Black Copper Marans - Washington State

[31chixandcounting]

Hi, I am looking for true Black Copper Marans in Western Washington ( Olympia area.) Any help will be much aplreciated!!!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Are you looking for exhibition type stock or production type? Do you have a range on the color scale you want to be in?

 

[31chixandcounting]

Hi, on the production side - the darkest brown eggs possible. Thanks

 

[kcrandall]

Hi, on the production side - the darkest brown eggs possible. Thanks

Brian Parks with Frasier Creek Farms in Oregon has several quality lines of Black Copper Marans (BCM). You can find him on Facebook and he posts pics of his birds and eggs. He has been breeding BCMs for several years focusing on the dark egg color and SOP. He has quality birds and very good egg color. There are a lot of good Breeders that you can find on the various Marans Forums on FB. I would avoid Marans from the big hatcheries or people selling on eBay (quick buck folks - no quality).

With my recommendation given, I will give you one word of caution about Marans. If you are expecting to obtain Marans that CONSISTENTLY lay a #8 or #9 dark egg (see my avatar) then I’m afraid you will be sorely disappointed. The dark egg genes are very difficult to bred true and only about 15% of BCM Chicks will inherit the super dark egg genes. Most Marans Breeders are very happy if they can maintain a #6-#7 dark egg color with an occasional #8-#9. The egg in my avatar is the only #9 egg that I have gotten in 5 years of breeding Marans. Below is a pic of the average color of the eggs (#6-#7) my birds lay just for your reference. If you can be happy with eggs that color then go for it.

Good Luck,
Keith

 

[Acre4Me]

The egg in my avatar is the only #9 egg that I have gotten in 5 years of breeding Marans.

Wow - only 1!!

our Black Copper and Blue Copper Marans are only 8 weeks old, so I'll certainly be curious to see the shade that those pullets will lay.

 

[31chixandcounting]

Brian Parks with Frasier Creek Farms in Oregon has several quality lines of Black Copper Marans (BCM). You can find him on Facebook and he posts pics of his birds and eggs. He has been breeding BCMs for several years focusing on the dark egg color and SOP. He has quality birds and very good egg color. There are a lot of good Breeders that you can find on the various Marans Forums on FB. I would avoid Marans from the big hatcheries or people selling on eBay (quick buck folks - no quality).

With my recommendation given, I will give you one word of caution about Marans. If you are expecting to obtain Marans that CONSISTENTLY lay a #8 or #9 dark egg (see my avatar) then I’m afraid you will be sorely disappointed. The dark egg genes are very difficult to bred true and only about 15% of BCM Chicks will inherit the super dark egg genes. Most Marans Breeders are very happy if they can maintain a #6-#7 dark egg color with an occasional #8-#9. The egg in my avatar is the only #9 egg that I have gotten in 5 years of breeding Marans. Below is a pic of the average color of the eggs (#6-#7) my birds lay just for your reference. If you can be happy with eggs that color then go for it.

Good Luck,
Keith

View attachment 1826566

Thank you very much for the information!!!!

 

[kcrandall]

Thank you very much for the information!!!!

Sure thing! Brian does have nice BCMs. Good Luck, Keith

 

[kcrandall]

Thank you very much for the information!!!!

Sure thing! Brian does have nice BCMs. Good Luck, Keith

 

[kcrandall]

I don’t know what happened with the multiple posts.