Black Copper Marans discussion thread - Page 446

I am wondering if anyone can give me some guidance. 

 

I hatched out about a dozen BCM chicks along with four Olive Eggers - I did not tag them as I assumed the OEs would look different.  Well, they all look exactly alike.  I was going to sell some of the BCM chicks, but I don't want to sell someone an OE as a BCM.  Is there an easy way to tell which is which?  If not, I will just wait until they grow up a bit and sell them, then - hopefully it will become obvious at some point (right?).

Next batch I will tag, lol.  Rookie mistake, I guess.  That is what I get for assuming....

 

Anyway, thanks in advance. 

KZ - LOVE your avatar, by the way!

 

The olive eggers may have pea combs - look for that first. Also, their shank feathering should be more sparse than the black copper marans.

 

and they may have muffs and beards, though not all of mine do; muffs and beards are definite OE. 

 

I'll be separating my EE and BCM at lockdown just for this reason--thanks for the reminder!!

 

Some of my second generation olive egger look EXACTLY like my BC maran chicks, I too sell chicks and I have to be careful to keep them seperate. I keep the OE's on a totally seperate hatching tray and then move them to a totally seperate brooder from my BC Marans,. I ask my customers if they want them kept seperately when they head to pick them up.

I am a first time urban chicken keeper.  Recently, I got 4 "BCM" chicks from a local lady.  She told me they are "French" BCM.  The chicks are about 5-week old now.  Two of them have feathers on their legs and outer toes.  I was told they meet the "Fran ch standard".  In the last week or so they developed combs and copper feathers on their necks.  They even have a few copper colored stubs on their back.  I think they are boys.  If that's the case the city ordinance says I must find new homes outside of the city for them.  I am pretty sure the other two chicks are baby hens.  Though they do not have feather on their legs and toes.  They also do not have any copper feather on them.  That brings me to my questions...

 

1) Is there any chance the two "boys" are actually "girls"?  They are so beautiful.  I really would like to keep them. 

 

2) Can BCM hens have no copper feathers on their necks and no feather on his/her legs/toes?  Please help!!

you are correct.  the first two sound like roosters, the copper on the back gives it away.

the other two are most likely girls.  Girls will only get copper on the neck, but...... the girls can be very slow to develop coppering, and sometimes have no coppering at all.

foot feathering varies and is not consistent, but feathered legs and down the outside toe is preferred. 

 

hope this helps!

 

-Keara
 

 

It sounds like the ones with the bigger combs are roos.... The mossieness on the feathers can be on either roos or pullets.  I have heard the mossy pullets lay the darkest eggs.  I had several my first batch of Marans and I have one that lays an 8 egg regularly so there might be something to it.  If you post pictures we can help you more.  The pullets also get tail feathers first and the roos are sometimes slower to feather.  I do usually tell by the combs... dead give away.

My EE and FBCM hatched today and I expected to see a few black feather legged EE chicks (OE).(which is why they were separated in the hatcher) . Oddly, I have one all white OE chick with white leg feathering!!  I thought the black dominated?

 

These are some chicks hatched yesterday from my chosen lone BCM roo and hen after two years of culling........  A few of the chicks have some feathers on the middle toe (two are in the picture).  Is there a chance these will molt out and not come back or is this a definite culling point as far as the SOP goes at this point?  Both parents have fairly heavy feathering down the leg and outside toe but never had feathers on their middle toes even as chicks.

 

I am pretty sure if they have feathers on middle toes now...they always will.  All my chicks that had feathers on middle toes at hatch...still got em'.

But they are super cute!!  Maybe the one with too many feather will be girls and you can use them for awesome egg layers.