International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[AzizSh]

Hello,
This is my very first post on BYC!!
So I have about about 6 Maran rooster that I am starting my flock with. They hatched along with 4 chicks in late May. so they are almost 7 months now. I am very excited for the hens to start laying!

I want to start breeding for darker eggs, so I am not sure which roosters to use. Unfortunately I did not mark the ones that came from darker eggs. I was wondering if there are any hints of darker eggs line based on how the rooster look? Also some of the roosters are way bigger than the others? is that a trait that I want in my flock?

Those are the roosters

 

[Bantambird]

here is who I believe is the dam to the full black mottled hen. This lady broke her wrist as a chick so her wing has never laid down quite right, but she is still very nice on the eyes for all that. I can see the birchen color on the front of her neck, and a brighter white on the top of her head.

 

[Chooks man]

@Chooks man

not marans, but is he blue wheaten, or what?
View attachment 1616507

what colour is she?
View attachment 1616508

the cockerel is a true Blue wheaten .he is going a be gorgeous looking when fully mature .

the pullet I can no tell ,I need a better photos like the cockerel . .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Hello,
This is my very first post on BYC!!
So I have about about 6 Maran rooster that I am starting my flock with. They hatched along with 4 chicks in late May. so they are almost 7 months now. I am very excited for the hens to start laying!

I want to start breeding for darker eggs, so I am not sure which roosters to use. Unfortunately I did not mark the ones that came from darker eggs. I was wondering if there are any hints of darker eggs line based on how the rooster look? Also some of the roosters are way bigger than the others? is that a trait that I want in my flock?

Those are the roosters

you cockerels are nice looking ,no way of knowing if they carries the dark egg genes .
any way the first 4 are good looking ,nice body type a little taller on they feet ,we ll see when fully mature .
last 2 are no good .

you welcome to this thread ,we help you breed good marans chooks ,
post more pick of them and the pullets as they grow .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

View attachment 1616658 View attachment 1616659 View attachment 1616663 View attachment 1616664 here is who I believe is the dam to the full black mottled hen. This lady broke her wrist as a chick so her wing has never laid down quite right, but she is still very nice on the eyes for all that. I can see the birchen color on the front of her neck, and a brighter white on the top of her head.

agree with you ,she has few extra genes for sure , love the color of her eyes .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

not all the black BC hens are true Black ,some do carries the Extended black . uniform black .
to know the difference which black hen is truly black ,you need to mate her to a well colored BC rooster .if her sons have red shoulder or most of it red ,than she is a BC hen .
IF her sons have no red on they shoulder .Black shiny shoulder and minimum lancets or nothing than ,they mama is true black or has one gene of E on her genome .

if one Black hen produce Black shoulder ockerels .than she should be mated to one of them to produce all black or almost black progeny .

I have done it with with my Black hen Sahara . just did not have time to finish a project .
but I managed to get a pure black cockerel .my friend who was looking after my chicken for me when I was in Europe few years back .sold them by mistake .

chooks man

this method will produce black chooks ,but genetically we still don t know how much of extended black is on them or they black is caused by the Melanotic genes .

if we really want to test a black copper hen to see how true black black she is ,we need a Black tail buff rooster .Db based { less hackle marking not a Columbian }.

here a true testing formula . this method of testing will show exactly if a black hen is true black or a Black copper with some extra genes .
Buff rooster has to be wheaten based .like the buff marans or some thing similar .not rode island Red Columbian based chooks .

test #1 =
Black hen X Black tail buff Rooster = if all the progeny are black ,than the mama hen is true black E/E
test #2=
black hen X BTB rooster = if all the progeny are black at hatching ,than half of them will stay black ,the other will turn red cockerels and quail pullets. =than they mama hen is Half true black .E/ER. without Extra Melanin .{ Melanotic genes}
test #3=
Black hen x BTB rooster = if all the progeny are HalfSpangled /laced . Quail type = than they mama hen is Melanised Black copper with 2 pair of Melanotic genes .ER/ErR MI/MI ,not a true black.
= if half of them turn red especially the cockerels than they mama is a Black copper hen with just one pair of Melanotic gene . not true Black .

if we find one true black hen E/E or half true black E/ER than we can breed true Black marans strain .

chooks man

 

[marchick]

@marchick

Pullet #3 .
Best Blue body color ,darker around the tail ,but no much .
thick body type . I can not fully comment on her ,because she is in motion ,not standing ,where I can see how she is build .
love her deep chest
better photos please

chooks man

Sorry this took me so long to get pictures. I have been very busy. I am not good at taking pictures. These are the best I could get.

 

[marchick]

@marchick

here the method you should use if you want to breed your Blue Birchen ,I think you should .they are great birds .no much work is needed to get them 100% perfect .

Step one=work with both your cockerels .and 2 pens .

Pen1= old cockerel { Need Name } mate him to the 2 Birchen pullets and a Silver cuckoo pullet..you ll get nice pullets and cockerels .most of them will be well marked with a pure silver.
Pen 2 = Young cockerel mate him to your Blue Birchen pullets .

Step 2 = after you hatch a good number of chicks from both pen ,SWAP the rooster .the older will go to pen2 and the youngest will go to pen 1 . hatch a god number of chicks and select the best one .

if you do I m telling to do you ll have a correct Birchen marans Blue and Black correct in all aspect in no time . your chooks don t have many fault as flock .

let me know if you are interested and I ll explain to you more different steps of breeding

chooks man

I am very interested. What will I get from Birchen Cockeral × Blue Silver Cuckoo pullet? Can you go into a little more detail? I know the Blue silver Cuckoo's line lay dark eggs. That should improve egg color in the Birchen/ blue Birchen.

 

[Chooks man]

I am very interested. What will I get from Birchen Cockeral × Blue Silver Cuckoo pullet? Can you go into a little more detail? I know the Blue silver Cuckoo's line lay dark eggs. That should improve egg color in the Birchen/ blue Birchen.

Blue cuckoo pullet X Black Birchen = will throw all birchen pullets Blue and Black plus all barred male .Dark cuckoo cockerel Black and Blue.
Birchen and silver cuckoo { Black or Blue} give great result in a breeding pen ,because the cuckoo marans is a Birchen based not Uniform E/E like most people think .
cuckoo marans is ER/ER not E/E.

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

48 eggs moved to the hatcher this morning . I did not candle them ,I m not in the farm ,my friend moved them , expecting to see some chicks on Tuesday /Wednesday .Fingers cross .

chooks man