International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[NanaK]

#1: my best looking pullet seems to have a weird looking pea comb?

If this turns out to be a pea comb she could be an Olive Egger. Lots of people use Marans to produce olive eggs. If so she would be a keeper for sure in my flock!

 

[TexasBlues]

Are there any well known bloodlines with Black Copper Marans to look for? I've heard of Little Peddler. Any other popular lines?

 

[Bantambird]

Just ordered some BCM hatching eggs. Some arrive next week and the rest arrive late April. Shipped eggs won't have a great hatch rate and this is my first go with this breed. I ordered from breeders. I'm hoping to have good quality birds. I need help learning this breed standard. Does anyone have a good source to get me familiar?

I'm a Delaware girl through and through and that's all I do but I want to test the waters with this breed and the dark eggs.

I heard that this breed matures late? Is this true in all cases or some cases.

Also.. is it easy to tell the males from females at an early age? With Delawares those combs get pink fast. By 2-3 weeks I can tell the males easily. Are BCM the same or no?

Mine mature late, and I focus on smaller combs due to my northern climate. Many breeders focus on different things! Sometimes, due to how slow my combs grow in now, it can take 4 weeks for me to tell cockerels. I also have slow feathering for the nice, compact tails, but that means that they don't get a good set of feathers for quite a while compared to other breeds. These are for sure a heritage breed, not industrial. They should grow slow to build up strong, healthy bodies so they can produce nice eggs and decent carcass and beautiful eye candy.

 

[Bantambird]

Yeah I have the Nurture Right 360 with great hatch rates but don't like the egg candler. I use a flashlight from Olight. It works well for the Delaware eggs. I also have the Kebonnixs and I wanted to run my first hatch through it. They came out pretty good. Your DIY light is pretty good there.

I know you are up north but do you know how successful anyone in south FL is with breeding these marans? It's nasty here and I'm pretty sure this is a cold weather bird. I'm worried about the humidity.

everyone might be surprised, but my groups started from a flock in Georgia and another flock in Florida, and they are still hardier than the Cream Legbars. I have increased their weather tolerance, but they are pretty great all climate birds. I would say anyone in a cool temperate to sub tropical climate could have some.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Mine mature late, and I focus on smaller combs due to my northern climate. Many breeders focus on different things! Sometimes, due to how slow my combs grow in now, it can take 4 weeks for me to tell cockerels. I also have slow feathering for the nice, compact tails, but that means that they don't get a good set of feathers for quite a while compared to other breeds. These are for sure a heritage breed, not industrial. They should grow slow to build up strong, healthy bodies so they can produce nice eggs and decent carcass and beautiful eye candy.

I've got 16 Kong x Solo's eggs under 2 broodys. I'm really getting excited to see these hatch...

 

[chickengr]

I looked in to the side sprigs and that does seem like a possibility. How tough will that be to breed out?

marans breeders cull side sprig birds.

 

[chickengr]

If this turns out to be a pea comb she could be an Olive Egger. Lots of people use Marans to produce olive eggs. If so she would be a keeper for sure in my flock!

x2

 

[Tstraub]

Are there any well known bloodlines with Black Copper Marans to look for? I've heard of Little Peddler. Any other popular lines?

The colored egg groups I am a part of are always talking about Greenfire Farms.

 

[Island Coppers]

I'm worried about the humidity.

Perhaps you know that Marans were called "swamp birds" in their history. I have hatched a bunch of Marans and the humidity here is often 100%. I have done dry hatches, trying to keep the humidity in the 30% to 40% range and had good results

 

[SweetieChicken234]

Perhaps you know that Marans were called "swamp birds" in their history. I have hatched a bunch of Marans and the humidity here is often 100%. I have done dry hatches, trying to keep the humidity in the 30% to 40% range and had good results

Wow I had no idea they were called swamp birds!! That's super interesting. I'm in FL and always dry incubate all my eggs. It's just too darn humid to add water until hatch.