Wheaten and black copper Marans cross

[Goose and Fig]

If there was a way you could just take the wheaten girls out and only hatch their eggs- you'd be in good shape! I do that with my sussex- their eggs are easy to spot

 

[berkeleysprings]

if u mix them they will be mixed always, and it will take a long time to fix, the mix and that kinda rimes at times

 

[greathorse]

Quote:
Once more the question is whether or not the Wheatens will be mixed. From what I gather from those that actually answered the question the wheatens will be pure and the Coppers will not be. Really the only question I needed answered.

Or for the sake of clarity if I were to cull all dark chicks out of the bator would I have pure wheaten only?

 

[Mahonri]

yes

 

[greathorse]

Thanks for the clarity two respected opinions gives me comfort in spite of the obvious "yucky stuff" required for this endeavor

 

[onthespot]

mixing marans colors is no worse a crime than mixing ameraucana colors. Anyone who gets a hen of unknown origin and bases a pure bred show quality breeding project off of that hen is a fool. You want dark layers for your son, cross away. You have my blessing. There are well known and respected breeders who sold supposedly purebred eggs for $240/six eggs who knew their lines carried wheaten and no one shut them down or ran them out of town. Since you have wheaten, you can always test breed future hens if you wanted to go back to non-wheaten carrying lines. Wheaten is WAY simpler to get rid of than many of the other problems that plague marans today. Crossing the lines could introduce hybrid vigor, and conversely it is rumored that it could lighten your egg colors. I have not seen that to be the case, however it is rumored to be true. I think you got the gist of the genetics lesson here. The moralizing and catastrophizing, you are on your own with that! Good luck in your efforts and DO please keep us posted and post pics!

 

[blackdotte]

There is absolutely no correlation between plumage colours and egg shell colours.
It is just another old wive's tale.
David

 

[greathorse]

So, and I am the last to challenge just asking. Some say BC lay the darkest eggs so if crossed the Wheaten variety may not lay as dark for some other reason consequently the eggs get lighter. Lets say the Wheaten variety just started with a group of females that did not lay as dark. Or more work was done on egg color on BC than on the Wheaten for some reason.

Could that be the reality??

 

[blackdotte]

"more work was done on egg color on BC than on the Wheaten for some reason.
Could that be the reality??"

Absolutely spot on.
David

 

[greathorse]

makes sense thanks