International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[BlueTheBrahma]

I sure wish @Chooks man was here to give his thoughts.

I agree, I wish he was here, I’m worried what could have happened but really it isn’t my business.

For the face I look for comb evenness, evenness of serration, size and colour, as well as texture.
The earlobes should be almond shaped and not twisted or white, and the wattles should be round and not twisted.

The beak must be strong and curved

His comb is a little uneven for the serrations but not terrible. I’m messaging the breeder to arrange something.

He’s offering young birds too but he lives half way across the country.

 

[Tstraub]

View attachment 3831859View attachment 3831858These are the parent stock of the eggs I’m looking at. Tails seem low (the English standard asks for high tails compared to the French standard, but not squirrel or anything like that), face seems good enough for me to work with and the type seems nice (Chanel’s genes will improve this further).View attachment 3831860these are the pullets being produced, their tails seem a bit higher so I don’t know what’s going on there, they may be alert. Bodies seem long they just need to fatten up at the front.

Anyone’s input is welcome. Please point out any positive AND negatives I might not have spotted.

I’m certainly no expert but they look great to me. Bodies look like what I would expect. Leg color looks correct to me. The pictures are a bit fuzzy when I try to zoom in on their eyes but everything I can see looks really nice

 

[Tstraub]

I need another broody... Just saying.

Keep your voice down with this broody talk. I have a Light Brahma that doesn’t need any encouragement right now. I’ve had to push her out of the box a few times and I’m trying to annoy her enough that she doesn’t commit.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Keep your voice down with this broody talk. I have a Light Brahma that doesn’t need any encouragement right now. I’ve had to push her out of the box a few times and I’m trying to annoy her enough that she doesn’t commit.

I thought Raven was going to commit for about 3 days last week. She was playing the part so I stuck eggs under her and she spent 2 nights on them but then just got up so I pulled the eggs out. I put eggs back in today hoping maybe she'll rethink it.

 

[Tstraub]

I thought Raven was going to commit for about 3 days last week. She was playing the part so I stuck eggs under her and she spent 2 nights on them but then just got up so I pulled the eggs out. I put eggs back in today hoping maybe she'll rethink it.

So far my Snow White hasn’t slept in the box yet. She just wants to put up a fight when I collect eggs. Once the eggs are out of sight she finds something else to do.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I agree, I wish he was here, I’m worried what could have happened but really it isn’t my business.

I get what your saying. Just gets concerning when someone goes absent. I consider everyone here true friends sharing our common passion and this thread is one of the highlights of my day. I know people come and go and that's the way it is, but he's been such a staple of our thread and the helpful knowledge he shares with us willingly.
Just makes it hard to have him absent and the not knowing....

Wish him well thoughts wherever he's at.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I've changed my plans slightly. I was going to rebuild my old coop that's in pieces still for the Marans but now I think I'm going to build it on the mixed flock side.
This way that frees up their coop in the barn. Right now there's a small walkway between the brooder coop and mixed coop and then if you turn left a short hall behind brooder coop to Marans. I'm going to revamp all that into just 2 separate coops each 12 x ? And then a separate incubate/brooder room.

Gives me the whole back half of the barn for Marans with 2 separate runs.

Pics of old coop just before it got finished.

 

[chickengr]

I get what your saying. Just gets concerning when someone goes absent. I consider everyone here true friends sharing our common passion and this thread is one of the highlights of my day. I know people come and go and that's the way it is, but he's been such a staple of our thread and the helpful knowledge he shares with us willingly.
Just makes it hard to have him absent and the not knowing....

Wish him well thoughts wherever he's at.

@Chooks man is not someone that would come and go. there must be a serious reason for his absence. he disappeared in the middle of the hatching season.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I've changed my plans slightly. I was going to rebuild my old coop that's in pieces still for the Marans but now I think I'm going to build it on the mixed flock side.
This way that frees up their coop in the barn. Right now there's a small walkway between the brooder coop and mixed coop and then if you turn left a short hall behind brooder coop to Marans. I'm going to revamp all that into just 2 separate coops each 12 x ? And then a separate incubate/brooder room.

Gives me the whole back half of the barn for Marans with 2 separate runs.

Pics of old coop just before it got finished.View attachment 3832043View attachment 3832044

That’s a nice looking coop.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Bought the eggs today £45 for 10, a little pricy but it’s an investment. I won’t be complaining when I have plenty of marans pullets.

And I think I can probably get £5 a hatching egg once the Golden cuckoos come along.