BCM - Purebreed or Hybrid?

[Jetblack2004]

I'm really rather confused. Are Black Copper Marans purebreed or hybrid? I know that Marans ARE a purebreed, fot example Dark Cuckoos ARE. But I can't decided whether BCM are a purebreed or a crossbreed.
Are French Copper Black Marans the same thing? If not it crossed my mind that FCBM are purebreed, and BCM are hybrid.

Just curious as I got four a couple of weeks ago, and this question has been bugging me since then!!

Thanks,
-Jet

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Do your marans have feathered feet? French have feathered feet and are considered American standard, English standard do not have feathered feet. Were they sold to you as either standard? They could be marans crossed with something else. We had one that looked like english standard, but were never sure of his pedigree. He was still a great rooster. Just not good for breeding to standard in America.

 

[Ravynscroft]

French Black Copper Marans (FBCM) are feather legged... English Black Copper Marans (BCM) are clean legged... different varieties, same breed... just bred to different standards...

In the US, all BCM should be feather legged, a lot of the breeders have actually dropped the (French) part of the name since clean legged aren't a variety bred for here...

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Jetblack2004, Just to be clear, a chicken has a thigh, the femur bone; a knee, followed by the fibula bone or leg (sometimes refered to as a drum stick), then the ankle, and foot or tarsometatarsus bone and toes or digits, which they actually walk on. All chickens have feathers on their thighs and legs, only certain breeds have feathered feet. All chickens walk on their toes.

 

[Jetblack2004]

Do your marans have feathered feet? French have feathered feet and are considered American standard, English standard do not have feathered feet. Were they sold to you as either standard? They could be marans crossed with something else. We had one that looked like english standard, but were never sure of his pedigree. He was still a great rooster. Just not good for breeding to standard.

No, these chicks don't have feathered feet. When we got them, the woman told us they were BCM and that she had bought a whole load in, along with a group of Black Tail chicks. She didn't really give anymore info about the chicks.

French Black Copper Marans (FBCM) are feather legged... English Black Copper Marans (BCM) are clean legged... different varieties, same breed... just bred to different standards...

In the US, all BCM should be feather legged, a lot of the breeders have actually dropped the (French) part of the name since clean legged aren't a variety bred for here...

Thanks for the replies, but I haven't quite got the answer i was looking for. Are BCM a purebreed or a crossbreed?

-Jet

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I see you list East Sussex as where you are from, assume you are in England, featherless feet would be an English standard for BCM. I would think they are purebreed, unless you were told otherwise. They are considered English purebreed to standard without feathered feet. Here in South Louisiana we still use the French BCM name, maybe because we have such a strong french history.

 

[Jetblack2004]

Thank you at @Ursuline Chick for the information!
Thanks @Ravynscroft, too.

I appreciate the help!

-Jet