Pictures of Black Copper Marans around time of laying first egg

[newchick6]

I'm not sure, I didn't think to ask as a newbie. They are point of lay. Most are developing combs and wattles quite nicely

 

[keith92]

i'm more curious when the black hens get their coppering in their head. i have some hens 6-9-13-14 weeks old. some have coppering and some don't.

 

[Folly's place]

x2. My pullets are twelve weeks old, and one has no copper at all. Mary

 

[Farmer Viola]

Hey, I can help with this!

Here is a photo of Bertha my biggest FBCM pullet, who laid her first egg at 18 weeks old. This photo was taken 1-2 days after she laid:


next up we have Beetlejuice on the left, and Bertha on the right.
Beetlejuice laid her first egg aprox 2 weeks after Bertha (20 weeks); she is not yet laying in this photo, about 2 weeks out.


my last FBCM is Ducky, and she also laid aprox 2-3 weeks after Bertha (20-21 weeks). you can see her comb is the smallest in this photo, taken on the same day.

 

[Farmer Viola]

i'm more curious when the black hens get their coppering in their head. i have some hens 6-9-13-14 weeks old. some have coppering and some don't.

I am interested in this, too. I just posted photos of my BCMs, and they range from almost no copper, to copper neck, and one hen has a more reddish neck. I don't breed them, but I wonder who would be the ideal breeder if I did?

 

[Farmer Viola]

Patience, patience

Here's Wilma today, 18 weeks old. Still no eggs, but she's checking out the nests on a daily basis, the rooster is servicing her every once in a while (though more seldom than others, might be because she's almost bigger than him at the moment), and she's been practicing her egg song.

She has grown in size since last week too.

My, my she does look close to lay! I bet it is just any day now. Her comb and wattles have grown very large, her wattles are even dangling down! and the red skin around her eyes and face, it should be very soon.

My first BCM egg wasn't as dark as I expected, I actually thought it was a Welsummer egg at first. It was medium brown and had dark, nearly-black spots on it. The Marans "paint" their eggs and it was like her painter was on splatter instead of an even coating. Within about 4-5 eggs it had darkened significantly and was less spotty, and more solid dark brown as we come to expect from the Marans. Bertha (with almost no neck color) lays the best, darkest eggs of the three girls.

 

[vehve]

Quote: And this picture is almost a week old, they've grown since then still. I just saw her checking out another chicken laying, and before that, she didn't resist anymore when our friendly rapist suggested a little roll in the hay. I'm hoping for super dark eggs from her, although the egg she came in suggests she will lay more of a 50-50 milk chocolate-dark chocolate spotted egg.

*Edit* If the neck coloring is indicative of the egg color, then we are getting some very dark eggs. Wilma has no neck coloring whatsoever.

 

[vehve]

A bit early, but here's Wilma at 18 weeks and 5 days.



At the moment her mutt sister from the same mister, who has a Araucana for a mother is in the nest, hopefully producing her first egg. Wilma has been checking the nests out more and more, and didn't protest at all during this mornings moment of love. Any day now.

 

[vehve]

Well, her half sister just laid her first egg. They eat the same food, are the same age and share the same lighting conditions, so I'm even more confident she'll lay her first egg any day now. The sister has been slightly more interested in the nests, but Wilma was following the process very closely as Töyhtis laid her first egg.

 

[mdelhomme]

I have different breeds than you do, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Barred Rock, and 2 Aracaunas. They are about the same age as yours and I'm also waiting eagerly for first eggs. Their wattles and combs have really started growing. In fact, my Barred Rock seems to be developing the fastest and she about 3 weeks younger than the rest of the girls. We call her Baby, but her name is Laura. The BR is Doracus, and the Araucanas are Ruby and Pearl.