Sex Linked Maran

[cherryvalleychicks]

Hi~
I have 3 14 week old Maran's that we purchased from a local lady who breeds and sells chickens (we havce a total of 18 birds). She told us that she was sure these 3 were females because of the color they were when they were born. Now that I've read up on this, I'm learning that means they are sex linked.

We have one Maran who appears to be a Birchen (silver/white chest) that I've been questioning if she was really a he. This bird is a lot bigger and has a very red comb~ and also this one has no feathers on it's legs (the other two we have are the black/copper type and have feathers on their feet and a small black comb and not nearly as tall). I've been looking all around for pictures of a Birchen Hen and I'm not having much luck.

We do have 2 small cochin birds that ended up being roosters and they are out there all day crowing. This Maran in question has never crowed, that I can tell.

Today my husband saw the Maran mount one of the Partridge Plymouths that we have (about 17 weeks old). The cochins have been all over these birds, and won't leave them alone. Does this mean this Maran is a Rooster?

 

[jeremy]

It sounds like you've got a cockerel on your hands. Big comb, larger size and mounting hens most of the time means a boy.

I don't think Marans can be sex linked either, at least not in all of the different colors. I know that the Cuckoo Marans start to feather in differently, with the females having slightly darker plumage than their male counterparts. However I wouldn't necessarily call that sex linking.

A picture of the bird in question would be helpful. A face shot, as well as some of the bird's back and then a full shot of the bird from the side would be an easy way to help folks distinguish sex.

 

[Chris09]

I would be best (if you could) to post pictures..

Chris

 

[Debbi]

Hello,

First of all, the breed's name is Marans, whether you are talking of one bird or many. The breed came from the town of Marans, France, hence the name. Here is the link to the Birchen colored birds at the Marans of America Club. Check out the rest of the site for more great info and pics. As far as I know, the only color that can be sex linked when young, is the Golden Cuckoo Marans. I'm new to this breed too, so I may be wrong. Breeders, if they've been breeding for awhile, may be able to make good "guesses" as to the sex of the chicks.

http://maransofamericaclub.com/Birchen-Marans.php

 

[OSUman]

The lady could have made the sex link by crossing different colors of marans with eachother. If that is so the birchen colored one would be a male because the sex- link males are grey colored.

 

[cherryvalleychicks]

Thanks for the replies. And interesting on the "Marans" info (you learn something new everyday!). I've seen the Birchen Marans page before, and there's only one picture...wish they'd have more!

And, at first I thought my question would be more about the breed, but after reading it, it really was more on the sexing of the bird (need more coffee!) so I'm sorry, I should have posted this in the other forum.

Here's a few pictures:

 

[RAREROO]

That is most definitely a roo. And with the red in his shoulders, he is not a pure Birchin, but he may well be a sexlink from a cross of Black Copper roos on Birchin hens. The roos from that cross would look like yours and he hens would be pure Black Copper. And with either Birchin or Black copper, both colors can have solid black chicks which would make it impossible to tell for sure the chicks apart by color until they are older and get their colors in.

 

[OSUman]

if you want to think of what a birchen looks like take a good looking Black Copper Marans and replace all teh copper color with silver. They are the same pattern except different colors.

 

[blackdotte]

He is a very poorly marked silver/gold split. He is either an inter-variety Marans cross (gold father, silver mother) but with the markings on the breast & body, and lack of shank feathers, I would suggest another breed was involved. Either way he is a crossbred.

 

[cherryvalleychicks]

Thanks so much for the replies.

Would he be okay to mate with the black copper Marans we have?

And another question...why hasn't he crowed yet? Seems crazy to me that he's the biggest bird in the run, but yet the super small cochin roo is the one out there making all the noise and bossing the girls all around.