Maybe not a Maran ...

[eclectichik]

It came from Meyer with my Maran pullets but does not look like them. At 8 days old, here are differences:
1. Beak is completely yellow (my Maran beaks are black-tipped, in varying degrees)
2. Face is pale-masked (like Mickey Mouse, though with freckles) - Marans have dark on top, light on bottom faces
3. Chest is white down center, yellow toward wings - my Maran's chests are uniformly pale-neutral color then shade to charcoal toward wings
4. Primary wing feathers (not seen in pic) are coming in pure white, not barred

Any suggestions? At first this looked like just a slightly different Maran but the older it gets the more different it gets (don't you love these freebie "MYSTERY CHICK NUMBER 26"s)? It's body feathers are not coming in lighter than the others so if a Maran I'm hoping it's not a roo, but would appreciate any guesses!
Here's a pic - sorry, I don't know how to make a live link so you'll have to paste into your browser. Thanks for any help!!
http://stacylewis.com/chickens/yellow-face-04-30.jpg

 

[Llysse]

Here's my Marans, Marguerite. She's older than yours, so I don't know if this will help you much, but her face is pale, too:

Sometimes chicks just don't look like one another, so don't necessarily worry, yet. I had six Salmon Faverolles, one of which had dark spots on his head and back. The others were all creamy. I thought perhaps I had been sent a wrong egg by mistake. Then I happened to be paging through the McMurray catalog, and the pictures of their Salmon Fav chicks seemed to have dark spots.

I think they just vary. It may be that this particular chick is just different than the others in a way that's quite normal.

On the other hand, if the wing feathers are coming in quite different... you could be right and it could be a different breed altogether, or maybe just a sport (meaning the same breed chicken, but spontaneously a different color).

She's a pretty little thing, though.

Does anyone else have any ideas?

 

[eclectichik]

That looks a lot like mine! Funny, 25 of the chicks looked almost identical and this one has the pale face like yours does - I think her (hopefully) eyes are going to be lighter, too - right now they're kind of hazel compared to the other chicks' brown eyes. If she turns out to be a pullet and not the "freebie rooster" I'll name her after your Marguerite - lovely name! (Brings back memories of "Misty of Chincoteague" and other books). Many thanks!

 

[Llysse]

LOL--well I won't tell my Marguerite--she has a swelled head, as it is!

I hope we're right that your baby is just a Marans pullet that happens to look different from your others.

 

[hcammack]

Pretty Chick I have no idea about the breed though I love my marans, faverolle, and EE from meyer and I am sure I will be using them again for a small order.

Good Luck,
Henry

 

[McGoo]

Here's my maran - Black Copper. He's my avatar.