9 week old Blue Copper Marans

[memrymaker]

I am unsure the gender of these three Blue CM's. They are 9 weeks old. Three emerging half feathers, one copper one green and one purple - have been found (one on each bird). I have my suspicions but their combs and wattles aren't very big. I would appreciate someone else's eye and analysis.... Thanks!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You've got no red bars on wing bows and no saddles.

Honestly, I think you've got all girls. Marans telecast pretty early, and the males by 9 weeks of age have large red combs.

The only one to watch is this one...which may be a developing male...or early developing girl. I had one like that. She laid the prettiest dark eggs too.

LofMc

 

[eggbert420]

All pullets.

 

[memrymaker]

You've got no red bars on wing bows and no saddles.

Honestly, I think you've got all girls. Marans telecast pretty early, and the males by 9 weeks of age have large red combs.

The only one to watch is this one...which may be a developing male...or early developing girl. I had one like that. She laid the prettiest dark eggs too.

LofMc

Thanks for the reply! Any idea why they would all have a colored feather on the body? One is half copper (crooked combed) one half green (straight combed, dark) and one half purple sheened (straight combed light)?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Lovely lady birds

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Birds get an odd feather here or there.

The overall body color is good, and the copper will come in at the hackles for the girls, and you can get some odd copper here and there and odd blue/black sheen.

Blue Copper is a combination of the blue base color, which is diluted black. You can get some varying tones in genetics there which offers different shades of grey (blue). You can also get some black sheen feathers too.

Copper (red based) is the secondary color coming in at the hackles on the girls, with patches here and there...which is a disqualification for show in BCM. (Not sure if Blue Copper is official SOP color yet or not). Some girls will have a lot of the copper peppered on their backs. Its called "mossy back" and those girls often lay the darkest eggs. (My mossy back FBCM did).

However, if you see copper coming in at the wing bows, then that is a male pattern.

But your birds don't have that. They look to be pullets with the one to watch just in case it is a slow developing male (as often the copper tones don't creep into the males until later).

LofMc

 

[memrymaker]

I am relieved to hear the news - yay! I have actually been most worried about the light colored one. She has HUGE legs and lately it seems like all her tail feathers are getting pretty dark at the end and developing pointed ends. I so want blue Marans and dark eggs.

 

[Arya28]

Yes I would say all hens! They are gorgeous! We have a blue marans girl that's about the same age We also have a black copper marans chicken, who we named Mary because we thought she was a hen... Well, Mary crows.