The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: mojocafa on August 20, 2015, 12:56:29 pm

Title: Male or female???
Post by: mojocafa on August 20, 2015, 12:56:29 pm
The copper marans male or female? 
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Womble on August 20, 2015, 01:04:11 pm
I'm going to say both male. Sorry!  :raining:
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Steph Hen on August 20, 2015, 01:10:07 pm
Two male copper marrans.
Male cuckoo marrans.
possible male black araucana or x araucana?

Sorry  :(

Just wondering if I could put a copper black cock over my wheaten hens... But seems a bit of a shame not to keep them pure. :-(   I lost my copper black hen a few weeks ago to a fox.
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: mojocafa on August 20, 2015, 04:09:54 pm
Well done steph, black one is araucana x Russian Orloff, didn't realise pure araucana was sitting on eggs so she produced 3 cockerels and the most stunning purple hen.

Completely over run with cockerels,

Looks like I'm going have a mass cull, looking forward to that....not!
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: plumseverywhere on August 20, 2015, 04:22:47 pm
I'd say the one on the right definitely a male but not sure about the left one, does it have very pointy neck feathers?
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Marches Farmer on August 20, 2015, 04:27:41 pm
For your future breeding programme - sex in poultry, unlike in humans, is decided by the hen.  If the hackle feathers are pointed then it's a cockerel.  Pullets often have a small rounded tail quite early on.  Young cockerels have rather sparse tail feathers then their sickle feathers come in later.  They also often have markedly sturdier legs.
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Stereo on August 20, 2015, 04:34:10 pm
Going by all the ones I have bred, both boys.
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: roddycm on August 20, 2015, 05:31:22 pm
Unmistakeably cocks. The little grey pullet is very pretty though!
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Kimbo on August 20, 2015, 05:45:28 pm
it is Roddy. It looks just like my rumpless Araucana
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: devonlady on August 20, 2015, 05:52:46 pm
How old are they?
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: mojocafa on August 20, 2015, 07:45:34 pm
Hatched in April.

The grey pullet is a marans as well
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: mojocafa on August 20, 2015, 07:48:38 pm
Ok folks , thanks for that,
 
What do you advise...


1 get pullets of same breed and sell as unrelated trios

2 try to rehome, so far unsuccessfully

3 cull
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Anke on August 21, 2015, 06:20:13 am
Eat (the boys).
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: mojocafa on August 21, 2015, 06:25:16 am
I've never eaten any of my brood before, but there's a first time for everything
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: doganjo on August 21, 2015, 10:36:18 pm
Stick to Shetland Ducks  :innocent: :roflanim:
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Stereo on August 22, 2015, 09:15:48 pm
I don't want to be harsh but those coppers are not breeding material anyway. It happens, even from the best eggs. Freezer I'm afraid.
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: mojocafa on August 22, 2015, 09:34:09 pm
Respect your honesty stereo, it's a pity more pjeople aren't as honest, all part of the learning curve!
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on August 22, 2015, 10:10:13 pm
They look like males to me. Copper marans should be dark and those look too colourful.
Title: Wheaton or copper marans now that we have established their males!
Post by: mojocafa on August 23, 2015, 06:48:15 am
Are they more like Wheaton marans cockerels,
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: Stereo on August 23, 2015, 10:28:31 pm
Not sure. I would think they would be lighter still. Never bred them. Maybe.
Title: Re: Male or female???
Post by: HesterF on August 23, 2015, 11:23:45 pm
Eat & keep your fingers crossed for next year. I hatched a huge majority of cockerels last year and sold one - it was a long winter of chicken dinners. This year has gone completely the other way and the money is rolling in-hens all presold. Mind you, the geese have gone the other way (West of England gander anybody?).