Week Old Black Copper Marans Chicks - Sexing by Feather color? Pictures added!

[SewChaos]

I have 2 straight run one week old black copper marans chicks. Today I noticed that while they both have the same amount of wing feathers, one has copper-y color specks in the new itty-bitty feathers while the other one's wings are solid black. Does this mean I have one of each? Or is it too early to tell what I have? I tried to take pictures but they didn't turn out.

Thanks!

 

[Spring Chook]

slow developing tail feathers are usually sign that its a boy. I have 4 black copper marans chicks who are 3 weeks old, I am fairly certain 2 are boys and one still doesnt have any tail feathers. Also, their combs and wattles are redder & far more developed than the other two. Watch the combs of your two carefully, that will give you an better idea soon.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Haha it sure was. I figured that was the best way to rehome but not the place to get opinions.

Yep, Facebook has some questionable people. I was told this little man was a pullet....

Well..... many months later.....

PXL_20210425_171235885.jpg

• EmmaRainboe
• Apr 25, 2021

 

[One Chick Two]

I picked up my BCM babies a week ago and rally did be see much difference at all . Born may10. Now all of sudden at 4 weeks and 3 days ? 3 have tons of copper on the chest with the forth having just white and a bigger comb. I'm feeling pretty certain we have 3 girls and a boy

yahoo!

Unfortunately, usually, when you are seeing color very early (1 month is considered fairly early) tons of copper on the chest is usually indicative of a male juvie that will end up with too much color. The females do not get copper on the chest at all... Except for Mossy girls, and those often have tiny colored speckles, usually concentrated on wings.

Below is the hackle of the mossy hen who laid the speckled egg above. See the tiny speckles and bars on feather edges?




Below in the center is one of our 5 week old cockerels. This male is well overcolored already, with too much coppering already showing in his hackle and upper chest. The dark cockerel on the left is mostly black still, is finally very getting tiny spots of color on hackle and beginning on saddle feathers. The juvie on the right is a female. Notice her lack of significant comb or wattles. She is all black with a few white feathers.



Sorry...

 

[One Chick Two]

I keep finding outdated threads, but in case anyone finds this, just wanted to say that I am 2/2 so far with feather sexing of my BCMs. I have 10 in the incubator, so will see on the next batch. My first was an extra BCM sent from the hatchery (Cackle). His wing feathers started becoming coppery on day 5 (or maybe that was just when I noticed!). They are now almost 4 weeks and he is definitely a cockerel. None of the others (pullets) had the copper on the wings.
On day 2 of my own hatch, one of the chicks started with copper on the wings. I guessed (rightly), that he was a cockerel too. It is now day 7 and his comb is pointier, taller and pinker. I can almost guarantee that he is a cockerel.
Anxious to see if my suspicions are right in the next batch, due in 2 weeks. I am leaning very strongly (95%) that feather sexing appears to be quite easy with the BCMs. Granted, they must be of good parentage, as questionable breeding may result in lots of copper leakage. However, copper leakage on wing feathers seems to point directly to cockerels.
Just my opinion. Wish someone above had actually posted their results.

Hi JillZ,

If you are seeing copper breakthrough on the wing by day 5, this isn't a sign of what sex (that is a coincidence, or you are seeing other signs)...this is a sign that the bird is likely split with Wheaten or has Autosomal red breakthrough- all chicks should always have black/ white wings.

Both issues are not good, the first means that it is a cross, the second that it has color issues at best.

Here is a Wheaten X BCM chick... notice copper breakthrough on wing and very pale feet.



This chick has much lighter, softer breakthrough at tips and is Autosomal red. Again, neither should be used as breeders.

This is a pullet who had Autosomal red as a chick. (Her parents had been test mated for Wheaten and tested out cleanly.)

This hen failed her test mating, and was split with Wheaten. Notice she has deep copper mealy mossiness- it was everwhere... including wings, chest, tail, and she had a lot of feather shafting too.

 

[greengravy]

I think the same thing. That does look like a little cockerel and the other a pullet. but, I'm no expert, sometimes I'm right sometimes I'm not...

 

[donrae]

Hello! I am new to Black Copper Marans. I have two hens and want some more. I know you can tell accurately the sex of a Belgian Mille Fleur D'Uccle but I don't know how to go about sexing a Maran other than slower feather growth for a boy. Anything else? I do not suspect coloring would be effective as this is one of those breeds were hens and roos can have copper coloring in the neck. Thanks!

Depends on the age. At 4-6 weeks you're looking at comb development and leg thickness, like pretty much any other breed. As they get older, red on the wing bow is a male sign--females get the copper on the neck, but not on the wing/body.

 

[One Chick Two]

I have a question for y'all; I am hatching FBCM's right now! Today (well, and yesterday - we had an "early bird" - lol) So far we have 3 that came out black, just like in the pics I am seeing on this page. However, our little early bird (who is not necessarily all that little!) is a golden/dark golden color with just a little black on her.
She came out of a darkish-brown egg with darker brown speckles on it. Is this "off-color chick still a Marans? The lady I bought my eggs from showed me her chickens, set up and all and even let me barrow her [bigger & homemade] incubator to use - (we have a second one for an emergency) I really hate to think he gave me eggs that are all mixed up or something weird....

BCM eggs color can range all over the place. They just need to measure a #4 on the Marans egg scale at some time during their laying cycle.

This is a BCM egg, at her lightest time of her laying cycle. Her eggs are XL, and are usually darker than this one (around #5-6). This egg came from a "mossy" hen (too much copper leakage). All of her eggs are speckled.



The color of your chick has concerns for BCM. Birchen based BCM chicks should only be black (with gray) with a white throat/ abdomen. Anything else shows other influences. Does your chick have dark feathered shanks?

 

[JillZ]

I keep finding outdated threads, but in case anyone finds this, just wanted to say that I am 2/2 so far with feather sexing of my BCMs. I have 10 in the incubator, so will see on the next batch. My first was an extra BCM sent from the hatchery (Cackle). His wing feathers started becoming coppery on day 5 (or maybe that was just when I noticed!). They are now almost 4 weeks and he is definitely a cockerel. None of the others (pullets) had the copper on the wings.
On day 2 of my own hatch, one of the chicks started with copper on the wings. I guessed (rightly), that he was a cockerel too. It is now day 7 and his comb is pointier, taller and pinker. I can almost guarantee that he is a cockerel.
Anxious to see if my suspicions are right in the next batch, due in 2 weeks. I am leaning very strongly (95%) that feather sexing appears to be quite easy with the BCMs. Granted, they must be of good parentage, as questionable breeding may result in lots of copper leakage. However, copper leakage on wing feathers seems to point directly to cockerels.
Just my opinion. Wish someone above had actually posted their results.

 

[One Chick Two]

Thank you so much for explaining And for posting pics! This helps a lot. I was planning to give away the two copper winged chicks as I didn't want to breed them (and they are cockerels.) So that really helps, especially down the road if someone else just wanted a layer and not one to breed. My other BCM cockerel is already absolutely beautiful (to me, anyway) at 4 weeks and has a really sweet disposition. Not that his coloring is apparent, but his behavior and looks are really nice. I am really looking forward to his coloring. None of my pullets have copper yet, so am wondering when that would start to show? I have had BCMs in the past, but they were "taken" by foxes before I was able to mate them. So far, my favorite breed. Seems that their combs develop much quicker than other breeds also. And their comb colors change to a deeper pink early. Easier to sex that way. You also may be right as far as my seeing other traits in the copper winged to convince me that they were cockerels early. Most probably, I was 2/2 because of luck!

No problem! Luck... exactly.

Make sure you disclose to the new owner and be clear that they should not be bred in a BCM breeding program. Might be fine for olive eggers though.

Your pullets will start showing hackle soon to a few months old. Some girls may be overmelanized- where they do not ever get a copper hackle. Ideally, these girls should only be used for a colorful male who has excellent copper balance, copper ear tufts and up to 10% chest leakage to get hackles on the next gen females.

Their combs do develop much quicker than other breeds. In some lines you can tell the males at birth.

Good luck and enjoy them! I suggest joining the Black Copper Disscussion board here, and on FB, Marans Fanciers to get answers from questions you will run into.