Let's talk Cuckoo and WHITE marans... breeding strategies...

[cutecowgirl084]

Well im new to Marans let alone white Marans I just bought them to have some darker egg colors. And I'm not showing them either, just mostly trying to understand what I have and if I bred them what I would get. But I'll post some pictures although I find that scary bc some people can be pretty harsh lol. But I'll post pictures they are about between 3.5-4 months old so still obviously have some growing to do. The boy and one girl have pink/whitish legs and one of the hens is pink with a very light light grey/slate so which one would be better? Or are both acceptable leg colors?

 

[Chooks man]

No dark shank for the white marans. pinkish /white
don t worry about people they have no power on you they can say what ever they like.

post some photos I help you understand few thing about them.

chooks man

 

[cutecowgirl084]

The first girl on the log is the pink legs the second profile shot is the girl with pink with grey legs.

 

[cutecowgirl084]

So I would be better to try and breed him with the girl with the pink/white legs. And neither girl has feathers on middle. So crossing him with the pink leg girl should maintain leg color and move away from his feathering on his middle toe right?they obviously are not laying yet but when they do this would be my plan. And I'm awaiting seeing egg color as well, hopefully it's decent or I'll have to figure out how to improve that too. Also the girls look cream in these pictures but they are not they are white they just like thier dust baths in the dirt lol. I just let them be chickens.

 

[Chooks man]

Ohhhh .I like the cockerel he s coming out of his goofy stage. he s going to be a big Rooster .

the White marans most are recessive white . that mean they come from different varieties . any variety can carry a white recessive c gene as a single dose. So the bird is not white ,but when 2 bird carry the the gene c as a single dose c/C+ they will produce a white bird c/c

your thet look to me they are ER bird from the Birchen or a Black copper lines .that why one of them has a dark feet.

You are correct about your breeding plan .eliminate the dark footed pullet if she doesn t lay a dark egg , but if she lay a dark egg than you can breed from her and keep her daughter with lighter feets.

your Cockerel has a gorgeous long back and good tail shape and Angle ,
nice head.
nice eyes colours,
clear beak,
nice comb and weatle
Solid neck with a good length

post some photos of him from the top so we can see the width at the shoulder.
from the back to see the rear and how his feet stand .

they still young they will put weight when fully growing..

Chooks man

 

[kfelton0002]

Is this vulture hock? This group of chicks has a heavy Little Peddler influence so Im assuming thats where it came from. Brenda Little of Little Peddlers Marans discloses vulture hock on her website as a recessive gene her line has had to crop up.

 

[Chooks man]

I don t think so look to me is the Atavistic Return of the Recessive Brahman type used in the early crossing ( original crossing ,the Langsham as well)
So your is a heavy feathering Brahman type could be useful over the feather less hens.

The Vulture Hooks are different. here the discription of them from the French Marans Club ( Genetic);
Vulture Hooks or Vulture boots consist of very lengthened feathers located on the back face of the thighs moving toward the rear of the animal.
those long and rather stiff feathers extend behind the thighs and beyond the articulation of the shanks.

when only the shanks are heavy feathered is just a Brahman type Recessive too very rare

Hope that helps.

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

I used to breed a fancy pigeon when I was young.
the breed I was working with where heavy feathered shank fancy pigeon and I was breeding the vulture hooks phenotype, selecting only for this trait.look good on them better than the heavy feathered one,s .

in the Marans chooks breed is other way around just the Pti 1 gene in double dose is needed.

your chiks carry the Pti2 double dose .

Pti = no feathered shank
Pti1 = light feathering shanks only one gene the is needed in double douse. the outer part of the shanks and the outre toe
Pti2 = heavy feathering type Brahman . Langsham etc... . the outre and the inner part of the shanks and toes

Chooks man

 

[DMRippy]

Is this vulture hock? This group of chicks has a heavy Little Peddler influence so Im assuming thats where it came from. Brenda Little of Little Peddlers Marans discloses vulture hock on her website as a recessive gene her line has had to crop up.

I would watch that very closely. It sure look like vulture hocks too me.

 

[kfelton0002]

Thanks DM and Chooksman. Im going to let him grow out some more and keep a close eye on this group. There are several cockerals in this group so I can be choosy when selecting who to keep. They are all very nicely feather legged so far but this roo and possibly another are looking like this.