Can someone tell me about this little hen of mine?

[peep show hoste]

My little black hen arrived looking like a baby penquin. As she grew, she lost her white. Now she has irridescent green feathers mixed in with her black. She is beautiful. My paperwork only had her listed as a rare marans. Is she a black cuckoo marans, or does anyone know? Thanks for your help.

 

[ramirezframing]

If she has no copper on her neck than she would be a black marans if she has copper on her neck she would be a black copper marans. Most black adult chickens will be black and white as a chick and have some type of sheen on their feathers when adults. A cuckoo marans looks more like a barred rock with messy barring and pink legs instead of yellow.

 

[One Chick Two]

Hi! She's a very pretty hen!

In your second photo, she looks like a French Black Marans as she has feathered shanks, not the featherless English version. If she eventually gets a coppery yellow ring of feathers around her neck, she would be the French Black Copper Marans. However, they take many months to fully feather in. This breed lays a beautiful, usually very dark egg that sometimes can also be speckled. They are dual purpose birds of a good size, and have a nice, solid body, and the roos are SOOO beautiful too. However, these guys do have loud, distinct crows. lol

My recommendation is to take some better photos of her, go over to the Marans discussion thread, and ask some of the knowledgeable Marans breeders to experts to please take a look. They may possibly be able to tell you if she's PQ, BQ or SQ (Exhibition quality.) maybe, as well.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444381/black-copper-marans-discussion-thread

I do want to add... these beautiful birds are difficult to breed SQ. They just were accepted into the APA SOP just a few years ago, so there are still some DQ issues even with experienced breeders with breeding them to standard. (I think it will take awhile to get issues worked out.) But, otherwise, seriously, this is an awesome and magnificent bird type, that has great feathers, lays very beautiful eggs and has a lovely and docile personality (sometimes even if a bit wild).

Congratulations!

 

[donrae]

She's a black or black copper--as stated, it takes a while for some black coppers to get their copper, and I guess some never really do. Is she laying?

 

[peep show hoste]

thank you

 

[peep show hoste]

thank you for your help