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

[SonRise Silkies]

The long story of it is that I bought the chicks. 15 of them. I raise Silkies and a few Showgirls,
and I keep them penned up ALWAYS.

We live in the country surrounded by woods and the ticks and bugs can be overwhelming sometimes,
so my husband decided we need "yard birds" I kept my eye out for some chicks.

When a friend said her uncle had some chicks we went and I bought these. Did not choose this
breed, it was all he had, and he got the eggs from a local auction.
Thats why I need to ask questions, I like these chicks and I like what I'm learning about the Marans.
I get pretty involved in genetics and breeding programs and If it looks like my "yard birds" are of any quality
good enough to keep breeding them and improving then I'd like to know about it.
Not sure if this website is listed elsewhere but you can see my Silkie program at www.SonRiseSilkies.com
Thanks for the comment!
Cheryl

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
Most of the time the long tail young fowl are female and the shorter are male. You can see in yours also that the male is lighter and the female is darker. These look better than most Cuckoo pictured here on BYC.

 

[SonRise Silkies]

Why Thank You very much snowbird!
Thats good to know because I can't resist starting a breeding program with these new birds.

I didn't know where to begin. I'll keep studying on them and learning and hopefully I will
do the Cuckoo Maran breed justice and NOT mess them up.

These chicks were a day old to 7 days old when I got them. I knew enough about the barring pattern
to pick all hens but since my friend was in a hurry she grabbed a bunch and put in my carrier.

GROAN! She liked the bluish ones, and of course she loaded me up with roosters!!

Thats OK though, I was going to let them all grow up and then pick, but one is all ready showing great promise,
and I'm sure he will be the one.

I must add here that I am VERY impressed with the temperament and friendliness of these birds.
I have a chair and I sit in the chicken yard and "visit" everyday.
Yesterday a Maran pullet jumped in my lap!!!! She let me pet her, and she turned around and sat down and
got comfortable and she and I had a very nice visit. I'm sold on the Marans.

Don't tell the Silkies though!

 

[wolftracks]

OK I'm cross eyed from read about genetics. I used to love this stuff with dogs, but guess I lost everything in my memory banks. Tonight "it does not compute."

I had a massacre a while back and had hatched out lots of little Cuckoo babies. I have one left. I have mainly FBCMs. I have two flocks. One is pure Bev Davis and the other is Prestley/Valentine. I've tried getting one started with Wade Jean lines, but I'm getting really coopery birds, so I haven't kept any.

So my cuckoo. One day I think roo, the next pullet. Pretty sure it's a pullet though.

So if I cross this chick later with my FBCM I should get Goldens??

From Goldens I may get Whites??

I think I read too much at one time. LOL

 

[OHmamma]

Quote:
try this...http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html

 

[wolftracks]

Says to check my spelling of the site

 

[OHmamma]

Quote:
sorry let me try again just copy and paste it on a new tab it is a "chicken Calculator"

http://kippenjungle.nl/kruisingCQ.html?mgt=&fgt=&

 

[wolftracks]

Ok I'm illiterate (sp duh)

I'll figure it out though eventually.

I had to go smoke a cigarette though. I went to the home page and almost fell off my chair. I had my 5 year old grandaughter look at the guy's pic and she asked why Grandpa wasn't wearing his hat. Then I called my 14 year old son in and he said it looked like Bill without a cap.

That guy resembles my husband and it was shocking! Different, but enough to look like it could have been him.

 

[OHmamma]

Quote:
Well, every one has a twin somewhere....

Becareful with that page it can get addicting.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
sorry let me try again just copy and paste it on a new tab it is a "chicken Calculator"

http://kippenjungle.nl/kruisingCQ.html?mgt=&fgt=&

I hope I'm not off here, but if you are spelling it as "cucu" like OHBigmama writes it, it won't go through. The correct spelling is "Cuckoo". Could that be the problem?