Mystery Chicks - new pics - 4 wks old

[Gypsy07]

Okay, the first lot of pics I posted were of the chicks at 2 weeks old, and the suggestions I got were Barred Rock, Black Rock, Black Copper or Cuckoo Marans and Australorp. They're now just over 4 weeks old. Much harder to get decent photos of them this time cause the wee dafties just won't stand still! None of them have feathery legs. Three of them have pink legs with greyish shading down the fronts, one has dark grey/black legs and they all have pink toes. What does everyone think now?

I'm sure this one's a roo. Comb and wattles obvious, and much feistier than the others

This one's the exact same colouring but I think it's a hen. Tiny comb and the most feathers of all of them

This is the one that looked exactly like gvntofly05's BCMs. Dark legs. Smaller than the others. Tiny comb.

This one's comb started sprouting recently. Wattles too. Another roo?

 

[MistyValley]

 

[Goose and Fig]

I think you guessed right!

 

[CHICKENBOY 1]

Jg And Br

 

[newchickmom09]

I think you got the sexes right. As for breeds I don't know but the third all black with a few white feathers looks just like my BA.

 

[mom2jedi]

I think your guesses on sexes are right too. I think the first two are Cuckoo Marans (single comb, white legs, more spotted looking), the almost black one with white wings is a Black Australorp pullet, and the last one is a Barred Rock cockerel.

 

[DaiquiriDuck]

We had some cuckoo maran chicks and a copper maran chick last year (we still have them all just they aren't chicks anymore

) and I swear I don't remmber them looking look quite like that mum didn't think they did either.... their stature is a little different... shorter legs and necks? But they grew so bloomin quick it's hard to remember!
Your chicks barring and colour does look alot like a cuckoo maran though and the legs do look the same!! So i'm guessing the first two are cuckoo marans ...but the second one doesnt look like a copper maran, the face isnt right and she was all black apart from her tux.
Looked up some of the old photos for you... They were quite little when i took these piccys but if i remember correctly they were dark like this for a while and got their bars quite a bit later. Maybe you can think back to when yours were a bit younger and see if they match my pics lol!

As chicks (I'm guessing 2-3 weeks old?)

Quite a bit older...

 

[happytxchick]

I'll say the barred ones are cuckoo Marans. I believe the black one (even tho' I can't see her legs, but based on your description of) is a Australorp.

 

[cottagegarden]

With the white skin the Barred look like Cuckoo Marans. #1 and #4 are Roos. #4 looks like what you could expect a double Barred gene chick to look like
(the whiter, wider bands) #2 looks like Cuckoo pullet chick, #1 has the single barred look, but looks Rooish so there could be something off in the breeding here.
You want your girls to look like #2 and boys to look like #4 for Cuckoos.

 

[Gypsy07]

Thanks for your comments everyone, and special thanks to DaiquiriDuck for posting those photos. Your chicks look very like my chicks did at 1and -2 weeks old. As for the stature difference, well, mine normally look more compact when they're relaxing but when I take them out of the brooder for handling and photos, they get all excited and stretch their necks and stand up extra tall. When they calm down they go back to normal size. LOL!

The not knowing for definite was killing me, so I went over to the breeder myself to see what his setup was and what breeds he has, to try and get a definite answer. And I got one! Over Xmas he only had three different breeds: Shavers, Black Rocks and Marans. So these little chaps (or chap-esses) are definitely Marans. Woohoo!

Cottagegarden: I don't really understand single barred and double barred. Sorry if this is an obvious question, but does that mean that Cuckoo Marans males are supposed to be lighter than the females? What do you mean there might be something off in the breeding with #1? Is his colouring bad in a roo? Should I make sure I don't breed from him in the future? If you can enlighten me a bit more I'll be very grateful...