Any info on Prairie Bluebells and Midnight Majesty

[Tom Kathleen]

Just got my chicks from a "meh" hatchery (because they were the only ones shipping to my state with the 2 breeds I wanted to try -- I already have a lot of other chickens). QUESTION: Anyone have Prairie Bluebells that they know for sure are PBs? If, so, what did they look like?

My PBs look like Americana chicks. (You know the ones marked like chipmunks). I know both "breeds" are muts, but I didn't get a single yellow or black capped one in the bunch (like the hatchery photo). Since PBs and Americanas both lay blue eggs, I'm wondering if they tossed in Americana's thinking I wouldn't notice the difference. PBs are supposed to lay a lot more than Americanas -- I have 70 Americanas and didn't want anymore (pretty eggs, not great layers).

And the Midnight Majesty Marans, that hatchery says "most hatch with feathered feet." Um, 2 of my 15 have feathered feet. QUESTION: will their feet feather later if they are bald now? Or do I have 13 bald legged chickens? A lot of my Americana's grew their beards at point of lay. Anyone have Midnight Majesty Marans to know if feathered at birth is it or do they sometimes feather their feet at maturity? Thanks!

 

[Pyxis]

So according to Hoover, Prairie Bluebells were created by crossing white leghorns and araucanas. Though I highly doubt they actually sourced purebred, rare, araucanas. They probably used Easter Eggers. You know how hatcheries are always labeling Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Americanas, etc. This is probably one of those cases, again.

Anyway, so that kind of cross would result in a ton of variability in the chicks because they're mixed breeds, not a real breed, so they don't have any kind of set appearance or traits.

I have a Midnight Majesty Marans. They're a marans hybrid, from a cross of a black copper marans rooster over barred plymouth rock hens. Other names for them include Noir Marans and Rustic Rambler. They are sex linked, so the males hatch barred and the females solid. Since they're a cross, they also don't really have defined, specific traits.

If they don't hatch with feathered legs, they won't get feathered legs later.

 

[Tom Kathleen]

So according to Hoover, Prairie Bluebells were created by crossing white leghorns and araucanas. Though I highly doubt they actually sourced purebred, rare, araucanas. They probably used Easter Eggers. You know how hatcheries are always labeling Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Americanas, etc. This is probably one of those cases, again.

Anyway, so that kind of cross would result in a ton of variability in the chicks because they're mixed breeds, not a real breed, so they don't have any kind of set appearance or traits.

I have a Midnight Majesty Marans. They're a marans hybrid, from a cross of a black copper marans rooster over barred plymouth rock hens. Other names for them include Noir Marans and Rustic Rambler. They are sex linked, so the males hatch barred and the females solid. Since they're a cross, they also don't really have defined, specific traits.

If they don't hatch with feathered legs, they won't get feathered legs later.

Thanks for replying!!! I really appreciate it. I didn't think I was gonna get any hits. Your point about the mega hatcheries not sourcing araucanas never occurred to me. I bet you're right. I bought these from a mega hatchery and honestly, they can say ANYTHING on their advertising. I saw araucana/leghorn mix and was excited ....... never occurred to me to think.....hmmmm are they REALLY going to have araucana when those have such low fertility and low hatch rates? And when they don't sell them on their site? Araucanas are so expensive, if they do have breeding stock of them, they'd be advertising them and making money left and right. I appreciate knowing that if my MMMs don't have feathered feet now they're never gonna get them. Again, mega hatchery can say "most hatch with feathered feet" even if only 2 percent of their breeding stock is producing feathered feet because who is going to double check? I always joke that I'm known for believing all the hype.......guess there's a sucker born every minute!! And I'm one of them. They are cute and this just makes me a believer in hatching my own from now on. If I'm going to end up with mutts anyway, more fun to hatch them myself and breed for temperament (3 of our roos are the greatest -- protective, smart and not aggressive to people). Instead of spending money on chickens thinking they're one thing and just ending up with Heinz 57 that has a fancy name! Thanks again!

 

[ladybrasa]

I got a few days old MMM from TSC which uses Hoover’s and she had feathered feet from the get go. Still too young yet to see if her eggs are really dark brown, though!