# Crossing Wheaton Marans with Black Copper?



## ladycat (Aug 6, 2012)

I've received some Wheaton Marans chicks from a breeder (via mail), and I suspect they are probably very inbred, because the breeder is having fertility issues.

I'll do my best to get these chicks to breeding age. (These are going to be some VERY pampered chickens). At breeding age, I want to cross them with BCM so they won't be further inbred. 

From that point, what would be the best way to recover the Wheaton coloring?

I'm thinking maybe if I breed the crossbred offspring back to the pure Wheaton? If I do that, I would need to tag them and keep records so that I don't breed them with their own parents.


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## Jeremysbrinkman (Jul 12, 2012)

I personally would find an unrelated Wheaton rooster to breed back too


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## ladycat (Aug 6, 2012)

Jeremysbrinkman said:


> I personally would find an unrelated Wheaton rooster to breed back too


Easier said than done! I'm disabled and don't have a way to drive anywhere to get one.

It was a very long time (many years), before I FINALLY found someone who could ship wheaton chicks to me at a price I could afford. I'm reluctant to try hatching eggs, because I've had such rotten luck with shipped eggs; it's just money down the drain.


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