International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[kfelton0002]

No need to be jealous. I consider them all our little group on here's kids. I just have permanent custody of them. You all still get to see them often without the feed bill. Lol

That is too funny!! You crack me up!

 

[marchick]

How

How much does he charge for his marans?, you should try to get him to join the thread and share his wisdom and experiences with us.

I sent you a pm!

 

[BreezyBre]

Oh I'm watching and I'd agree I find odd though the breeder still says yup it's a pullet lol

The bird on the right is getting red in his shoulders which means he is a male. He may not have any pointy feathers yet because he is a baby still with his juvenile feathers. His male sex feathers (pointy, colorful, bright, decorative) will come in as his juvenile feathers molt out.

 

[chickengr]

If they are doing it while raising their hackles, that is when you know its aggressive behavior. I occasionally have a cockerel who thinks he's going to be naughty and half heartedly challenges me. What I do when they start that is bully them back. I give them a tap on the back or tug their tail similar to what a higher ranking flock member would do. If they persist I swat them and that usually drives the message home. I have not found my Marans to be aggressive to the point of attacking me, but there is one cockerel who thinks he is bad and likes to cock up to me sometimes. I just prove my point and let him know I'm the boss. Maximus occasionally will peck me also when I'm cleaning out the water bucket in his pen, but he has never "attacked."

With chickens, if you let them get their bluff on you and see that you are flinching, running, or screaming when they bully you they will continue to do so and it will just get worse. If you promptly swat them or firmly grab them when they're doing it you deliver the message that you are the boss. That is what I do anyway. Possibly a squirt bottle might work too with the nozzle set on stream instead of mist.

Some chickens are simply just aggressive, most always roosters. If that behavior persists into maturity I wouldnt breed an aggressive male that actually attacked me unless he was really good quality and better than your other options.

This is what challenging behavior looks like. This is one of my blue copper cockerels challenging a young game cockerel through the wire of a pen.

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my boys are good. but my girls keep trying to kill the other girls through the wire, lol.

 

[chickengr]

That is how I do it too. If a chick is stuck because its my fault I will help it, if its stuck because it is too weak to hatch on its own I usually just leave it in the incubator after I have removed all the chicks. Eventually they die but I allow the chick to pass away warm and cozy in the incubator.

I have accidentally let the incubator get too dry during lockdown in the past (guilty!) and have had a chick or two get stuck because of my oversight. I will help those because under the right circumstances they wouldnt have dried out and got stuck. Those chicks do fine after assisting. In my defense I was in nursing school and working full time when that happened. To err is human, no one is above it.

If I open the incubator on day 22 to remove chicks and there is a chick that has pipped and made some progress but hasnt hatched yet I will leave it but I wont assist it. My reasoning is, I only want the strongest and vigorous chicks. I dont want the weak ones I will have to baby more than the others and nurse it to help it survive. Those are culls. If I see a chick in one of the brooders not doing as well as the others, not standing or eating or running around like the others, that chick is a cull. Same principle applies. I only want the strongest chicks because strong and healthy chicks make strong and healthy adults. When you are breeding chickens you dont want weak genetics to be passed on.

I agree but easy to agree and still too hard to do the same

 

[Red Banks]

How

How much does he charge for his marans?, you should try to get him to join the thread and share his wisdom and experiences with us.

I don't know if we will ever find someone as patient as Chooks man was. He gave us so much encouragement and knowledge with incredible patience. He must have said the same things hundreds of times!

 

[kfelton0002]

I don't know if we will ever find someone as patient as Chooks man was. He gave us so much encouragement and knowledge with incredible patience. He must have said the same things hundreds of times!

Yes he did, but he didnt mind repeating because he loves the breed and enjoyed leading and teaching us. I truly miss him and hope he continues to visit the thread once he gets all of his business and moving sorted out.

I have talked to Harvey several times on fb messenger and he is a very kind man that offers words of advice and encouragement. I look up to him very much the same way I look up to Chooks man.

 

[Red Banks]

Yes he did, but he didnt mind repeating because he loves the breed and enjoyed leading and teaching us. I truly miss him and hope he continues to visit the thread once he gets all of his business and moving sorted out.

I have talked to Harvey several times on fb messenger and he is a very kind man that offers words of advice and encouragement. I look up to him very much the same way I look up to Chooks man.

I would love to have him visit the thread. I just meant it was truly an altruistic gift when someone so knowledgeable does that.

 

[kfelton0002]

Here is a shot of the back of the cockerel I posted pictures of last. I finally got this shot this morning when I got home from work. The cockerel is a little skittish and doesnt allow me to get too close so as I was going up on the back porch to go into the house I saw him standing below and took the picture. He is broad like Maximus, wide the entire length of his back.

 

[kfelton0002]

I would love to have him visit the thread. I just meant it was truly an altruistic gift when someone so knowledgeable does that.

Yes I miss picking his brain about Marans and hearing his feedback and advice. He really does have a gift! I dont think I would be where I am in my Marans breeding program without him, you, and this thread.