Cuckoo Maran mix?

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Or, mix something barred, ie, BR, Dominique, and whatever fudge the white legs, smudge the barring and call it a Cuckoo Marans. The real test is whether it will lay a nice dark egg. Very few do which lends little credibility that the birds sold were true. Popularity does this. I'd have no idea, but my gut says that the number of true Marans isn't anywhere near the number of birds sold as if they are. Shrug.

I agree. I added a couple of hatchery Cuckoo Marans to a chick order once on a whim, and I didn't get eggs that looked different from any other egg in my flock. Also, the hens were just plain stupid, and stood there looking at hawks after the rooster gave the alarm and all the other hens had taken cover. I lost three pullets that year to hawks, and every one of the three was a so-called Cuckoo Marans.

 

[mithious]

In the same boat here, only mine were sold from Hoffman Hatchery in Penn as BR's. Here's the pics....ROFL




The cockerel is even lighter in real life than this picture

The girls combs are much redder and a tad bigger in real life, but not very much.

The pictures aren't the greatest, but in real life, most of the pullets are VERY dark, and the cockerel is VERY light colored...the combs on the pullets are kinda small also ( single comb though ), no true barring on the pullets and they just started laying at 32 weeks. The eggs are a light brown, but I wet one of them and it is lightly speckled when wet. So far have gotten 3 eggs ( one was soft shelled and frozen solid on the poop board so was laid at night ) in 45 hours time. I have NO idea what mix these chickens are...maybe some kind of Cuckoo Marans, Dominique, and Barred Rock?????

Anyone wanna chance a guess???

 

[KathyR]

Well I have three dark colored and one lighter greyish colored and they all turned out to be hens.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

In the same boat here, only mine were sold from Hoffman Hatchery in Penn as BR's. Here's the pics....ROFL




The cockerel is even lighter in real life than this picture

The girls combs are much redder and a tad bigger in real life, but not very much.

The pictures aren't the greatest, but in real life, most of the pullets are VERY dark, and the cockerel is VERY light colored...the combs on the pullets are kinda small also ( single comb though ), no true barring on the pullets and they just started laying at 32 weeks. The eggs are a light brown, but I wet one of them and it is lightly speckled when wet. So far have gotten 3 eggs ( one was soft shelled and frozen solid on the poop board so was laid at night ) in 45 hours time. I have NO idea what mix these chickens are...maybe some kind of Cuckoo Marans, Dominique, and Barred Rock?????

Anyone wanna chance a guess???

They look very much like hatchery BR to me. Why do you think they aren't? It's normal for BR pullets to be dark and cockerels to be light, and for BR to lay lighter-brown eggs.

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

In may I purchased some chicks from a local hatchery. I ordered all pullets, six EE"s and four Cuckoo Marans. One of the Marans has deep orange legs,feathers more grey than black with white and now I noticed it is getting some brownish feathers just starting to come in around the neck. I assume she is a mix?
Kathy

I doubt the hatchery would give you a mix, maybe an error in their system, or one that looks a little bit off, picture comparison would be great.

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

I doubt the hatchery would give you a mix, maybe an error in their system, or one that looks a little bit off, picture comparison would be great.

I found your photos! I think its the same as the others, maybe jut a little off, that happens. Still very cute though!

 

[KathyR]

It doesn't seem funny the legs are a different color? They ate yellow/orange.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

It doesn't seem funny the legs are a different color? They ate yellow/orange.

Bright yellow legs with a dark wash down the front is correct for BR pullets. Cockerels will often be lacking the dark wash. From what I see from your pics, all is correct for those birds to be BR.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

You are right! I do plan on calling them. Do you think the Maran is a rooster?

Nope! But that EE "hen" is.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Oh gosh! I just totally zombied this. I have a problem of replying too quickly.