Let's talk Golden Cuckoo Marans!

I've always wanted this breed once I discovered they even existed lol. Well the eggs on eBay are pricey to be such a risk of shipping damage. So while on vacation in Florida (I live in WV) I contacted a lady with eggs on eBay that lived in NC, I made plans & on my way back took an hour detour to pick up a dozen.

Well 3 weeks later I have 7 GCM chicks! I didn't realize how much genetic diversity & variation there is within the breed until they hatched.

I thought I could easily determine their sex right off...um no. If I go by head spots they could all be males but if I go by the coloring, I have 6 pullets & one cockerel. I'm obviously hoping the 2nd outcome! All the ones I've seen in here are lovely, I seem to be more attracted to the lighter Roos & darker hens, French standard. 5/7 of mine have feathered shanks...

msheets said:

I've always wanted this breed once I discovered they even existed lol. Well the eggs on eBay are pricey to be such a risk of shipping damage. So while on vacation in Florida (I live in WV) I contacted a lady with eggs on eBay that lived in NC, I made plans & on my way back took an hour detour to pick up a dozen.

Well 3 weeks later I have 7 GCM chicks! I didn't realize how much genetic diversity & variation there is within the breed until they hatched.

I thought I could easily determine their sex right off...um no. If I go by head spots they could all be males but if I go by the coloring, I have 6 pullets & one cockerel. I'm obviously hoping the 2nd outcome! All the ones I've seen in here are lovely, I seem to be more attracted to the lighter Roos & darker hens, French standard. 5/7 of mine have feathered shanks...

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Looks like 5 pullets and one cockerel.

Wow I hope so! That doesn't happen too often lol. Of course he's one of the ones without feathered shanks...so for once I'm hoping there's another roo hidden in there.

msheets said:

Wow I hope so! That doesn't happen too often lol. Of course he's one of the ones without feathered shanks...so for once I'm hoping there's another roo hidden in there.

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I bought GCM hatching eggs last year that were shipped. 6 hatched and ALL of them were pullets! I had to get a rooster from a friend. In turn, those pullets produce more pullets than cockerels by 2 to 1.

Sorry the only rooster chick doesn't have feathered shanks. I only see 6 chicks in your pictures. What does the 7th one look like?

I think sometimes down color and head spot size might be helpful, but not always. The colors of my chicks were all over the map,- light brown, darker brown, yellowish, big head spots and small head spots, and all were cockerels. The best cue for me was the early growth of combs.

chickee said:

I bought GCM hatching eggs last year that were shipped. 6 hatched and ALL of them were pullets! I had to get a rooster from a friend. In turn, those pullets produce more pullets than cockerels by 2 to 1.    

Sorry the only rooster chick doesn't have feathered shanks. I only see 6 chicks in your pictures. What does the 7th one look like? 

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The 7th one was still stuck in the shell at that point, I had to assist. It ended up being one of my darkest chicks.

That's what I've figured after researching the breed a little more, their colors can be all over the place. The 6 darker ones all look pretty similar & nothing like the 1 light one, so I'm hoping this bloodline is a little more consistent. I'll see if I can get pics of the parent stock.

msheets said:

The 7th one was still stuck in the shell at that point, I had to assist. It ended up being one of my darkest chicks.

That's what I've figured after researching the breed a little more, their colors can be all over the place. The 6 darker ones all look pretty similar & nothing like the 1 light one, so I'm hoping this bloodline is a little more consistent. I'll see if I can get pics of the parent stock.

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Sounds like 6 pullets and one cockerel then. The cockerels have bluish grey down. The pullets down is brown.

Here is a picture of my last hatch in April. 2 pullets and 1 cockerel. One of these pullets is in my Avatar.

Also I now am aware that white feathers in the roo's tail isn't standard -_-

msheets said:

Also I now am aware that white feathers in the roo's tail isn't standard -_-

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Yes, white feathers in the tail is not good.

Here are the roosters I have kept for breeding next year. No white in their tails, but white can show up after their first molt. Keeping my fingers crossed that they don't develop any.

Youngster shown as chick in the picture I posted. Hatched from a very dark egg. The males determine egg color, so hoping he passes it on.


His full brother that I like the color better on. Love the dark gold on him.