supposed to be a 4mon old Marans Cockerel, seems stuck maturing?

[LaFleche]

I am not getting any notifications for this thread, so please excuse my late answer

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

He looks nice enough, but does he have all the traits you are looking for to match your breeding plans and improve your future breeding stock?

And does he already have some offspring to see if and how his special traits are being passed on?
It would be important for me to know if he is fertile at all before spending such an amount of money on a gorgeous but possibly useless bird.

The rooster represents 50% of the breeding group, so you can't be picky enough choosing the right one.

Yes, he was bred this year and definitely fertile, although I didn't ask to see numbers. I am just a beginner at all this, but my sweet hen has a little too high tail angle, and a little pinched, so I think he will help fill out the width and improve over her topline. But any guidance or advice is always appreciated!

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I am not getting any notifications for this thread, so please excuse my late answer

No worries, I know the notifications can be tricky sometimes!

 

[LaFleche]

Yes, he was bred this year and definitely fertile, although I didn't ask to see numbers. I am just a beginner at all this, but my sweet hen has a little too high tail angle, and a little pinched, so I think he will help fill out the width and improve over her topline. But any guidance or advice is always appreciated!

How old is your hen and is she the only BA you own?

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

How old is your hen and is she the only BA you own?

She was a year in May. I have five, but they are all just hatchery stock. She is the only one I would breed at the moment. My plan was to hatch about 20-30 chicks in the spring, keeping maybe 4 pullets and a cockerel or two, and go from there. I realize that's not a lot, and I'm hoping to move to a place with more flexibility before too long, but in the meantime, I at least wanted to get the ball rolling. I want to improve my stock and make chicks and started birds available to friends and family, but I'm not exactly ready to go all in with a major production just yet. I'm hoping there's a way I can move forward, perhaps in baby steps, but still in a methodical and productive direction.

 

[LaFleche]

She was a year in May. I have five, but they are all just hatchery stock. She is the only one I would breed at the moment. My plan was to hatch about 20-30 chicks in the spring, keeping maybe 4 pullets and a cockerel or two, and go from there. I realize that's not a lot, and I'm hoping to move to a place with more flexibility before too long, but in the meantime, I at least wanted to get the ball rolling. I want to improve my stock and make chicks and started birds available to friends and family, but I'm not exactly ready to go all in with a major production just yet. I'm hoping there's a way I can move forward, perhaps in baby steps, but still in a methodical and productive direction.

If you don't plan to breed for exhibition purposes, I would suggest to broaden your genetic pool by acquiring some pullets or chicks or even hatching eggs from other sources that select their breeding stock not only according to the SOP but also for robustness and egg production.

Hatch them separately according to their lineage and mark them with different colors ( leg bands or similar). Leg bands on growing chicks will need to be changed every two weeks.

And take notes along the way as you assess each chick and their development. Mark them all according to their different blood lines and mark the ones that stand out and you prefer with an additional leg band colour.
Take pictures to add to your breeding note book. There are also online breeding books available.

Good luck!

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

If you don't plan to breed for exhibition purposes, I would suggest to broaden your genetic pool by acquiring some pullets or chicks or even hatching eggs from other sources that select their breeding stock not only according to the SOP but also for robustness and egg production.

Hatch them separately according to their lineage and mark them with different colors ( leg bands or similar). Leg bands on growing chicks will need to be changed every two weeks.

And take notes along the way as you assess each chick and their development. Mark them all according to their different blood lines and mark the ones that stand out and you prefer with an additional leg band colour.
Take pictures to add to your breeding note book. There are also online breeding books available.

Good luck!

Yes, I've heard about Pat Whitaker's birds, too. I would love to get some chicks (or hatching eggs) from her as well, but I still want to steer things along the lines of the standard. I don't know if I would ever show, but I would be open to it if I can put in the work first.

 

[LaFleche]

@gung ho chick palace. Sorry for deviating your thread!