Are these Black Copper Marans? Gender help if possible, too!! :)

mags2009

Songster
13 Years
Aug 8, 2009
351
4
226
Wisconsin
I got these chicks as hatching eggs. They said Black Copper Marans, but these chicks don't look like what I thought Black Coppers were supposed to look like, the Black/white, black/yellow color. Are they still BCM? Also, anyone want to guess as to gender of these and my other chicks? The first three are the two in question. The next a Black Copper Maran, (roo?) Welsummer, then Blue Ameracuana, and last is Black Copper Maran.They are almost three weeks old.
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The bird/s in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd photo are not Black Copper and appear to be boys.

The 4th photo is a boy and appears to be Black Copper.

5th photo is a bit fuzzy.... could be a Welsummer pullet.

6th photo...this cute little fuzzy is still young but looks girlish to me.

7th photo is a boy and also looks like a Black Copper.

Are the birds in photos 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 the birds that hatched from the eggs that were marked Black Copper Marans?
 
1 & 2 are BCMs they are just mossy coloring more likely. It happens sometimes I have found, kinda like you could get a Wheaten out of BCMs once in a while. Someone in the forums claim the Mossy BCMs lay some of the darkest eggs. Out of my last hatch of 8 eggs(blue copper & black copper) I got 2 blue copper, 2 mossy, 1 wheaten, and 3 black copper.
Following genders are just guesses because depending on the lines some girls can have large combs right from the start... And Ams & EEs are just too hard to tell at that young...
1. Roo
2. Roo
3. ?
4. Roo
5. Pullet
6. ?
7. Pullet
 
WOW, if you guys are right, I have ALL Black Copper Maran Roos. Gosh, I sure hope at least one is a pullet!!! I have never heard of mossy Black Copper Marans, anyone else?
 
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Yes...mossiness is the term that is used, it means that the body of the bird is not completely black.....mossiness looks like stippling of brown or brownish spots in the black feathers usually only on the body of the bird. The mossiness is an undesired trait in Black Copper Marans and it is said that these birds lay some of the darkest eggs. I'm thinking that they are not mossy but rather a cross of different color varieties of Marans.
 
Thanks Pinkchick for helping, do you have any idea what kind of Marans they could be? They do have the feathered legs, don't know if that makes a difference. Also, if they were roos, would their combs be getting pink by now?
 
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Your Welcome!
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Nope don't know what kind they could be...my guesses would be crossed with maybe a wheaten as suggested earlier or perhaps a variety of Marans that has a partridge pattern and I believe that the only Marans that has a partridge pattern is the Golden Salmon Marans. I could be wrong about that and hopefully some one will come along and correct me if so. Leg feathering is a dominant trait and can be passed along very easily so even if it is crossed with a completely different breed of chicken you will get some offspring with leg feathering. Yes their combs could/should be getting bigger and pinker by now. I've had boys whose combs and wattles have started to get bigger, thicker, and pink by as early as 10 days old, clearly setting them apart from the pullets.
 
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Have you contacted the person that you purchased the eggs from....I would and I would ask if they have any other varieties of Marans and/or do they have other breeds of chickens? Do they share the same pen? Could another rooster have made an unscheduled/unwanted visit? I would be disappointed if someone that purchased eggs or birds from me did not call me and ask me those questions if what hatched wasn't what they were expecting. Anyway....just a thought! IMO Can't hurt.
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Pinkchick~ I got them from Gabbard Farm. I will call her. Also, I think phot #7 might be a pullet because "her" comb is still pretty small and yellow compared to # 4. He is definately a roo I think because his comb started growing almost at day one. He is the biggest chick I have, and his comb is pink. Also, #7 has dark feet, which I read on here somewhere is a pullet trait. Maybe I'm just "wishing" too much for a girl, but I would like at least ONE BCM pullet!!
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