Maybe not Marans? :(

[Chipmunk Chicks]

A kind member has broken the news to me that I probably do *not* have four new Fr. Wheaten Marans chicks. My husband picked them up from TSC in a bin that was marked Assorted Marans (including Mystic Onyx, Majestic, Fr. Wheaten and maybe one more), and Starlight Green Eggers. Whoever thought that was a good idea needs to look for another line of work.

Anyway, I just told my husband to get the black ones, thinking that would be pretty obvious, but no, the employee insisted that those were Starlight Green Eggers and the Marans were blonde. So thinking okay, I'm not the one who unpacked the bins, maybe he knows better than I do. Maybe they sent a bunch of Wheaten Marans?

Well unfortunately none of them have feathered feet (though I was hoping they might come in later). They were purchased on April 20 so just about one week old now. Some pics are from when we first brought them home, and the older ones are from yesterday.

I have noticed for sure the one is bigger than the rest, but then there is also a runt, so I figured maybe it was just normal variation. I do think my husband said there may have been RIRs there as well that day, so maybe one hopped bins? He said maybe a white something or other, too, but he couldn't remember the name... Ughh

Any ideas are welcome and I really don't know what to do, except possibly call Hoover's and try to get a better answer to what was in the shipment? He paid for "premium pullets" that were supposed to be Marans, and he trusted the employee to give him the birds he asked for. One had splay leg and almost died the first night, but if they are not even Marans then I am really just at a loss.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Whelp...hard to tell at this age/stage. All I can do is point you to Hoover's on site photo. (BTW TSC employees are notorious for not knowing what they are talking about and mixing bins).

I can say that the leg feathering is present at hatch...at least a strip down the outside of leg to outside toe. (You can see it in the photo below). So if you don't have it now, it won't grow in later...which makes me very suspect it is FRENCH Marans (as the leg feathering is the difference between French Marans and American Marans).

I also suspect that the darker red-gold are something else.

LofMc

 

[Yard Farmer]

None are Marans... Sorry.

I'm thinking #1, is a RIR.
#3, maybe a BO?
#2 and #4 are kinda looking like gold sexlinks.

 

[Yard Farmer]

(BTW TSC employees are notorious for not knowing what they are talking about and mixing bins).

Yeah... Most feed store employees aren't educated in the chicken world.
They only know what the label says they are.

I can say that the leg feathering is present at hatch...at least a strip down the outside of leg to outside toe. (You can see it in the photo below). So if you don't have it now, it won't grow in later...which makes me very suspect it is FRENCH Marans (as the leg feathering is the difference between French Marans and American Marans).

I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

One of my girls looks pretty much exactly like the Hoover's starlight green eggers picture (only prettier lol) light body with the dark face.

Unfortunately, I really don't have room in my flock for a bunch of extra mixed up chickens. I had someone local in mind to get blue copper Marans from, but they are straight run. When my husband saw the Marans sign, he knew I wanted them, and I figured if they came sexed so much the better, for the time being anyway.

What a mess.

I figured my new SLW would lay an egg like our Australorps. I wanted the Marans to lay something darker than my Welsummers, as we have a nice ombre thing going with our white duck eggs thrown in.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

@ColtHandorf Do you how much this pains me to tag you here? Please, please tell me it's going to be okay.

What do you think are the chances I might get "lucky" and have a Buff Orpington on my hands here in chick No. 3? She is a gorgeous girl, so I mean I wouldn't be too mad at it, ...even though hopefully, we will have all learned something here, either way.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Whelp...hard to tell at this age/stage. All I can do is point you to Hoover's on site photo. (BTW TSC employees are notorious for not knowing what they are talking about and mixing bins).

I can say that the leg feathering is present at hatch...at least a strip down the outside of leg to outside toe. (You can see it in the photo below). So if you don't have it now, it won't grow in later...which makes me very suspect it is FRENCH Marans (as the leg feathering is the difference between French Marans and American Marans).

I also suspect that the darker red-gold are something else.

LofMc

Thank you, yes, the thought occurred to me that sometimes a supposed "French" might not have the proper leg feathers, but man... I'm really kicking myself for not thinking of that to help direct DH in the store. Yellow chicks with leg feathers ONLY lol Problem is the other assorted Marans were not allegedly French anyway, so say he had brought home 4 clean legged Mystic/ Majestics or whatever, at least they would have laid the dark eggs for me. We hope lol. Maybe I'm still giving Hoover's too much credit :/

 

[Party_Chicken]

I don’t see any marans but three might be a American white marans. I think you are right 4, the starlight green eggers. I’m not sure on the rest.

 

[Party_Chicken]

I don’t see any marans but three might be a American white marans. I think you are right 4, the starlight green eggers. I’m not sure on the rest.

1 is a RIR

 

[Holdthechicken]

This was one of my Hoovers RIRs around that age so I would say your #1could be either a RIR or production red.

Sorry you didn’t get the ones you wanted. Cute chicks though!