Maran Imposter!

[JPBeni]

I received Black Copper Maran eggs from a local farmer and one hatched chick looks suspiciously like a campine . I assume maybe a campine and maran mix if anything as it came from a dark brown egg.

Here are some pictures of the chick. It has spots around its eyes, striped back, and a little colour of red on its head. Any ideas?

 

[AusHen]

Did you see the parent stock? I would be questioning both of the parents breeds/purity, all my first cross black copper Marans hatch out black.
Is the black chick next to it also from the farmer? I ask because it looks to be barred so also not a pure BCM

 

[BastyPutt]

Did you see the parent stock? I would be questioning both of the parents breeds/purity, all my first cross black copper Marans hatch out black.
Is the black chick next to it also from the farmer? I ask because it looks to be barred so also not a pure BCM

You have good eyes. Took me forever to see that.

OP - I think you most likely have a mixed stock there. No way to tell what else is in there unless you see the breeding stock - then wait and watch - which is way more fun than raising purebreds.

 

[JPBeni]

Thank you all for your input!

I never did see the breed stock and all of the eggs are from the same farmer.

She's an older farmer who usually loans her incubator to teachers during spring so that students can watch chicks hatch out. One of the teachers I know showed me her hatch for her class and I was surprised to see such dark colored eggs. I inquired if they were BCMs and the farmer said yes and was happy to give me some eggs!

I was able to hatch 4 out of 7, the rest were not fertile. I'm in love with these 4 and don't mind at all that they're not purebred.

 

[BastyPutt]

Thank you all for your input!

I never did see the breed stock and all of the eggs are from the same farmer.

She's an older farmer who usually loans her incubator to teachers during spring so that students can watch chicks hatch out. One of the teachers I know showed me her hatch for her class and I was surprised to see such dark colored eggs. I inquired if they were BCMs and the farmer said yes and was happy to give me some eggs!

I was able to hatch 4 out of 7, the rest were not fertile. I'm in love with these 4 and don't mind at all that they're not purebred.
View attachment 3507412

I'll tell you what - we started hatching our own years ago and have just let the chickens go crazy out there, breeding with whoever they want. And it is awesome.

Chicken genetics are strange, and I don't understand them. But - I understand that birds are carriers of certain traits, but don't have them. Like a certain type of comb or feather color. So occasionally, youll get things like two solid black Chickens mate and lay an brown egg and the resulting chicken is white and lays a blue egg. (extreme example)

What I am trying to say, folks become enamored with these fancy breeds when really it is the mutts that are the show stoppers and always fun to guess their egg color or traits when they are a chick

But, don't even get me started on how beautiful the roosters are.