BCMs???

[shanji]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what they think about these 3 chicks. They were all supposed to be BCMs but their coloring is really different.

Here they are as a couple days old - two of them were really black and have feathered feet:



Then here's the one that had a little more white and does not have feathers on feet:



They are 3.5 weeks old now. Here are the two that were mostly black as babes with feathered feet:

#1



#2



And here's the one with no feathers on feet who had more white as a younger chick:





If anyone could give me some advice on whether or not they think any of these are even BCMs that would be awesome! Thanks!!

 

[Odelia]

No those do not look like black copper Marans to me. At least they don't look like mine.

 

[shanji]

No those do not look like black copper Marans to me. At least they don't look like mine.

Any idea on what they could be? Did they even look like them as day olds?

 

[BantamLover21]

I don't have any experience raising BCMs, but from what I've seen, yours look like Black Copper Marans to me.

 

[Odelia]

Mine have black wings and body's. Some of the head and neck feathers are copper. The roosters start pretty black and the color comes in on their adult plumage. Legs and feet noticeable feathered.

 

[Michael OShay]

They look like BCM chicks to me. Some BCM chicks have feathers legs and some do not, depending on their ancestry. The French standard calls for feathered legs on Marans, the English standard calls for bare legs on Marans.

 

[autumnhearth]

Can I ask where you got them from? Are they supposed to be sexed or straight run? I've seen a wide range of darkness in BCM chicks, some nearly all black, mine had much more white (yellow really) than yours. Yours seem to have a lot of copper coming in, I would guess they are cockerels or have a lot of leakage. If it weren't for the feathered feet I would think they were black sex links. I wouldn't the fact that one doesn't have feathers on its legs bother you, many hatcheries still have feathered and unfeathered legs from the same stock.

 

[Wyandottes7]

They look like BCM chicks to me. Some BCM chicks have feathers legs and some do not, depending on their ancestry. The French standard calls for feathered legs on Marans, the English standard calls for bare legs on Marans.

I agree.

 

[shanji]

Can I ask where you got them from? Are they supposed to be sexed or straight run? I've seen a wide range of darkness in BCM chicks, some nearly all black, mine had much more white (yellow really) than yours. Yours seem to have a lot of copper coming in, I would guess they are cockerels or have a lot of leakage. If it weren't for the feathered feet I would think they were black sex links. I wouldn't the fact that one doesn't have feathers on its legs bother you, many hatcheries still have feathered and unfeathered legs from the same stock.

I bought them from a local store and I believe they originally came from Cackle. They are supposed to be pullets and I suppose only time will tell. The white feathers on one of the brown ones just started coming in yesterday. There have been pages where I see that sometimes brown or white feathers come in and then they grow new typical BCM feathers. I just don't want to have been duped and paid so much for something that isn't what I wanted... not that I wouldn't keep them anyways. Would just expect a partial refund if they aren't the real thing.

 

[Odelia]

The american standard also calls for feathers on their legs.