4 Pullets)
Last week I got rid of one of the Blue roos and the ONLY Black roo I have. The Black had no feathering on his legs, thin framed and looked more like game fowl and the blue had no feathering on his legs as well. SO them 2 were gone right off the bat.. The 2 Blue Copper Roos I hept have nice feathered legs
Out of the Blue Copper pullets one does not have any feathering on her legs and the other 3 have light feathering on theirs. The Black Copper pullets, 2 have ok feathering on their legs and 2 do not have any feathering on theirs. So the feathered legs is something I need to address right away.
Right now I have 2 pens set up to work with them. The Coops are aprox. 12x8 each and the 2 runs are 10x8 each.
Here is my Newbe plan Working with what I have, my Plan this spring is to select 30 of my best and darkest eggs (6+ on the Maran Egg Chart) hatch them out with a goal of selecting the best> Hoping for 20%. I also plan on ordering some eggs from another place, hatch them out and do the same. Then the fall of 2014 I can remove some of my less than desirable birds from my starter flock and cull hatched chicks. The Hens will go out to my egg layer pen and well the Roos?? Off to the auction they go.
Not sure how long it will take but it is my long term goal to end up with 12 hens and 3 or 4 good Roos to work with. Hopefully if it goes ok I will have something to work with in the spring of 2015
Should work out good, I will have a laying flock for eggs to eat, share with Family and Friends consisting of my Non standard Copper Marans and Welsummer Hens and my Maran flock to tinker with as well
I have went out and bought a lot of reading material, joined the Marans Club Of America and I have plenty of reading here on BYC for research material.
My starter flock was born on April 8th.
Out of the 12 chicks I got 7 Blue Coppers (3 roos and 4 Pullets) and 5 Black Coppers ( 1 roo and 4 Pullets)
Last week I got rid of one of the Blue roos and the ONLY Black roo I have. The Black had no feathering on his legs, thin framed and looked more like game fowl and the blue had no feathering on his legs as well. SO them 2 were gone right off the bat.. The 2 Blue Copper Roos I hept have nice feathered legs
Out of the Blue Copper pullets one does not have any feathering on her legs and the other 3 have light feathering on theirs. The Black Copper pullets, 2 have ok feathering on their legs and 2 do not have any feathering on theirs. So the feathered legs is something I need to address right away.
Right now I have 2 pens set up to work with them. The Coops are aprox. 12x8 each and the 2 runs are 10x8 each.
Here is my Newbe plan
Working with what I have, my Plan this spring is to select 30 of my best and darkest eggs (6+ on the Maran Egg Chart) hatch them out with a goal of selecting the best> Hoping for 20%. I also plan on ordering some eggs from another place, hatch them out and do the same. Then the fall of 2014 I can remove some of my less than desirable birds from my starter flock and cull hatched chicks. The Hens will go out to my egg layer pen and well the Roos?? Off to the auction they go.Not sure how long it will take but it is my long term goal to end up with 12 hens and 3 or 4 good Roos to work with. Hopefully if it goes ok I will have something to work with in the spring of 2015
Should work out good, I will have a laying flock for eggs to eat, share with Family and Friends consisting of my Non standard Copper Marans and Welsummer Hens and my Maran flock to tinker with as well
