What are the odds this cockerel is a pure Marans?

[humblehillsfarm]

That's great about your egg color! The rest....I feel you. My Marans roos have been either jerks or wonderful and unfortunately you don't know until they get to a certain age. I'm trying a bachelor flock for the first time...growing out boys together in their own pen/flock until I can see who is the best type, etc. I've read about how to manage them that way but so far it's an experiment here.

I would love to know how that works out for you. I have a grow out coop for meat birds. Mine are maybe 14ish weeks old. I’d love for them to reach 20......

 

[Briosafarm]

I would love to know how that works out for you. I have a grow out coop for meat birds. Mine are maybe 14ish weeks old. I’d love for them to reach 20......

Time will tell! I have Marans and Ameraucanas and it takes a while to know what cockerels will look like and produce. I've read everything I can find about keeping bachelor flocks but haven't ever done it. In some ways it sounds like a good plan, allowing for growing up (and just keeping to enjoy) several roos. In other ways it sounds like more work...only taking them out to put them with the hens to breed for a day at a time, several days in a row...if they're gone from their man pack for too long they lose their status and all heck breaks loose. I don't know yet if it's a brilliant idea or a lot more work! I really like just having a nice roo or two with the flock, but that's not the way to get anywhere with a breeding program. :-(

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Time will tell! I have Marans and Ameraucanas and it takes a while to know what cockerels will look like and produce. I've read everything I can find about keeping bachelor flocks but haven't ever done it. In some ways it sounds like a good plan, allowing for growing up (and just keeping to enjoy) several roos. In other ways it sounds like more work...only taking them out to put them with the hens to breed for a day at a time, several days in a row...if they're gone from their man pack for too long they lose their status and all heck breaks loose. I don't know yet if it's a brilliant idea or a lot more work! I really like just having a nice roo or two with the flock, but that's not the way to get anywhere with a breeding program. :-(

Amen to all of that! And they are eating so much food!!!!!! I know by the time my meat chickens were ready for processing at 9 weeks, I was feeling really stressed with managing two flocks. Same for when I had separated the main flock for breeding. And when I did that the roosters started fighting between the fence so that was a bad time.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Are you trying to make more money by having purebred Marans? If you're working with hatchery lines, not familiar with the SOP, and inspired by cool feather patterns, you might consider going towards your heart/down a path of least resistance by keeping the roosters who best fit your flock and just creating beautiful OEs.

Hatchery-based, backyard Marans < Humble Hills "Brewed with Love Mocha Layers" <--referring to your coffee grounds thing.

 

[mtma]

He's handsome, definitely not bcm. If he's nice I'd keep him! Good traits to pass along and still beautiful egg genes. My BCM mixes often produce more stunning eggs than pure BCMs!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

He's handsome, definitely not bcm. If he's nice I'd keep him! Good traits to pass along and still beautiful egg genes. My BCM mixes often produce more stunning eggs than pure BCMs!

We already processed him. I hate it, but we made an exception for another roo making our ratio 3 roosters to 22 hens.