International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Punkybrewster]

I would have happily shipped you eggs.

I thank you so much for the offer.
My track record with shipped eggs is awful. I have tried several times over the years and have had very bad results.

Just this last summer, I had shipped marans eggs just one state over. A few made it to lockdown then died. 1 hatched out of 12.

That is when i finally decided to just buy chicks to have shipped. That is how i got my line #2.

BUT....the next time i travel to New England to see family, i will be looking you up! I try to go to the Springfield area at least once a year. Carrying eggs home gets better results than using USPS.

 

[kcrandall]

I am making the 4 hour trip to buy the eggs from the breeder. I thought it was only a couple hours away but I was wrong.

She has been breeding marans for over 14 years and is only now starting to sell them in earnest.

She has 3 roosters over her 20 or so hens.
They are all penned together right now. Usually she separates them when breeding.

She is eager for me to see the whole flock and i will be able to pick which eggs i want. I will be getting 15 eggs.

Her line is from:
Cottage Hill, Bev Davis, Wade Jeane, Little Peddlers

All bought directly by her over the years.

Since you’re making a 4 hour trip my suggestion is to buy as many eggs as you can hatch or she is willing to sell to increase your odds of getting a handful of good breeder prospects. There are a lot of factors (whether in the breeding pen or incubator) that can effect the outcome of a hatch so stack the odds in your favor if you can.

 

[BenTN]

Since you’re making a 4 hour trip my suggestion is to buy as many eggs as you can hatch or she is willing to sell to increase your odds of getting a handful of good breeder prospects. There are a lot of factors (whether in the breeding pen or incubator) that can effect the outcome of a hatch so stack the odds in your favor if you can.

Totally agree with this. I set 40 Marans eggs last year and have 1-2 pullets and 1-2 cockerels I would breed forward. Even with a great hatch rate, you’ll have plenty of culls.

 

[kcrandall]

Totally agree with this. I set 40 Marans eggs last year and have 1-2 pullets and 1-2 cockerels I would breed forward. Even with a great hatch rate, you’ll have plenty of culls.

The culls can go to your layer pen, sold as backyard brown egg layers or as meat birds for your freezer or someone else. Marans taste great. If you’re not comfortable processing your birds there may be a small processor near you that will do it for you.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Welp, i drove the 4 hours each way to get the eggs.

I have mixed feelings about this trip. I bought 15 eggs. They look lighter in person so im not sure how i feel.

When you travel a good distance, its hard not to come home with something.

She was a wonderful woman who loves her marans.

I saw 3 different batches of chicks and their hatch down is beautiful.
Many chicks have that sooty chest down. None of them had too much white. I was very impressed. Nice feathering on the outer toe only.



The adult hens are beautiful,
correct with nice mass,
Nice tails,
Long backs,
many with complete copper hackle.
Very friendly.

Now the roosters...
Friendly,
Long backs,
beautiful small, low tails,
nice full copper markings,
nice shoulder color,
eyes a little lighter as been observed by some of you folks....

And all of the roosters have white underfluff.
Every.one.

And yet everything else about them was nice. Really nice. They are huge.

I am at a loss of what to do.
I put them in the incubator with a bunch of ccl eggs.

 

[Punkybrewster]

And this is an offspring hatched 6-7 months ago.

 

[RoosterML]

Welp, i drove the 4 hours each way to get the eggs.

I have mixed feelings about this trip. I bought 15 eggs. They look lighter in person so im not sure how i feel.

When you travel a good distance, its hard not to come home with something.

View attachment 2483995View attachment 2483997

She was a wonderful woman who loves her marans.

I saw 3 different batches of chicks and their hatch down is beautiful.
Many chicks have that sooty chest down. None of them had too much white. I was very impressed. Nice feathering on the outer toe only.



The adult hens are beautiful,
correct with nice mass,
Nice tails,
Long backs,
many with complete copper hackle.
Very friendly.

Now the roosters...
Friendly,
Long backs,
beautiful small, low tails,
nice full copper markings,
nice shoulder color,
eyes a little lighter as been observed by some of you folks....

And all of the roosters have white underfluff.
Every.one.

And yet everything else about them was nice. Really nice. They are huge.

I am at a loss of what to do.
I put them in the incubator with a bunch of ccl eggs.

That stinks. I would consider those average color. Maybe someone else can chime in but I believe they do not lay dark eggs all year long. Any serious breeder to me should have a Marans egg color card. I would have them hold an egg up against that card before I ever drove that far. At the end of the day if you are happy that’s all that matters.
Mind if I ask what she sells her eggs for?

 

[RoosterML]

And this is an offspring hatched 6-7 months ago.

View attachment 2484052

Nice bird, I think his eyes are to dark but I could be wrong.

 

[Punkybrewster]

$7 an egg.
I know. I know......

 

[Punkybrewster]

I am tempted to see how they grow out but my gut tells me to sell them as day olds.
"Pet quality".