Black Copper Marans - Time progression of sexing - UPDATED with WEEKs #1-3 PICTURES

[yorklady]

They are precious. I have one Marans who is 5 to 5 1/2 weeks old and I still can't tell what he/she is!

 

[chickenguysmom]

Update Week #2 - the ugly stage - two pictures for each chick.

The chicks are growing like wildfire. Chicks #1 & 2 are less feathered than the other 3 and are in pen #1. They are just starting to get tail feathers and wing feathers are 1/2 in. In pen #2 are chicks #3, 4, & 5. They have had their tail feathers for a week, wing feathers are almost fully in and are getting feathers on their chests and backs. Also, I see no difference in leg color. I mention all of this because these are things that I read help you to determine the sex. (i.e. girls feathering before boys, girls with tail feathers before boys and girls having darker legs).

Chick #1 Effie Trinket - Nice pink comb and wattles - boy????



Chick #2 Tyson - ????




Chick #3 Zane - the one on the left (the one on the right is Dakota - Pepe and I think I know what he is)





Chick #4 Dakota - Pepe (Cock-a-doo-del-doo)



Chick #5 BeBe - the sweetest baby ever

 

[yorklady]

They are all gorgeous!

 

[chickenguysmom]

OK - Week #3 and we have five chicks each with three pictures to show how they have grown.

Chick #1 Effie Trinket (may need to be renamed after this week). Very slow feathering and just starting to sprout a tail. Red comb and wattles showing. Legs size - average. This one is most likely a baby roo as the hen that hatched it has a habit of ousting any roos and only allowing the pullets to stay. She beat him up pretty badly yesterday. You'll see what I mean with chick #2. Both have on the right side of head (dried blood around his comb, wattles and eye).

 

[hdowden]

1,2, and 4 all look like cockerels

 

[chickenguysmom]

Whoops - Chick #1 stil
l

Chick #2 Tyson - Slow feathering, tail starting average legs. Red comb and wattles.





Chick #3 Zane - Fast feathering, skinny legs, shy, small yellow comb, good tail. The group usually tries to protect her when ever I try to take pictures. Also, weird feathers on chest - she looks like she is 1/2 cookoo pattern, but just on the bottom half. LOL.






Chick # 4 Meaty - (Formerly Dakota and Pepe). Ok, this fella is big and meaty. Red comb and wattles, legs big like tree trunks, tries to crow and 2 days ago he tried humping his mom. Also, whenever I try to take pictures he immediately tries to protect Chick #3. Also, feathered just as fast as the other two with him that I believe are girls. Tail and everything.





Chick #5 - Bebe - Fast feathered, and tail. Medium size legs, small comb and wattles. Very curious and friendly and smarter than the rest. This one we are hoping is a pullet, but I am not sure.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Zane and Bebe are pullets

 

[chickenguysmom]

Zane and Bebe are pullets

Yeah! That is what we think, too.

 

[chickenguysmom]

I'll continue to post updates for others who have BCMs and want to see.

So far - color, pattern at birth didn't matter. Comb size at birth didn't matter, but did start to matter after about week 2. Comb color mattered between weeks 2-3. Leg size didnt matter when they were a week old, but at three weeks, Meaty's legs are appreciably bigger, and he is all over bigger, taller, the other two males don't have big legs, yet and size wise are the same size as the girls. Tail feathers - Meaty who is the largest cockerel, has just as many feathers as the two females and started to sprout them after just a couple of days of hatching. The other two males are slow feathering. Meaty also tries to crow and mount his momma. Meaty is also a bit agressive and protective of the little girls. The other two males are shy. Finally, Bebe ( one we hope is one of the two girls) is very animated and social, not shy and not scared of anything and very sweet.

Note: these are just my observations and I am guessing your chicks could be different, but I hope this will help others with their chicks, or at least give them hope.

 

[gvilledh]

I have BCM's a day older than yours. We have one we are certain is a girl, due to her very dark comb, and one we are pretty sure is a boy due to the amount of copper on his wings from the beginning. The interesting thing is that none of them have the comb and wattle development yours do. I will try to get a good picture of CopperTop, the little roo, tonight and post it. We have one we think may be a roo that is showing a little pinkness to the comb. Almost makes me wonder if we have all pullets, but I am not counting on it!