Sexing Black Copper Marans Chicks???

[bHen]

No pictures yet but is there a way you can tell the girls from the boys???

One of the chicks has white around the eyes on both sides, a couple others just have a streak of white above one eye, and others have all black faces... hmmm.

Thanks!

 

[ve]

Wait 2-3 weeks and boys will start growing combs-babie down is not sure with Marans

 

[ChooksChick]

After a couple of days, some will have tail feathers, and some will not- at about 2-3 weeks, the girls will have tails, while the boys are just starting to think about growing them.

 

[ve]

I have one Marans girl who grew tail long after my boys

 

[ChooksChick]

As always, there are exceptions, and secondary sexual chracteristics are still all guess work until you see an egg!

You are correct, ve, and it does happen.

 

[clucking cuties]

Hi there,

I have read the threads about sexing Marans Chicks (I have black copper chicks and blue copper eggs in the incubator), but I still have a few unanswered questions and was hoping for some good advice here from the Marans experts.

A little background as to my goals and plans (if curious, otherwise skip

):

My primary goal in establishing my Marans flock is to produce those delicious eggs, (the darker the better) for the table consumption of family, and a few dear friends who have asked to be on our "egg list". Another equal primary goal is to maintain the vitality and vigor that these birds seem to innately be blessed with. My secondary goal is to produce a meaty bird for the table (culls will become coq au vin or barbeque depending on their age and other factors at the time of cull). I do not at this time plan to show or sell Marans breeding stock, but I do want to remain true to type, strive for the best eggs that I can produce and the best meat birds. (My son does want to show Orphingtons, but that is a completely separate project).

I am rural, so no zoning worries, have a large barn with insulated chicken coops (hubby is building more), and about an acre fenced with separate runs (8 foot high range wire) I could increased the fenced acreage without much trouble to two or three acres now that we no longer have horses. (The older boys and hubby were more interested in that barn for car projects, so I lost that battle, but the younger son and I negotiated "the chicken projects" in return) Along the bottom I have electric wire to discourage foxes and dogs. I also have a outdoor smaller area near my house with netting for the young birds to discourage hawks, but I am hoping that when the birds reach maturity a hawk will not be able to take one on. My babies are indoors in the winter, I have a room in the basement for this with the heat lamps and stock tanks for brooders.

My questions are the following:
Out of the first 10 hatched, six seem to be cockerels and only 4 pullets. This was based on looking at the wings the first days and the darkness of the legs and feathers. I understand genetics (background in health care) so I know it could have been worse. (10 cockerels or the jackpot

, mostly pullets)

Now doubt is beginning to creep in

. At around 3 weeks they are starting to look more like cockerels. I am hoping that this is just a stage that they are going through. Three still look a bit more girly to me ( posture wise) but the combs have me totally confused. There is one that I am very certain is a cockerel, he is the largest, the most upright with one of the biggest combs and is not flighty, just very inquisitive, and somehow always seems to be "in charge of the others".

I know that I can wait for egg laying or crowing, but I am just curious if there are any other tips about this. Also, at what age can you tell what the confirmation and size of a rooster? ( For now, the only roosters that I will consider holding back for breeding, are those that I hatched, so that I can be sure that they came from a nice dark egg. I discarded any eggs that were not very dark, and did not incubate them) Do they need to be fully feathered to make the call? Any tips on selecting a "few good men for my girls"? I had planned 12-14 layers and maybe 3 roosters in the final cut. I also plan to run the blacks and blues together. Is that OK?

Any help or reassurance is greatly appreciated.

 

[n8ivetxn]

I'm no expert, but since nobody has volunteered anything, I'll tell you what I think I know

Re: confirmation of roo - only after 6 months of age, they need time to feather out completely... My Blue Copper roo turned out to be really nice, but I question his legs sometimes (slate/pink)

Blacks and Blues: IMHO, yes - you'll get 50% blues and 50% blacks