How do I tell the male & female black copper marans chick apart?

The black copper maran is a rare breed of chicken that originated in France and was imported to North America from the United Kingdom and Australia. These interesting creatures have many unique looks that distinguish them from other chickens. You can use these physical characteristics to tell the males of the breed apart from females. These indicators will help you identify your bird's gender without having to get too close to them before they are comfortable with you, and assist you when purchasing new copper marans.

Look at the heads of newly hatched chicks. Males have a large white spot on top of their heads while females have a smaller spot.

Check the feathers that are coming in on your maran for colour patterns. This is the easiest way to tell males and females apart. It's also a method for helping identify females of ill health.

Look for a maran with a copper-coloured head and multicoloured body, including green, blue and black feathers. These are the male black copper marans.

Find the birds that are almost entirely black. These are healthy females. While a slight reddish tint along the female's neck is fine, spots of white along the body of the maran indicate a poor gene in the bird as they are considered defective for their type of breed.

Check the waddle under the bird's beak and see if it is single or double. A long, double waddle indicates a male, while a single means you are looking at a female.