Help Wanted: Chicken Breed Identification Specialist

[libertysmith]

After perusing these chicken forums, it seems I am facing a common predicament us chicken lovers find ourselves in.

I went to my local Rural King and listed off the chicks I wanted and waited for the kind man to box up my chicks, blissfully unaware that I would not be receiving my requested breeds.

2 of these chicks were supposed to be Black Australorps. Bird info below:

Cali
My estimated hatch date for her is 9/29 - she was much older than the rest of the girls we got.
Today, aged roughly 7 weeks, she weighed in at 1 pound 3.8 ounces.
She is all black with small spots of white on her wings (only visible when outstretched). She is starting to get iridescent (blues/purples, have not seen green) - only in direct light.
She has a few copper flecks on her neck (I don't have a photo of this).
Grey/black legs with pinkish/white bottoms of feet.
She does have leg/foot feathering but it's only one feather on each leg and one feather on each outer toe.

Baby Girl
Estimated hatch date is 10/10.
Today she weighed in at 1 pound 8.5 ounces -- aged 6 weeks.
She is all black with heavy iridescence (purples, blues and greens) - direct and indirect light.
Black legs with pinkish/white bottoms of feet.
Heavier leg/foot feathering than Cali -- thick line of feathers going all the way down leg and outer toes on both sides.
Obviously she is much heavier than Cali even though she is younger - potential roo?


Chat GPT says Langshan x Australorp or Maran x Australorp.

Thoughts? Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!!

 

[DemeterAD9]

Black copper marans or maybe mixes of some sort. Generally when hatcheries mix maran with something else it is typically to create a colored layer, like an olive egger. There won’t be as much feathering on the legs/feet like a pure BCM. That being said, hatchery quality BCM will not always have nicely feathered feet and some lines don’t have any feathered legs/feet.

Your chicks are still babies and have not developed their adult color yet. There is still a chance for them to get the coppery neck feathers characteristic of black copper marans. Both look like pullets.

 

[libertysmith]

Black copper marans or maybe mixes of some sort. Generally when hatcheries mix maran with something else it is typically to create a colored layer, like an olive egger. There won’t be as much feathering on the legs/feet like a pure BCM. That being said, hatchery quality BCM will not always have nicely feathered feet and some lines don’t have any feathered legs/feet.

Your chicks are still babies and have not developed their adult color yet. There is still a chance for them to get the coppery neck feathers characteristic of black copper marans. Both look like pullets.

Thank you!! Do you know why Baby Girl would be so much heavier than Cali when she is younger? Her legs are also very thick and bigger — does this mean different breed, possible roo, different genes but same breed so just bigger or something else?

 

[AinaWGSD]

They're a little too young yet for accurate guesses, but I can say I've never seen langshan at rural king. They usually get their chicks from Hoover's so you might be able to take a peek and see what they offer. Or maybe even email them and see if they can id your chicks. A quick glance makes me think probably midnight marans (a hatchery crossbreed) or black copper marans. Maybe olive egger (hoover has one OE line that's americanaXcuckoo marans and another line that's legbarXwelsummer)

They may be different breeds, or possibly the same breed. Hatcheries are breeding for quantity so their birds aren't always consistent in the traits they inherit.

 

[bravecoconut]

I have two that came from Hoovers as BCM. Neither have any copper at all. They are both black with the iridescence sheen. One has sooo many feathers on her feet we named her Rosy (female hobbit from LOTR.) The other has three tiny leg feathers total. I also have a cream legbar from Hoovers. Her body-style looks correct and she has her poof but she is grey. Hoover in my opinion sells what looks close enough. Super frustrating! I know this isn't helpful but I wanted you to know you're not alone!