How did I get a dark grey Birchen Marans??

[Snugglesandwigglespetcare]

I originally thought this was a pullet …but don’t believe that to be true at this point. I just started seeing light cream coming in the neck area and I’m wondering how this is possible with my flock. I thought the momma was a blue copper marans and the dad was my splash copper marans, but those don’t usually result in a dark grey Birchen right? I’m also trying to use the chicken breeding calculator to see if I can figure out possible combinations. Splash dads always produce blue or splash. Dark grey?? Birchen?? All the others are typical blue with copper coming in.

Thanks!!

 

[NatJ]

I originally thought this was a pullet …but don’t believe that to be true at this point. I just started seeing light cream coming in the neck area and I’m wondering how this is possible with my flock. I thought the momma was a blue copper marans and the dad was my splash copper marans, but those don’t usually result in a dark grey Birchen right? I’m also trying to use the chicken breeding calculator to see if I can figure out possible combinations. Splash dads always produce blue or splash. Dark grey?? Birchen?? All the others are typical blue with copper coming in.

I think it looks blue, with silver rather than copper, so maybe Blue Birchen?
(Birchen vs. Black Copper have the same genes for patterning, and it's probably got the blue gene, with the silver gene rather than the gold gene you expected.)

Do you have any other roosters?
Do you have any other hens?
It most likely has one parent different than you thought. I would look for a rooster or hen showing silver, or one that is solid black or blue with no leakage (because you can't tell whether those have gold or silver.)

 

[The Moonshiner]

I think it looks blue, with silver rather than copper, so maybe Blue Birchen?
(Birchen vs. Black Copper have the same genes for patterning, and it's probably got the blue gene, with the silver gene rather than the gold gene you expected.)

Do you have any other roosters?
Do you have any other hens?
It most likely has one parent different than you thought. I would look for a rooster or hen showing silver, or one that is solid black or blue with no leakage (because you can't tell whether those have gold or silver.)

Be helpful to see parents.
He could be gold/silver. Maybe the copper hen is birchen. Not a stretch for a hen to not be showing color in her hackles.

 

[Snugglesandwigglespetcare]

I think it looks blue, with silver rather than copper, so maybe Blue Birchen?
(Birchen vs. Black Copper have the same genes for patterning, and it's probably got the blue gene, with the silver gene rather than the gold gene you expected.)

Do you have any other roosters?
Do you have any other hens?
It most likely has one parent different than you thought. I would look for a rooster or hen showing silver, or one that is solid black or blue with no leakage (because you can't tell whether those have gold or silver.)

Thank you for the reply. I had no Birchen hens or roosters at the time. I do have a Birchen boy now who has just come into his rooberty. And I have a couple other boys, of course, but they are very young. None are blue or silver, but the dad is probably a BCM.

I have lots of roosters and hens, but the egg this chick came from was either blue or it was dark brown (I will have to check my notes). My only laying blue egger at that time was a brown Ameraucana and the only dark brown eggs I collected from was either a blue copper marans or black copper maran…all with some copper at the neck or none at all. My boys would have either been a BCM, Splash CM, Lavender Orpington, or Silver Laced Wyandotte. But my SLW was a new boy to my flock and had limited access to the ladies at the time(and was a bit awkward when he did try mating, lol) so I didn’t think he actually hit his mark at the beginning.

This genetics stuff is SO interesting!!! I have cockerels with rose and carnation combs but no parents with the same. Kind of crazy!!

 

[Snugglesandwigglespetcare]

Be helpful to see parents.
He could be gold/silver. Maybe the copper hen is birchen. Not a stretch for a hen to not be showing color in her hackles.

I actually have a very dark blue copper marans who I am now thinking could be the mom. She has no coppering and this would actually make perfect sense. The dad is either a splash CM or a BCM and this boy looks all CM. This is why we post here, lol. I didn’t make the connection.

Gracie is laying. I don’t have any other pics of her. She is a BlCM but all grey and very dark just like this baby. Not a stitch of Birchen. The dad is likely one of these two pirates!

 

[NatJ]

I actually have a very dark blue copper marans who I am now thinking could be the mom. She has no coppering and this would actually make perfect sense. The dad is either a splash CM or a BCM and this boy looks all CM. This is why we post here, lol. I didn’t make the connection.

Gracie is laying. I don’t have any other pics of her. She is a BlCM but all grey and very dark just like this baby. Not a stitch of Birchen. The dad is likely one of these two pirates!

If that hen is the mother, and does not show any coppering, then you cannot tell by looking whether she has the gold gene (needed for copper) or the silver gene (what I think the mystery cockerel is showing.) If the mother actually has silver, that would explain her son having it too.

Or I wonder if either of those roosters might be a silver/gold split, instead of pure for gold. I don't see much copper/gold color on either of them (but it can be hard to tell with the splash diluting things too. I suspect Indy more strongly than Cooper, based on those photos.) If the father has the silver gene, and if you keep hatching eggs from him, you should get more chicks like this puzzling one (maybe half of the chicks from the rooster in question, if you have also gotten ones from him that show copper like they are supposed to.)

I just don't know for sure, but maybe my thoughts will help you or someone else to figure out what is actually happening here.

 

[Snugglesandwigglespetcare]

If that hen is the mother, and does not show any coppering, then you cannot tell by looking whether she has the gold gene (needed for copper) or the silver gene (what I think the mystery cockerel is showing.) If the mother actually has silver, that would explain her son having it too.

Or I wonder if either of those roosters might be a silver/gold split, instead of pure for gold. I don't see much copper/gold color on either of them (but it can be hard to tell with the splash diluting things too. I suspect Indy more strongly than Cooper, based on those photos.) If the father has the silver gene, and if you keep hatching eggs from him, you should get more chicks like this puzzling one (maybe half of the chicks from the rooster in question, if you have also gotten ones from him that show copper like they are supposed to.)

I just don't know for sure, but maybe my thoughts will help you or someone else to figure out what is actually happening here.

I absolutely agree on all points! Super exciting to consider! I didn’t even know this coloring existed. Ya neither of my splash boys have a stitch of copper. I will have to put Indie with Gracie when I get my breeding coops set up or maybe back cross this boy with her??? What do you think?

 

[NatJ]

I absolutely agree on all points! Super exciting to consider! I didn’t even know this coloring existed. Ya neither of my splash boys have a stitch of copper. I will have to put Indie with Gracie when I get my breeding coops set up or maybe back cross this boy with her??? What do you think?

You could set it up either way.

You could even do one then the other, of course allowing time in between for her to clear out the sperm from the previous matings.