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

[kristip]

color is tough because unless it has the best lines, there can be copper leakage. My girl actually had more copper on her than the roo did. Not perfect coloring, but pretty girl.

 

[roxysmydog]

I have 9 BCM eggs in the incubator that are suppose to hatch on Wednesday. I am hoping I can try to feather sex them on the first day. They are all from my own birds.

 

[iamkylene]

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!

 

[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.

 

[chisandchicks]

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....

 

[aggiemae]

the dark speckled egg might be a wellsummer.

 

[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?

 

[belcherbirds]

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!

 

[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...

 

[belcherbirds]

Thanks for the input. I am new as you probably gathered. See the difference in the comb on the one who has just the start of a little white on the chest and the other three who have considerably less comb? Those with the small comb have the cooper feathers .

[/IMG]