Is this Really A Black Copper Marans?

[GardenState38]

After originally placing an order for 4 chicks with MPC, I saw that they suddenly had BCMs available for my July hatch date, and called to add one on to my order (indicating no substitutions)
I received 5 chicks and the one that I believed to be the BCM has had me wondering if it really is. There are several features that make it look more like another breed--possibly an Australorp.

1.) No copper coloring at all, anywhere. All black, with beetle-green sheen and white tips on wing feathers.
2.) No leg feathering at all (I realize this is possible, although not desired)
3.) Fairly dark leg coloring

At 3 months, she's not laying yet, so I can't tell by her eggs (and may never be able to tell, as I'm doubtful that a hatchery chick will produce the rich dark brown egg that results from meticulous breeding)
She's a great hen, whatever she is--top of the pecking order, yet a very motherly, docile leader. I'm only interested in chickens as pets and egg layers--not breeding or showing. It's really just curiosity--is she a BC Marans mutation? Is it even possible to tell if she's a mutated BC Marans or some other breed? Looks an awful lot like Austrlorps I've seen.
My picture-taking leaves much to be desired, but hopefully these show enough for an educated guess (BTW the "white" on the feathers at 2 months is really light casting off her shiny feathers)

3 days:


1 month:


2 months:


3 months:

 

[FarmGirl01]

What color eyes does she have? I have a blk Austra., hatchery quality, and she has black eyes. My black Copper Maran has brownish- red eyes. She also has very little color on her hackles other that black.

 

[Illia]

No. She looks like an Australorp to me.

 

[ceeceeholt]

5 weeks with copper running through, do not think she is anywhere near pure BCM.

Black eyes, black legs with pink bottoms.
Her hatch mate is a cuckoo.

 

[hdowden]

the french standered comes with the feathes on the legs and since you ordered only black copper marans she will not have feathers on her leges also she should have that green sheen on her. she does how ever look like my fbcm did at that age so i do believe that she is a full black copper. heres a pic of the french standereds roosting in front is the roo behind him is a hen and the lil head you see below him is another hen also the back on there is a hen as well.

sorry i dont have any pics of the chicks to show you

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

Hi There- you do have a BCM from MPC. She looks just like a few of the ones I got from MPC, some have been ok and some have been REALLY NICE! I brought about 20 from them so far and out of that 3 have been clean legged. Mine are still really young but a few are showing decent color in the neck and some are all black. I will try to get you pictures of the nicer ones but here is what I had on hand.
Also, 1 BCM from them came with a piece of the shell stuck to the umbilical cord and I was REALLY impressed how dark the shell was- I am hoping I get the same color from them

Trish

 

[Illia]

Thespoiledchicken - Yours have feathered shanks as even all hatchery BCM's have. The OP's do not.

 

[GardenState38]

Quote:
Definitely light brown eyes at this point. I did call MPC to ask if they could confirm that they sent the BCM and this wasn't an "extra" tacked on to the original order of 4. Their records indicated that a BCM had been sent, and she explained that there are mutations, quality varies, yadda, yadda. But I just wondered if there could be human error involved. And to my inexperienced eye, she looked almost identical to pictures of Australorps I've seen posted.

Naturally, I won't love her any less if she isn't a perfect example of the Marans standard--or a Marans at all. But I do find it curious how breeds are defined, and how many variations there can be in an individual breed!
I guess that's why people invested in the breed can be so sensitive about the issue. I read that an all-black chick resulting from a BCM canNOT be called a Black Marans...I understand why, but it's confusing nonetheless.


hdowden--What a gorgeous roo! I wish I could have one

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

Illia- Yes. I know. I posted that I received 3 from MPC that did not have feathered shanks

 

[GardenState38]

Quote:
Your post is encouraging--you say you did have 3 that were clean-legged? 3 out of 20--leave it to me to "beat the odds" and my lone chick be clean-legged LOL
Somewhere, I think I read that clean shanks tend to not have as dark a shell color?
The silver cuckoo Marans I ordered also has clean shanks--but that's more common in that variety?