Golden Cuckoo Marans Eggs - WA State - The stories

So, here we go, the story on my birds:

I purchased these birds as adults. The gentlemen I got them from received these initially as chicks mixed in an order of Silver Cuckoos from Braden lines.

Egg color is running mostly around a 4 right now, however during our recent cold spell, colors were running solid 6's on the color chart.

These birds have shown that they will throw some mixed colors. Out of the 45 I have hatched to date, I have seen 1 white, 5 "Wheaten" based chicks, and 4 with mixed white on them. So, they are not breeding 100% true. I will continue to hatch throughout the spring and I am marking chicks in an effort to get the breeding to run true.

I have one dozen ready now, and will have a second dozen by tomorrow. Bators are full, so I am offering these up. Can ship Saturday.

I am asking $25 for 12+ eggs, and $15 for shipping.

I am also open to trade offers.

Here are the offenders:

Your eggs color are actually pretty good, and I like the fact that you're honest about the whole thing.
I have recently purchase a dozen golden cuckoo eggs, eggs color were bit disappointing, the chicks hatched out mostly golden cuckoo, 2 look just like silver cuckoo, 1 very light color which I haven't figure out what it is yet. So you see, I don't think marans in general breed true unless from those top breeders that had been worked with the breed for year(s).
I would like to try your eggs, it might just help my new hatchling improve their egg color. How much do you charge for 2 dozen?

fowlrus,

I will touch base with you later today.

We will offer a decent discount on the second dozen.

I just wanted to say that your Roo is beautiful. I've never seen a Golden Cuckoo Maran until now.

I think that your Marans are typicaly what I have seen from Bill's line and they are a work in progress. It is interesting that you are seeing so many different colors (wheaten?) in your hatches. The Golden Cuckoo is a work in progress for sure for all of us but so worth it. I think that these eggs would be an awesome way for someone to get a start into the GCMs at a reasonable price.

Of the 100+ we hatched last year we saw 3% Cuckoo without a sign of golden anywhere. Some cockerels with too much white in the cuckoo (something many breeders are struggling with) and one very weird bird that we called 'Ugly chicken'. She lays about an 7 egg in my neighbors mixed backyard flock while my picks for type and feather color lay at about a 5 (go figure!). We did not get even one silver(another go figure).

We picked out best 15 pullets and two roos from these birds. So far this year we are seeing very nice chicks growing out but they are not finished so we will be able to say more later.

The single thing I would be concerned with in your roo is his comb. He is otherwise a very nice bird and I am glad to see you working with this variety. If I can help you in any way (maybe send some eggs your way for postage only or chicks this spring) to help you in your breeding program let me know. To see more of my birds check out my website or I have an album posted at MCC under Melissa's Golden cuckoos.

And fowlrus-I am thinking that your eggs did NOT come from us... but if you were somehow disappointed in the hatching eggs you recieved you should contact your breeder before posting here. I am not sure how you can "imrpove hatchling egg color" as you have no idea what color eggs they will lay. If you are seeing a very light chick I am sure he will have an awesome golden color when all is said and done as the roos tend to be almost yellow with brown spots when they are going to be spectacular. Send me a pic. and I'll give you an opinion. I sure appreciate being able to evaluate how my breeding is progressing and I am sure your breeder would be too.

Kindness, my friend, is always in order and working together is how we improve the breeds we love and interest others in them.

Blessings,
Melissa
www.nonesuchfarm.net

Melissa,

eta - Spelling - Sorry

I appreciate your input, it is very valuable information.

I think that your Marans are typicaly what I have seen from Bill's line and they are a work in progress.

That is interesting to hear, and it is good to know I am not too far off base with them. I do find it interesting that with all I have read about this variety, there has not been a whole lot of disclosure on the subject of breeding true. Not pointing fingers at you, not in any way, the opposite actually, I appreciate all you have said. I am just stating that the available information is sketchy at best.

I have also been in contact with Bill B. regarding this, and his response was that it should be fairly easy to get the Roos to breed true, but that he always struggled with getting the hens to breed true.

It is interesting that you are seeing so many different colors (wheaten?) in your hatches. The Golden Cuckoo is a work in progress for sure for all of us but so worth it. I think that these eggs would be an awesome way for someone to get a start into the GCMs at a reasonable price.

I should probably edit the original post. Our first chicks are coming up on 7 weeks now, they are mostly feathering in as they should, at hatching we have had several lighter chicks, that well, pretty much looked like a Wheaten Chick. Of these, most have feathered in with a lighter golden cuckoo look, two are real odd balls that are either headed for the layer pen or freezer camp, and we have one that is looking like a yellow cuckoo, we might just have to work with this one. We are tracking all chicks from hatch color on working to find the most reliable breeders.

Of the 100+ we hatched last year we saw 3% Cuckoo without a sign of golden anywhere. Some cockerels with too much white in the cuckoo (something many breeders are struggling with) and one very weird bird that we called 'Ugly chicken'. She lays about an 7 egg in my neighbors mixed backyard flock while my picks for type and feather color lay at about a 5 (go figure!). We did not get even one silver(another go figure).

Once again, thanks for the info, it helps my sanity. A lot really.

We picked out best 15 pullets and two roos from these birds. So far this year we are seeing very nice chicks growing out but they are not finished so we will be able to say more later.

The single thing I would be concerned with in your roo is his comb. He is otherwise a very nice bird and I am glad to see you working with this variety. If I can help you in any way (maybe send some eggs your way for postage only or chicks this spring) to help you in your breeding program let me know. To see more of my birds check out my website or I have an album posted at MCC under Melissa's Golden cuckoos.

Well, I agree with the statement on the Roosters comb. Problem is, he is our only rooster that is of age. We have a whole herd (flock / bunch / group) coming along, and will continue hatching most of the eggs we get, and will do some heavy culling as we go. I would expect there will be some challenges, as they are all his prodigy.

I would be interested in the offer for eggs, and I am sure there is something we can work out.

Kindness, my friend, is always in order and working together is how we improve the breeds we love and interest others in them.

Agreed, please take the above as it is intended. It is sometimes difficult to communicate in the written form what one intends.

Don

Those are some seriously gorgeous birds. I love the stripping on them!!

I also spoke(e-mail) to Bill about his cuckoos. He said he sold the gold cuckoos but his regular cuckoos throw them frequently. Like most developing colors I think this one still needs some *fine tuning*. Nice birds

Will you still have eggs from them available in Mid February? I am buying some chicks and they are to arrive the 1st week of March. I'd like to maybe get my bator up and running mid Feb and try to hatch some that same week so I can brood them together.
You have gorgeous birds and I'd love to hatch some like them!
Lisa

Hi Don,

It is so nice to have someone like you working on a variety that we love. Please do think about us getting together on these. I know several good breeders have gotten out and that tells me that this project is maybe a little harder than some but again, I think worth it as this crele color is so very nice.

I thought about it afterward and decided I should have PM'd you rather than posting in your eggs for sale post... My mistake. I am not a big computer type girl and often mistake the proper etiquite in this media. If I offended in any way please forgive me.

I would like to possibly add some of your genetics to my flock as well as I don't have anything out of Bill's lines yet but I do have a very closely line bred flock and need an outcross if I get into trouble here. Also when I said above the we hatched 100 birds what I should have said is that we raised 100 to maturity. I can't even count how many we hatched.

If you would like we can discuss it further. In the mean time here are a couple of pictures of hatchlingings. In the first it is cockerel on the left and pullet on the right. Could this be what is looking 'wheaten' to you? It is these very yellow/golden cockerels that seem to color up to be exceptional so would love to help you avoid a cull you would regret. As for freezer camp... these birds are primairly a meat bird and if you have not experienced the taste of Marans chicken yet you are in for a treat.


In this one we have two cockerels in the front and the rest are pullets (there are actually seven pullets there, lucky me!)


Thanks,
Melissa