Is this a Black Copper Maran?

[-chook-]

Is this a Black Copper Maran? I have never owned the breed. I got this gal from a friend. I thought she told me she was a BCM as a chick, but now I am unsure. She also cannot remember whether this is a BCM or a mix (she owns and sells a lot of chickens, so I understand the forgetfulness). She is 35 weeks old, her comb and wattles are very big and red. She looks like a layer. However, I have never seen her in a nest box, so I cannot figure out if she is laying. I go outside everyday around the time most of the gals lay, and she is never in there. I get mostly light light brown eggs and about 3 olive eggs. Is she an olive egger? Is she a mix of something else and lays light brown eggs? I do not know what BCM chickens are "supposed" to look like other than they are black with copper and have feathered feet. I don't know what kind of comb they are supposed to have. She doesn't look like a lot of BCM's I see online. They are more muted in colors and not as "bulky" as this gal here. Just confused and stumped. Please help.

 

[-chook-]

Anyone?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

She’s gorgeous I’m not an expert on the breed, but I think she very well could be pure BCM. An Olive Egger is possible, but she checks all the boxes for BCM, although she has a lot of color on her neck feathers.

 

[-chook-]

She’s gorgeous I’m not an expert on the breed, but I think she very well could be pure BCM. An Olive Egger is possible, but she checks all the boxes for BCM, although she has a lot of color on her neck feathers.

Thank you! I agree she has a lot of color on her neck. I also think she has a lot more leg/feet feathers than most pictures I see.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think she's exactly what a FBCM should look like. That copper coloring in the neck feathers is what gives the breed their name. Here's a pic I snagged from Alchemist Farms.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You're right that your girl is very stocky, but when you get birds from a hatchery they are not always bred to the SOP (Standard of Perfection) or to show standards, so there's bound to be variations. Could she be a mix? Sure. But I couldn't tell you with what. I just think she's a "hatchery quality" FBCM. But I'm an amateur at this. Someone like @JedJackson may have more insight.

 

[-chook-]

I think she's exactly what a FBCM should look like. That copper coloring in the neck feathers is what gives the breed their name. Here's a pic I snagged from Alchemist Farms.

View attachment 4267402

I feel like my gal is so much larger than that & she’s not even a year old. Also, her feet and legs have tonnnnnnns of feathers compared to that picture. I have just never seen one identical to mine

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Thank you! I agree she has a lot of color on her neck. I also think she has a lot more leg/feet feathers than most pictures I see.

Yes, I noticed that as well. Let’s see what @wrathsfarm thinks…

 

[-chook-]

You're right that your girl is very stocky, but when you get birds from a hatchery they are not always bred to the SOP (Standard of Perfection) or to show standards, so there's bound to be variations. Could she be a mix? Sure. But I couldn't tell you with what. I just think she's a "hatchery quality" FBCM. But I'm an amateur at this. Someone like @JedJackson may have more insight.

Thank you for the response! I don’t know much of anything about the SOP for BCM. Also, I didn’t get her from a hatchery. She came from a friend. My friend buys eggs from others to incubate.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have another thought on this. You look at people. Say ... you take 50 or 100 people that are all, say ... Mexican, or Russian or German or Japanese. Are they all identical? Do they all look like cookie-cutter versions of each other? Of course not. So, IMO, I don't think we can expect chickens of a particular breed to all look identical either. They resemble each other of course. But there are variations.