Sex linked Maurans??

[Hummer]

Hello! I bought several chicks from local farm store. Was told the black chicks with feathered legs were maurans. One of the black chicks had a yellow spot on his head, so I thought that may be a sex-linked rooster… I needed a rooster, so snatched him up. He was the only black chick with a dot on his head. All of these, supposed maurans, had feathering on their feet. Anyway, I am curious if maurans can be sex-linked? I have read answers in forum of, yes and no.. So, I am posting pics. What do y’all think?
Note: I have also found info that black sex-link roosters have some red feathers, and that is how you can know they are adult sex-linked roosters. The post I was reading was not referring to mauran sex-linked chickens, it was referring to black sex-linked chickens. My black hens, and the cuckoo mauran(?) rooster, have slight feathering on legs. Does that make them sex-linked maurans?? Hens are not quite old enough to start laying, but soon! Will be interesting to see if eggs are dark brown. Any thoughts?

Thank you, ALL, for your quick replies! It is so helpful! I love this website!

 

[Hummer]

The pullet in the right side picture is not a true Marans as she has black eyes like a black Australorp instead of red, and a vaulted beak similar to some other breeds such as La Fleche or Breda. The skin is also hyperpigmented while a true Marans would have white skin and red face, comb and wattles.

Thank you! More helpful information! I had looked up a pick of a black Australorp hen, before posting this thread, and had thought she looks just like an Australorp. Do Australorps have feathers on their feet…?

 

[NatJ]

Do Australorps have feathers on their feet…?

No, Australorps do not have feathers on their feet.

I would guess you have a Marans-mix or a poor quality Marans ("poor quality" meaning it doesn't look quite right.)

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

They could be Midnight Majesty Marans, from Hoovers. The males are barred and females are black or black with a bit of copper in their hackles. They match the description of your birds quite well.

P. S. Australorps do not have feathered feet I’m guessing she is just a hatchery quality Maran.

 

[Hummer]

Just realized I spelled Maran wrong, several times! ops! Thank you all, for your quick replies! Very interesting and helpful info!

 

[Gax000]

Your pullet looks a lot like my Dominant Copper (barred rock female with a black copper maran male). She laid her first egg at 17 weeks. Here is a photo of her at 13 weeks

her sister has dark eyes and hasn’t started laying yet

 

[LaFleche]

Her body shape, posture and extremely feathered legs and heels hint to some other genetics added, such as Brahma or Breda.

 

[Gax000]

Her body shape, posture and extremely feathered legs and heels hint to some other genetics added, such as Brahma or Breda.

That makes sense as she is maturing slower than her sisters. We bought them at a local Coastal (farm) store so I’m sure they aren’t quality hens.

 

[Chicalina]

Cuckoo Marans can often be sexed at hatch by the size and shape of the white head dot. If it is nicely circular, small and well defined then it's female. If the spot is splotchy, runs down into its neck, and larger then male. Not a science, more of an art. Plenty of articles online to show this.

Also males of barred birds are lighter in colour when they feather in as they get two copies of the barring gene and females only get one so are darker overall.

This was my female cuckoo marans at hatch for spot example.

But of course this does not apply to your pullets as they are not cuckoo, but to your cockerel.

 

[NatJ]

Cuckoo Marans can often be sexed at hatch by the size and shape of the white head dot. If it is nicely circular, small and well defined then it's female. If the spot is splotchy, runs down into its neck, and larger then male. Not a science, more of an art. Plenty of articles online to show this.

Also males of barred birds are lighter in colour when they feather in as they get two copies of the barring gene and females only get one so are darker overall.

This was my female cuckoo marans at hatch for spot example.

But of course this does not apply to your pullets as they are not cuckoo, but to your cockerel.

For sexing purposes, "cuckoo" and "barred" are the same as each other.
The head-spot sexing should work for both.
The males being lighter than females should also work for both.

BUT both of those points only work in birds that are pure for the barring gene. If someone crosses a barred female with a not-barred male, they get sexlinks where the males have barring (head spot at hatch) and the females do not. Those sex-linked males will have only one copy of the barring gene, so they will look like "female" barred birds (smaller defined headspot, darker overall color when they feather in). They will not look like the usual barred males that are lighter because of having two copies of the barring gene. (For this paragraph, every time I say "barred," it also applies to "cuckoo" birds.)