Is it normal for australorp to have this much coloring?

[imacowgirl2]

I went to look up blue Cuckoo Marans…and saw that they are considered very rare. I was suspicious that a hatchery would accidentally mix up blue cuckoo Marans and blue australorp chicks (not sure if Ideal even sells cuckoo Marans), when I remembered that we ordered two Blue Stars and two blue australorp at the same time from Ideal —and the chicks jumped dividers in transit, so we did our best to figure out which was which (I had a thread back this summer trying to figure it out); but obviously we mislabeled this hen, since I just confirmed on the Ideal website that Blue Star has barred rock in it, but we know blue australorp does not!

 

[imacowgirl2]

The blue hen is the mother, she's a Blue Cuckoo Marans.View attachment 3374486
That means the chick is a male.

I am supremely impressed at your ability to see the one barred feather!! I’ve never noticed that before, now I’m headed out to look at all the other three blue hens, since obviously one of them is also miss-identified.

 

[3KillerBs]

since I just confirmed on the Ideal website that Blue Star has barred rock in it,

Blue Stars are sexlinks.

The males are barred and the females aren't.

If you've got a barred Blue Star then he's not laying any eggs.

Ideal does sell Blue Cuckoo Marans.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I went to look up blue Cuckoo Marans…and saw that they are considered very rare. I was suspicious that a hatchery would accidentally mix up blue cuckoo Marans and blue australorp chicks (not sure if Ideal even sells cuckoo Marans), when I remembered that we ordered two Blue Stars and two blue australorp at the same time from Ideal —and the chicks jumped dividers in transit, so we did our best to figure out which was which (I had a thread back this summer trying to figure it out); but obviously we mislabeled this hen, since I just confirmed on the Ideal website that Blue Star has barred rock in it, but we know blue australorp does not!

Blue stars are a Sex-linked production hybrid. Only the males are barred.

 

[imacowgirl2]

Blue stars are a Sex-linked production hybrid. Only the males are barred.

So that hen couldn’t have that single barred feather and be a Blue Star? There is genetically zero possibility of a barred feather showing up on a sex-link hen?

I did check Ideals website, and they do sell Blue Cuckoo Marans…so a mix is a possibility (and the chicks aren’t priced as expensively as I had expected for being a “rare breed” in the US).

 

[MysteryChicken]

So that hen couldn’t have that single barred feather and be a Blue Star? There is genetically zero possibility of a barred feather showing up on a sex-link hen?

I did check Ideals website, and they do sell Blue Cuckoo Marans…so a mix is a possibility (and the chicks aren’t priced as expensively as I had expected for being a “rare breed” in the US).

No, a hen produced through the sex linked Barred crossing will never be Barred.

 

[imacowgirl2]

No, a hen produced through the sex linked Barred crossing will never be Barred.

Ok, thanks! So Blue Cuckoo Marans it is! Now I question what the other three are…

 

[MysteryChicken]

Barring is something I'm more experienced with, since I was using it for my first breeding project. Both are Barred since sexlinking wasn't my goal.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Ok, thanks! So Blue Cuckoo Marans it is! Now I question what the other three are…

We can help identify.

 

[imacowgirl2]

We can help identify.

Perfect!! I can get more pictures of needed…just let me know what you need!

B15:

B16:

B17: