Black Copper Marans chicks coloring possibilities?

[ChooksChick]

I am hatching for a friend who's dealing with an awful outbreak of Coryza and had gazillons of eggs in the mail on their way, and 4 incubators full of eggs already.

She had 2 different sets of Black Copper Marans eggs in there, and had a really lousy hatch rate- 2 from each baker's dozen. One of the second pair is feathering in with brown and black wings! It gives me the impression of being like the splotchiness my Silver Laced Polish had for her intermediate feathers before her adult laced feathers came in, only brown/red and black instead of white and black.

The two from the other lines don't have this at all- they're coming in pure black.

Can anyone tell me whether this brown/red/copper coloring on the wings (it's not subtle!) is possible for a 1 week BCM, or is there a coloring of Marans for whom this coloring is normal at this age? This is the only healthy hatched chick from this purchase (REALLY expensive purchase, supposedly from famous lines I won't name here) as the other has a misalignment at the vent and is likely to be culled.

I'm trying to help my friend figure out how to handle this purchase, and if this isn't a BCM, the situation changes even more!!

 

[amazondoc]

Some lines of BCMs are producing some odd-colored chicks, especially when the flock hasn't been selected carefully for a few generations. One common problem seems to be with loss of melanizing genes, which can then leave the offspring showing a lot of brown even in the chicks.

I dunno if this is the problem in your case, but it's a possibility!

 

[Krys109uk]

Is it possible for you to post pics?

Is the colouring anything like the chicks in this thread?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=203630&p=2

 

[drom]

This little cockerel had some of those markings you're talking about on his wings when he was 1 week, but they disappeared as he matured. He has a totally black wing triangle now. I have a hen that has very little copper color on her hackles that may be a good match for him

 

[ChooksChick]

Dang! That is such an obvious roo, too!!

I definitely agree about the different melanization- the two from that line both have white fuzz on the legs, where the others have black- same with the combs: white!

I have to say I looked at the marans thread and found a few that had some brown, but these are primarily brown- I'm interested to see it happens.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see either way- and I'll let her make the decision on the feedback she leaves.

Thanks!!

 

[ChooksChick]

Here's a bad cell phone shot of the little guy.