Black Copper Marans - Time progression of sexing - UPDATED with WEEKs #1-3 PICTURES

[chickiesmommy]

The seller has 45 hens and 2 roosters so yeah, its pure BCM. I saw the entire flock.

 

[chickengr]

chickengr,

Your BCM X eWh was mossy, having overcoloring spots, more like these BCM X eWh hen and pullet, correct? No large spots of copper chest leakage?

this was my pullet, RIP:

 

[chickengr]

Here is a BCM X eWH cockerel about 6 months old. Look at his overcolored chest and very pale shanks. He did not express copper on the lower wing.
Watch Gimpy as he ages and see if he colors out somewhat like this fellow. If he does (but looks exceptionally nice) and you plan to breed these birds to sell, he (and they) may need test mating to prove out their Golden Birchen base is solid before breeding or starting over

the breeder I got my bcm had 1 roo that looked like that and a couple of hens with straw yellow leakage. these are my bcm pullet and cockerel (pics taken a few months ago):

 

[One Chick Two]

this was my pullet, RIP:

Wow- I'm so glad you shared her photo. Look at all her laced, straw colored chest leakage, plus the feather shafting!

This is not a average cross result with a BCM X Wheaten Marans. She was definitely a split with a Wheaten based bird- at the least. But, I do think in her case she had more going on with that extreme, large patterned lacing... like a whole other breed may be in her past somewhere. Could she have been a black sexlink or had one parent who was?

Did you ever notice any yellow in her shanks or skin like her beak? Do you have any photos of her as a baby chick? Or recall any oddities in her baby coloring? The chick down would give more clues.

Thanks again for showing this. It is very interesting.

 

[One Chick Two]

the breeder I got my bcm had 1 roo that looked like that and a couple of hens with straw yellow leakage. these are my bcm pullet and cockerel (pics taken a few months ago):

By getting that result expressed with the one pullet, and seeing a male from the breeder that looked like our crossed male, I would suggest (to be on the safe side if you're going to breed them) doing a test mating with each with a Wheaten based bird to ensure they have sound genetic bases, and are not crosses. If they are you will soon start seeing color issues in the young.

When Marans varieties (or other breeds) get crossed in, it makes for a lot of tough breeding problems, and color issues down the road unfortunately. This male has a strong halo, so I would definitely test mate him- at the least. If you need to know how to go about it, just let me know. It is a good feeling to know that your birds have a sound genetic base to start with.

 

[chickengr]

Wow- I'm so glad you shared her photo. Look at all her laced, straw colored chest leakage, plus the feather shafting!

This is not a average cross result with a BCM X Wheaten Marans. She was definitely a split with a Wheaten based bird- at the least. But, I do think in her case she had more going on with that extreme, large patterned lacing... like a whole other breed may be in her past somewhere. Could she have been a black sexlink or had one parent who was?

Did you ever notice any yellow in her shanks or skin like her beak? Do you have any photos of her as a baby chick? Or recall any oddities in her baby coloring? The chick down would give more clues.

Thanks again for showing this. It is very interesting.

unfortunately I got her when she was 8 weeks old and she didn't live long. the breeder I got her from is a hobbyist and does not know a lot about the marans. he got his birds as bcm and keeps breeding them. some of them are nice bcm, I don't know for how many years he has had marans chicken but must be over 5.

 

[chickengr]

By getting that result expressed with the one pullet, and seeing a male from the breeder that looked like our crossed male, I would suggest (to be on the safe side if you're going to breed them) doing a test mating with each with a Wheaten based bird to ensure they have sound genetic bases, and are not crosses. If they are you will soon start seeing color issues in the young.

When Marans varieties (or other breeds) get crossed in, it makes for a lot of tough breeding problems, and color issues down the road unfortunately. This male has a strong halo, so I would definitely test mate him- at the least. If you need to know how to go about it, just let me know. It is a good feeling to know that your birds have a sound genetic base to start with.

I have got 2 chicks (1 died) 10 days old and 1 just hatched.

they are from the above birds and look like bcm.

btw I have them for eggs only.

 

[One Chick Two]

I have got 2 chicks (1 died) 10 days old and 1 just hatched.

they are from the above birds and look like bcm.

btw I have them for eggs only.

That's very good news! These chicks from what I can see look good- as they should look.

They should always have white on the faces, near the cheeks. No all black faced chicks. That's usually always an early sign of eWH.

If their parents were split (if you look up Punnet Squares- used to predict an outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment to determine the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype.) you will find some will be pure chicks (some crosses, etc), even from a mating such as that. So your adult birds may be some of the pure young, while the laced girl was not.

You'll know if something is going on if you start seeing red breakthrough on the wings of chicks, or a blonde or brown chick, etc, shows up eventually.

 

[Clio320i]

Hi all! Thought I'd join the fun here. I have two BCM chicks, both 15 days old today. Got them at a local farm store at 2 days, supposedly sexed at the hatchery (not sure which hatchery). One BCM chick is the largest of my 5 (possibly soon to be overtaken by my Cinnamon Queen), and the other BCM is my smallest. They're quite different, and for a while I thought the big one was gonna be a roo, but based on what I've seen in this wonderful thread, I'm still thinking they are both girls.

Here they are:


Jackie (the big one) is in front, Misha (little one) in back.



Jackie's feet are yellower on the toes, with less feathering.



Misha's feet are more pink-toned, with longer, blacker feathers.



Jackie



Misha, with Mochuela the EE in the bin below.

I'm not seeing evidence of any color on either of them yet. Jackie's tail feathers came in early and fast. Here's a top-side pic:


All 5 of my chicks are just for eggs, but if I do end up with a roo I will probably keep him until or unless Better Half can't stand the crowing, or the neighbors complain.

 

[chickengr]

That's very good news! These chicks from what I can see look good- as they should look.

They should always have white on the faces, near the cheeks. No all black faced chicks. That's usually always an early sign of eWH.

If their parents were split (if you look up Punnet Squares- used to predict an outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment to determine the probability of an offspring having a particular genotype.) you will find some will be pure chicks (some crosses, etc), even from a mating such as that. So your adult birds may be some of the pure young, while the laced girl was not.

You'll know if something is going on if you start seeing red breakthrough on the wings of chicks, or a blonde or brown chick, etc, shows up eventually.

thank you for the information. about 1 year ago I hardly knew that there are some chicken breed that lays dark brown eggs, lol. I love byc!