What do i have?

[NatJ]

I bought 6 black majesty maran chicks. They were supposed to all be hens. One has begun developing differently. Comb is getting bigger, tail feathers stick up and out and it has a white spot on the sides of its head just below the back of the eye.

How old are they? Have you heard any crowing? Have any of them started to lay eggs?

The white spots are earlobes. Some chickens have red earlobes, some have white earlobes. If you look at photos of Black Minorcas, they have white earlobes like that too. (Not saying you have a Minorca, just mentioning them because they have the same contrast of white earlobe on black chicken: it is quite eye-catching!)

My hens are huge and fluffy. This one is rather thin by comparison. Could it be a rooster? It has developed much slower than the others.

When they are all the same breed, a cockerel (young male) will usually grow faster and bigger than the pullets (young females). He will usually develop a big red comb and wattles when the pullets still have tiny pale combs and watlles.

If this bird is smaller, thinner, and slower to develop, then it may be a different breed. Or since Black Majesty Marans are a mix of some sort, this one might be a slightly different mix than the others. It can be harder to tell male vs. female when they have other differences too.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Pullet. I see no saddles. Though close ups maybe helpful.

There are pointed, flowing hackles shown on the second picture, if I am seeing that correctly.

 

[MysteryChicken]

There are pointed, flowing hackles shown on the second picture, if I am seeing that correctly.

Females can have pointy looking hackles, sometimes. It's pointy Saddle feathers that are usually the best telltale sign of a cockerel.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

How old are they? If the circled one here

is the one in question, it’s a pullet.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Females can have pointy looking hackles, sometimes. It's pointy Saddle feathers that are usually the best telltale sign of a cockerel.

I know, but if I am seeing it correctly, they look like they flow more. We need better pictures, though.

 

[JedJackson]

I think it's a black Minorca or black Andalusian pullet. Hatcheries do make mistakes and they also substitute without letting the buyer know, sometimes. If it lays a white egg then it is most likely one of those breeds.

 

[Onegonepostal]

How old are they? If the circled one here
View attachment 3737392
is the one in question, it’s a pullet.

It is the same age as the rest of my hens.

can you post pictures of them so I can see what they look like it will help.

They are all about 8 months old.

 

[Onegonepostal]

How old are they? If the circled one here
View attachment 3737392
is the one in question, it’s a pullet.

It is the same age as the rest of my hens.

I think it's a black Minorca or black Andalusian pullet. Hatcheries do make mistakes and they also substitute without letting the buyer know, sometimes. If it lays a white egg then it is most likely one of those breeds That's

 

[Onegonepostal]

It is the same age as the rest of my hens.

That's odd because I got a white egg just yesterday. It may be a different breed. I didn't think a black chicken would lay a white egg.

 

[NatJ]

That's odd because I got a white egg just yesterday. It may be a different breed. I didn't think a black chicken would lay a white egg.

The color of the feathers has nothing to do with what color egg the chicken lays.

There can be black chickens that lay white eggs (Minorcas, Andalusians), and black chickens that lay brown eggs (Jersey Giants, Australorps), and black chickens that lay blue eggs (Ameraucauna), and so on.