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

[gvilledh]

I can put some up tonight. We know we have 1 roo and three pullets. It will probably be after 7 or 8 this evening.

 

[Dahlisgrams]

What gorgeous chicks!

Thanks so much for this photo progression. Our marans are almost 3 weeks old and we're trying to sex them and your photos are proving to be very very helpful.

 

[gvilledh]

Finally have pictures. They are now seven weeks old, but I have some from earlier, too. At seven weeks we have...
Willow-She is in the front with Trooper, the roo, behind her.The third is a Black Orpington that we had our Maran adopt



Trooper



Molly



I will look for some pictures that I have from 5 weeks and put them up.

 

[gvilledh]

5 weeks pictures
Willow (who was being lazy that day!)Her comb was always a darker color, even from the day she hatched.


Trooper, our roo. He had a lighter comb from the beginning, but it took about three weeks for us to start noticing it. Wattles didn't really show until 7 weeks.






Molly, our mossy girl. We called her CopperTop for the longest because we really thought she was a roo.Her comb has changed very little in the last two weeks. I am so glad she is a beautiful pullet. She is so sweet, just like Willow.

 

[picanins]

Oh WOW!!!! I have a new passion ....... "....trawling through BYC posts and being 'wowed' by all the amazing pics and info" - yay!

I have 3 BC Marans that I have been trying to 'sex' and I think I've got it - looking at your pics have been amazing. Here are pics of 'Kevin' and 'Penelope' .... ha ha ha (obviously names open to adjustment should our very elementary knowledge of Maran's have incorrectly judged them .

Here is KEVIN in all of his glory



KEVIN on the right and PENELOPE on the left .
What is quite interesting is the dark stripe on Penelope's bottom, I wondered if this is just a colouring thing or whether roo's have different 'bottom colourings' to pullets???





Sweet Penelope


So what do you think? Have I got it right?

 

[gvilledh]

I think You are right and Kevin and Penelope are properly named. Our 9-week old girls still do not have combs like Kevin. 
As for the stripe on the backside, I can't help you there. I do know that all three of our Black Cooper chicks looked different. 

 

[chickenguysmom]

Hi, OP here. At 3 1/2 months I wanted to post my updates and will try to get pictures up this after this weekend. For those keeping score, Chick #1 Effie/Efron turned out to be a roo. Chick #2 Tyson is also a roo. Chick # 3 Zane is a pullet Chick #4 Dakota/Pepe/Meaty is a big boy and Chick # 5 Bebe is a pullet (double ).

Meaty - the big roo is has feathered and feathered and then feathered again. He looks like an adult. The other two cockerals are the same size as the females and are still on their juvenile feathers (mostly black, copper colored neck feathers, some copper saddle feathers starting to show and a bit of red on their shoulders). Also, tail feathers are not impressive on the two roos. But Meaty has this glorious tail and has beautiful saddle feathers along with (I think) good coloring. Also, he is a heavy bugger. I'll weigh him this weekend but I guess he is 8lbs - hence the name "Meaty". He is gonna be my breeder. I know this may offend the purists of the breed, but I want a super big breed of chickens.

My two pullets are looking good but not especially big. I'll try to get those pics up next week.

 

[chickenguysmom]

KEVIN on the right and PENELOPE on the left .
What is quite interesting is the dark stripe on Penelope's bottom, I wondered if this is just a colouring thing or whether roo's have different 'bottom colourings' to pullets???





So what do you think? Have I got it right?


I do think you have it right. Kevin looks like a boy to me and Penelope looks like a girl. About the "stripe" - I tried to figure out the color thing with mine too and I am not certain it has anything to do with it, as mine had various amounts and combinations of yellow, black, gray and white. Maybe someone else has more experience with BCMs.

 

[picanins]

I've just seen that you've posted a week ago - sorry I missed that

If you're as interested as I am in seeing the 'progressional' (not even sure that's a word - LOL) photo's, I will post some photies of the chicks (well they're now huge) once I have taken them today - yay for photo's

Here's one taken earlier this month of Donald & Bertha

 

[chickenguysmom]

I know I promised pictures earlier but just got around to updating this. As it stands it looks like predictions at about 3 weeks were correct (and some of you knew even earlier).

Efron, Tyson and Meaty are all cockerels and Zane and Bebe were the pullets. Here are updated pictures. Meaty is our keeper. We love him. Keeping the two girls as well. The other two are destined for freezer camp.

These are the 5 month pictures (approx 21 weeks old)

Meaty (isn't he pretty?)



The Freezer Roosters with the two pullets



All three males - Meaty - upper right



Zane and Bebe with a freezer rooster butt in the back.



Tyson or Efron - can't really tell them apart