Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[ochochicas]

I think he's pretty, but maybe his dad is not a pure marans. The eggs were dark from the hens but maybe some other cross got in the sire lines. If you cross him with your EEs it will add some color to the flock.

 

[One Chick Two]

Here's my 9 week old BCM. Any guesses on pullet or cockerel?

Pullet.
Here are two of our cockerels just as a comparison.

Age 6 1/2 weeks on bottom, 5 weeks on top. Look at larger combs already at this age, and larger wattle development. See their upper backs, you can see saddle feathers coming in along the backs (the cockerel on top actually has very tiny stubs if you look straight down on him). Mahogany beginning to come in on wing shoulders, with some coloring starting to come in hackle. Some of the slightly older roos are getting the beginnings of green tail feathers. A few have a few tiny copper spots on chest.

We have two 6- 8 week olds that are already crowing (sounds like a clown laugh- hahahaha! lol). Also have a few three week olds in the brooder that are attempting to crow in the morning- which is an odd sound- not unlike a coffee machine percolating.



We also have one 9 week old rooster (from a different mother) who has hen-like feathering still and is uniformly dark, but it is definitely shaped like a male, has a big comb and is crowing. Yesterday, I dug into the saddle feathers and saw the beginnings of copper saddle feathers. Whenever in doubt, check saddle feathers out. lol

Here's another cockerel, around 7 weeks old, who is mostly feathered in unlike most of his brothers, so you can only see a tiny bare back spot. If you look in the center there is a tiny saddle feather just starting in. A few wing mahogany feathers starting. Hackle just now beginning to come in.

The bottom chick is a cockerel as well. He likes apples and hanging around his big brothers, and they seem to like him as well.

 

[Naturalway]

I think he's handsome too! And who knows what got into the gene pool here? Hopefully he will be a great rooster and won't "go bad", if you know what I mean.

 

[Naturalway]

We also have one 9 week old rooster (from a different mother) who has hen-like feathering still and is uniformly dark, but it is definitely shaped like a male, has a big comb and is crowing. Yesterday, I dug into the saddle feathers and saw the beginnings of copper saddle feathers. Whenever in doubt, check saddle feathers out. lol



[/quote]

I'm guessing I need to dig for the saddle feathers on the ones I'm still not sure of...sounds like fun

 

[crazy Sandy]

this im my 8-9 week old french BCM is it a roo or pullet? I think its a roo but does not act like the other boys his age and no copper at all. the crown is really red but not as big as the other boys

 

[carnivore]

this im my 8-9 week old french BCM is it a roo or pullet? I think its a roo but does not act like the other boys his age and no copper at all. the crown is really red but not as big as the other boys

Looks like a cockerel to me.

 

[One Chick Two]

this im my 8-9 week old french BCM is it a roo or pullet? I think its a roo but does not act like the other boys his age and no copper at all. the crown is really red but not as big as the other boys

Looks like a cockerel to me as well. The come and wattles look reddish and well developed.

As I posted above, some cockerels can be dark for awhile, but look closely all over, he may be starting to get color in.

Dig right in front of the tail down to the skin, and look carefully to see if you can see any stubby, shiny, thin saddle feathers beginning to come in. Also, look at the base of the tail feathers and see if you can see some beetle green shiny floppy feathers there.

 

[Heatherschix]

Poor thing...in her fugly puberty stage....

 

[Zanna]

Poor thing...in her fugly puberty stage....

They can fool you but looking at those thick legs and the prominent comb and wattles, I think she might be a he.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: x2 that is a cockerel.