International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[chickengr]

I am so sorry to hear you lost some chooks! That is such a bummer! We've had varmint troubles of our own as well. I had an entire pen of cull pullets from Queen x Max wiped out and the cockerel that was in there with them was killed as well. Believe it or not.. Sheraz along with a spare blue copper pullet was in the pen and were the only survivors. At least it wasn't my breeder pen!

sorry for your loss. glad to hear sheraz and blue girl survived.

 

[KF0002]

I was lucky .he killed mostly the layer { hybrid cross } only 4 marans .
a good thing now I m baying more marans . breeders stock .
my little dog is getting bigger now ,she goes for the walk with the older dog around the place .

chooks man

Aww your little dog is still in training. Hopefully it turns out to be a good one. It sucks you lost any Marans but at least it was just 4.

A rogue dog killed 7 game cocks on barrels in the yard that wasn't fenced in the other day as well. I forgot to mention that. Our dogs are in the fenced in yard and couldn't defend them. It's been a mess. We've never had this much varmint trouble since we've lived here but they've really put a hurting on us the past couple years.

 

[KF0002]

sorry for your loss. glad to hear sheraz and blue girl survived.

Thank you. I hate losing birds but it could have been worse. They got lucky for sure! Lol

 

[KF0002]

welcome back! we missed you.

I've missed you all too! Thank you. Hopefully I will get more time to post now that my clinical is finished this semester.

 

[KF0002]

they are lovely . you should be happy about them.

chooks man

Yes I am very happy to finally be getting plenty of eating eggs again. My egg customers are too. The Olive Eggers did pretty good laying over the winter but not the Marans. The Marans have just started laying decent again the past few weeks. Spring feels like its getting closer now.. thank goodness. Its been so rainy and muddy.. I need sunshine!

 

[Chooks man]

View attachment 1680431 View attachment 1680432
I love my Marans! I love my hens! I bought great chics from a great breeder. I raised those chics to nice hens. Those hens laid nice dark eggs! I only hatched from the dark eggs. Those pullets started laying in Dec Jan like 28 weeks old. The eggs are much lighter than their mother. I think the cock has a lot of influence on the egg color?? We are still hanging between 10-20 degrees. Next month, March I am changing cocks and in another 12 months I will know if that was right. TOMView attachment 1680431

for sure the rooster contribute 50% of genes .
to maintain the dark egg genes the person has to work with a tested rooster .never unproven cockerel .
it is hard to do . when we just start with a new line .
test mating and back crossing the cockerel to his Dam and Grand Dam { Dark egg layer}.
to breed the the trait true .

chooks man

 

[Old Man Tom]

for sure the rooster contribute 50% of genes .
to maintain the dark egg genes the person has to work with a tested rooster .never unproven cockerel .
it is hard to do . when we just start with a new line .
test mating and back crossing the cockerel to his Dam and Grand Dam { Dark egg layer}.
to breed the the trait true .

chooks man

Thank you Chooks Man! Your advice is what I most appreciate on this thread. TOM

 

[Song girl 11]

Hey everyone! I need to do some catching up with this thread when I get time. School and work and life is keeping me busy these days. Still no chicks yet this year but I hope to turn on the incubator by March if the breeders are laying well by then. My free ranging layers are laying fantastic but my breeder pen of Marans have been laying very sporadically. Hoping they get in gear soon.

I am getting a lovely color assortment from the layers though. Here is a picture of today's eggs minus the muddy ones.

View attachment 1680705

Love these eggs! So pretty!

 

[KF0002]

Love these eggs! So pretty!

Thank you!

 

[Chooks man]

I received the list of the chooks I m going to buy from my friend . impressive
9 Splash/Dominant white pullet some are POL others are younger .
2 Splash/Dominant white cockerels . 1 of them is a sire of the white .
10 Black copper pullets
4 Black copper cockerels
1 Blue copper pullet
4 Blue copper cockerels
2 Splash cockerels .

great flock .going to pick them up this coming Tuesday . looking forward to it , buying chooks always get me exited .

I can see a pure black cockerel . and a solid blue as well .is going fun breeding a solid black/Blue .
what a score .well pleased .

chooks man