International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[NanaK]

Any thoughts on Betty's 2 with the crazy amount of copper on their backs? I'm miffed

Too early?

They got a lot of growing to do. They can change quite a bit.

 

[wrathsfarm]

They got a lot of growing to do. They can change quite a bit.

This is my 3rd hatch of chicks but it's like it's my first...

 

[wrathsfarm]

@Chey1214 and posting for anyone, including myself....

any BCM hens without a complete hackle marking should be bred to a BCM rooster will a well spotted chest .
BCM rooster with a complete black chest should only be bred to BCM /BLCM hens with a complete hackle marking .
it is very ,very rare these days to find a pen of BCM hens with they complete hackle marking .
to breed a well marked BCM hens a person should use =
1} BCM rooster will marked chest should be used over BCM hens with less hackle marking .
2{ BCM rooster with a solid black chest should be mated to BCM hens with a complete hackle marking .
3} never use BCM rooster with solid black shoulder .
4} never use BCM rooster with spotted chest over BCM hens with a complete hackle marking . except if the rooster chest is mildly spotted .

chooks man

 

[TexasBlues]

My hens don’t have copper hackles. Just a little bit of color.

 

[wrathsfarm]

My hens don’t have copper hackles. Just a little bit of color.

Most all of mine are the same, only my 'Copper' girl has the most. Which makes me wonder why just her? But that's also King as the Sire and not knowing the Dam for sure it's mute at this point.
Seeing what Kongs 8 grow out to look like is now the fun stuff..

 

[wrathsfarm]

There's another explanation in this thread yet about hackle color not being complete and it being so 'normal' now. I've yet to find it and the one I'm looking for. I'm sure it's got to do with the breeding practice I've posted above and the 'balance' of color, but I want to quote it for accuracy.

 

[TexasBlues]

This is my 3rd hatch of chicks but it's like it's my first...

This will be my third hatch from the incubator. I’m a little unsure what to do with all the chicks. 9 chicks has been my biggest hatch so far and I’m expecting 25 this time.

 

[wrathsfarm]

This will be my third hatch from the incubator. I’m a little unsure what to do with all the chicks. 9 chicks has been my biggest hatch so far and I’m expecting 25 this time.View attachment 3810298View attachment 3810299

Those are some gorgeous eggs.
Left side, 3rd from back and Right side 2nd and 4th from back...who's laying them?

You need to tag them at hatch or separate at lockdown.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Most of my girls look like Joannie here give or take.

And here's Copper...

 

[wrathsfarm]

A couple quotes from @Chooks man about egg color. I find it interesting that you could lose the darker egg color in one generation but pick it back up in the next from a certain dark layer. Makes it that much harder to cull/evaluate.

thanks chickengr

the egg color inheritance is more complex than that . there is so many genes involved to make a color .
some of genes are from mama hen and other are from the rooster .
so a hens with a #5 egg color can give progeny with 2/3/4/5/6/7 egg color depend on the rooster she s been mated to .
some times we loose a dark color in the first crossing/mating but it show it self back in the second generation . it is a reason why I always say we have to cross the F1 progeny together at lease ones to get the accumulation of the genes needed for dark egg .than when we achieve that we can out-cross them to other line/lines.

egg color is reinforce in line breeding not individual . so we have to breed a line specifically for a dark color egg .

chooks man

if both line are from #5 than they should give you some thing darker #6 .but to find this pullets with #6 you need to hatch a lot chicks .
greater is the hatch number ,greater will be a chance to find a special chooks

a study has been done by the French Marans Breeding Syndicat show that from 100 eggs hatched all from a stable dark egg layer only 20/30 pullets will have a dark egg .the rest have a light egg ( still dark but not as #6/7 number )

breeding for the dark egg color is the most complex thing to do .be passion and hatch as many chicks as you can than select from them .take years of hard work .but it is worth it I think.

chooks man