06/08/2026
🐣 BLACK COPPER MARANS: WHY SEXING YOUNG CHICKS CAN BE SO CHALLENGING 🐣
One of the most common questions we receive at Crane’s Coop is:
“Are they all females?”
Trust us—we know EVERYBODY wants pullets! 😊
However, Black Copper Marans are one of the more difficult breeds to accurately s*x at a young age. As you can see in these comparison photos, males and females can look remarkably similar at 4–6 weeks of age. Some pullets develop combs and wattles early, while some cockerels mature more slowly, making identification far from an exact science.
Even experienced breeders can only make their best educated guess based on comb development, wattles, feathering, body structure, and overall growth patterns. While many birds become more obvious as they mature, there is always a chance that a chick identified as a pullet at a young age may later prove to be a cockerel.
🌟 This is why we do NOT guarantee s*x on young chicks.
As an NPIP-certified breeder, our focus is on producing healthy, high-quality birds and continually improving our breeding lines each year. Every fall, we grow out our birds, evaluate them for quality, select the individuals we are keeping for our breeding program, and then offer GUARANTEED pullets once we can confidently determine their s*x.
✔️ Guaranteed females are available as grow-outs.
✔️ Guaranteed females are priced accordingly.
✔️ Young chicks are sold as straight-run or as our best estimate when possible.
We understand that discovering a surprise rooster can be frustrating, and we always strive to be as honest and transparent as possible. Thank you to all of our customers for understanding that Mother Nature doesn’t always read the rule book! ❤️
Thank you for supporting our small family farm and our breeding program as we continue working to improve our Black Copper Marans for future generations.
— Crane’s Coop 🐓
NPIP Certified
Redmond, Ore
