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

[LaFleche]

Hi! Ofcourse I can give a update he is 6 weeks old in 2 days but I will show the photos of 5 weeks and if you like I can give an another update when he is 6 weeks old. Im guessing girl rn because there is still no red in the comb. Only thing is the tail and the fact that he has still some baby feathers. Let me know what you think!
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I made this little collage on comb growth . It really is the sweetest chick ever, loves to cuddle and is very tame. I have a perfect video to show how Sweet he is but I don't think I can include video's here. Let me know if I should do another update at 6 weeks

It is a cute pullet. A BCM cockerel would already have much bigger red comb and wattles.

 

[NuggetTheChick]

It is a cute pullet. A BCM cockerel would already have much bigger red comb and wattles.

That would be amazing! Tysm

 

[NuggetTheChick]

Little Nugget is now 6 weeks old, still has some baby feathers but comb is also still orange and wattles a very light pink/yellow color. Let me know what you guys think!

 

[chickenalia]

Are't they pretty?

Like how chunky Molly is. Mary may really plump out when she goes into lay. She's over melanized, but paired with a very well-colored male when she starts laying, it would likely not be an issue to get correctly colored chicks. We had very good luck with that pairing.

You can test how close they are to laying by placing fingers between the pelvic bones at the vent area. The width apart of course is for an egg to come through, but it determines how close they are to laying. One finger, it will be awhile... two fingers may be laying small pullet eggs, or, will be laying anytime. To three fingers width onward, the pullet is laying... and laying a good sized egg.

When Molly is finally laying her eggs, crack open an egg, look at the shell inside. Olive eggers have a greenish or bluish cast to the egg that isn't the spray-on brown coating Marans breed provides. It is from a (Wheaten base) Americauna or Easter Egger that the BCM rooster was crossed with.

If the inside of the egg is white, she would not be an Olive Egger... but crossed with some Wheaten based chicken- which can be a Wheaten variety Marans OR, but, not necessarily a Marans at all- which can be nearly anything else (even RIR) ect.

Hens who are mixed with a Wheaten based breed do not always express yellow shanks themselves, but carry yellow shank genes forward to future generations. Not saying this is the case with Molly, but it can happen. We had two sold to us looking correct, but carrying Wheaten/ yellow shank genes. We Wheaten test all of our birds to make sure we breed pure strains of BCM.

To determine an eWh (Wheaten gene) split in a BCM (Birchen base) you have to test every bird. If you are serious about ever breeding Mary to another BCM, and curious to know for sure- What about Molly? I can let you know how to do it, but it involves a Wheaten based rooster.

If all breeders tested their stock first before breeding birds, Marans wouldn't have so many issues at this time.


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3 cockerels and a pullet. If you are going to keep a rooster, keep all the males until they color in to make sure you get the best male. BCM are extremely difficult to get good males. Lots of flaws and genetic dq's to work through.

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Very interesting information. I have 4 FBCM’s one of which has leg feathers and black eyes she is a beauty. The other 3 are black with bare grey legs and a smattering of the copper on the ne k and orange eyes. As one is broody every year( along with a light Sussex, ) I purchased from the breeder some fertile eggs of FBCM’s to give them opportunity to do what comes naturally they have successfully hatched 2 I’m waiting to see what sex they are as they are 1 week today. One of them though has leg feathers and yellow legs which I have not seen before. Your information has kind of helped me to see something of the genetics involved. If this one is a roo then there is no point in breeding from him is there. Btw there is a four year gap between the hens I had from the breeder and the hatching eggs.

 

[Cmgrave2]

Hi everyone! I was wondering what more experienced eyes thought about my two FBCM, hatched 8/13. Both were vent sexed as female but chick #2 seems roo-ish to us. Then I talked with the breeder and she said chick #1 might be a roo because of the red on the wings. We are so confused

chick #1

chick#2

 

[Punkybrewster]

Both are cockerels.

 

[Lacey Gardner]

Hi everyone! I was wondering what more experienced eyes thought about my two FBCM, hatched 8/13. Both were vent sexed as female but chick #2 seems roo-ish to us. Then I talked with the breeder and she said chick #1 might be a roo because of the red on the wings. We are so confused

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chick#2
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Both roo’s

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hi everyone! I was wondering what more experienced eyes thought about my two FBCM, hatched 8/13. Both were vent sexed as female but chick #2 seems roo-ish to us. Then I talked with the breeder and she said chick #1 might be a roo because of the red on the wings. We are so confused

chick #1View attachment 2350847View attachment 2350848View attachment 2350849

chick#2
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Agree these are both cockerels.

 

[ariri30]

Baby boys

 

[Cmgrave2]

Baby boys

Thanks. After reading through this thread that is a bit what I was thinking as well... . The breeder said she was willing to give us a few pullets if these are both roosters