Update: the pattern of The feathers makes us think these could be marans of some sort. Maybe cuckoo marans?
Enjoy this creative photo shoot of our cuckoo maran looking chicks.
From our research the difference between the barred rock chickens and the cuckoo marans are: cuckoo marans have fluffy down feathers, light brown or tan in color, white or slate legs, and will lay darker eggs. Barred rock, down feathers with black and white stripes as well as yellow legs. As you can tell, these cuckoo marans do develop large combs as well!
About the Midnight Majesty Maran Chicken Breed
The Midnight Majesty Marans™ from Hoover’s Hatchery have black plumage and most hatch with feathered feet, but some do not. Deep browns show up through their down feathering underneath, making them a mix of beautiful dark brown and black plumage. The males are barred. This breed will lay dark brown eggs and will lay a lot of them! You will truly enjoy this breed in your backyard flock and its dark eggs in your egg carton! These hybrids perform well in many different climates. The Midnight Majesty Marans are a combination of the Copper Maran and the Cuckoo Maran (which resembles a Plymough Barred Rock in looks though it is not) APPROX. 250 LARGE EGGS/YEAR | EGG COLOR: DARK BROWN | MATURE WT: MALE 7 LBS. FEMALE 6 LBS.
