Might this be Birichen Marans?

[Avisius]

Hi,

I have this cockerel. It's about 16-17 weeks old. Pretty tall, compared to the other cochin cockerels with which it hatched alongside. I was wondering if it might be a Birchen Marans.
I got it from someone who was not knowledgeable, so I have no background whatsoever on its breed, origin, etc.
What do you think? Does it look like some mixed hatchery stock? Or does it look like a purebreed?
Thank you!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

What color are the feet?

Marans have white skin. Will show pads of feet.

 

[Avisius]

The soles are whitish, definitely not yellow.

 

[cmfarm]

Probably just a poorly bred cochin.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

White soles indicates marans... but birchen? no... If he was, he's very poorly bred, see pic.

If he is marans, then I'd guess he's a Midnight Magesty, which is just a marans that's crossed with other marans breeds... I mean, he's marans, just marans crossed marans....

 

[Cyprus]

That is a birchen Maran cockerel. He will get more silver to him as he ages.

 

[Gray Farms]

If there is a chance he is a crossbred then your going to have to wait until he matures. Sometimes incorrect/odd traits can take some time to show up. I personally would go calling him a pure bred just yet if there is a chance he is a mix.

 

[Avisius]

Yeah, it's not even four months old and the gray color started to show only in the last three weeks, it was all black till then.
We'll see.

 

[Avisius]

Probably just a poorly bred cochin.

I don't think this particular bird has any Cochin blood. From the start it was very different compared to the other Cochins I have. More precocious, tall, scrawny, flighty, alpha personality. At first I thought it was some kind of hybrid between Australorp and some black sex link (like Moravia BSL here in Europe). But now I'm leaning towards some sort of Marans or Marans-based hybrid.

 

[Avisius]

This is how it looks two weeks later. It hatched around May 5-th.