Cuckoo Marans

[audioguy]

I have to get some updated photos but I am very pleased with my French cuckoos

Oh no! I have 3 cuckoo marans chicks that are about 6 weeks old. They all have crowns and one has feathers on the feet. That pullet looks to have nothing on its head!
Uh oh!

 

[vlyons]

I just got some cuckoo maran chicks. Here they are at about 3 weeks. They are supposed to be all females. A few have lighter breasts and bellys, but all seem dark on top.

 

[rmasimpson]

Comments on Cockrell or Pullet? About 6 weeks old. Thanks! I can't figure out how to post my pictures here, so I will try to make it my profile picture.

 

[rmasimpson]

I put one more pic in my backyard peep album.

 

[chicketydooda]

This is an old thread but this is my Cuckoo Marans named Gallo (pronounced guyo) I love him but he sure can eat!
His feathers were still quite short here...I'll have to update pics soon. This was him at 4 or 5 months....

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

Just stumbled across this thread, and glad I did. CM's are new to our flock, just got chicks this last April. Cornelius (my avatar pic) quickly established himself as #1 rooster on the farm, by virtue of his size and demeanor. Pics dont do him justice - he's enormous. Fortunately he's also pretty mellow.

Don't have pics of the hens to share yet - will get some up asap. Also big birds, who didnt start laying unti about 6 months old - but the eggs are also huge. Barely fit into the egg carton.

Question for you CM experts - can I expect to get similar birds if I hatch out eggs from this roo and the CM hens? There is a "sex link" thread that causes me to worry that I can't.

 

[chicketydooda]

it depends on if he's a 'true' cuckoo marans. Some are a mix of different marans colors but because the Cuckoo coloring is dominant that's what comes through. SO if you breed him and he's not pure cuckoo then he can throw the other coloring into the gene pool but you would get some that look like him. My breeder thinks that breeding cuckoo with copper marans creates a bigger more robust bird. My rooster is a mix of the two and weighs 20 lbs easy.

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

it depends on if he's a 'true' cuckoo marans. Some are a mix of different marans colors but because the Cuckoo coloring is dominant that's what comes through. SO if you breed him and he's not pure cuckoo then he can throw the other coloring into the gene pool but you would get some that look like him. My breeder thinks that breeding cuckoo with copper marans creates a bigger more robust bird. My rooster is a mix of the two and weighs 20 lbs easy.

In other words, "try it and see"! Which is what I'll do for sure next spring.

20 lbs, eh? That's huge. I haven't tried to weigh the rooster yet (easier said than done) and I doubt he's anywhere near that. But he's big and heavy so I'll have to try and weigh him and find out.

 

[chicketydooda]

In other words, "try it and see"! Which is what I'll do for sure next spring.

20 lbs, eh? That's huge. I haven't tried to weigh the rooster yet (easier said than done) and I doubt he's anywhere near that. But he's big and heavy so I'll have to try and weigh him and find out.

I could be off on the 20 lbs I just know he's huge. If they are mixed with other marans they will have feathering on their feet. I think you may have a pure Cuckoo. Aren't they so beautiful?

 

[AxisOfBeagles]

As far as I know he (they) are Cuckoo - but I got them through eFowl so one never knows for sure. But you're right, no feathered feet.

We introduced two new breeds to our flock this last spring - Cuckoo Marans and Iowa Blue, and are pleased with both. The CM rooster is the biggest and best rooster we've had. And the CM hens lay such huge eggs! love em. They also seem to be excellent foragers and compost workers, which is important on our little farm. They are definitely going to stay part of our flock from now on.