Cuckoo marans

[mainechicklet]

I adopted IRIS a month ago from a sanctuary who rescued her from a farm animal hoarder. She's still pale but significantly healthier than a month ago. She started laying 6-7 darkish brown eggs/week on Christmas Day.







. I believe she is a cuckoo maran hen. (The French national flower is the iris and all my hens are named for flowers.)

 

[waldeneffect]

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between Barred Rock chickens and Cuckoo Marans.

Here's a blog post my wife made on the notes we've observed on identification tips.

http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/Cuckoo_marans/

 

[mainechicklet]

I'm still thinking she's a marans, even after reading your blog. She is not barred, but rather is more speckled. And she has pink legs, not yellow. The first pic is of two of the hens I rescued along with Iris.......... Sunflower and Orchid. I'm just astonished at how red their combs/waddles are now. When they came to me they had almost no color, they were so malnourished and dehydrated.

 

[enola]

She is a Cuckoo Marans

 

[flowerchild59]

Has anyone tried to make meat bird crosses, sex linked by using a cuckoo marans with a rhode island red?

 

[mainechicklet]

Not me. I'm a vegan with the exception of my own rescued hens' eggs. They will live with me until they die of old age.

 

[donrae]

Has anyone tried to make meat bird crosses, sex linked by using a cuckoo marans with a rhode island red?

What would be the reasoning for sex linking a meat bird? My mind says you sex link so you can cull the males early and not have the expense of raising them.

 

[IrishEyes45]

How do you tell the difference between the Cuckoo Maran and the Barred Rock? They look very similar.

IrishEyes45

 

[mainechicklet]

Welcome IrishEyes45! I get to answer your first post! Actually I won't, but look at post #72 of this thread. That might be helpful.

 

[IrishEyes45]

Thanks so much for the help on the "Cuckoo Marans". I checked her legs and she has pink legs so she is a lovely "marans". I'm very happy about it! If I wanted any more of this breed, I guess I would have to purchase the chicks. We don't have the same breed of rooster.

IrishEyes45