Golden Cuckoo Marans Eggs - WA State - The stories

[nivtup]

Ahhhh,

The new run is complete, and the Barred Rocks like me for a few minutes anyway.

PM's sent to those that expressed interest.


Melissa,

The chick color you show in your photos is pretty much what we are seeing, with a Silver Cuckoo chick or two mixed in. We have about 60 on the ground right now, and of those we have two that hatched out cream colored like a wheaten, no dark, almost looks like a white chick. We also have two that must be designer chicks, real odd colors.

Anyway, one has grown its juvenile feathers, and it is exhibiting what looks like a yellow cuckoo with a few dark tail feathers. We wont use him to breed GCM's from, although we might keep him around for an experiment.

We would be interested in trading stock.

I will shoot you an email later with some photos, and pull from your experience.

As far as difficulty in stablizing the breed, it is only genetics, right?

We just need to work through it. It might take several hundred birds and several generations, but I kind of like a good challenge.



Don

 

[tfpets]

But if you guys take it out of this post listing, then I cant tune in and know whats going on for the Golden Cuckoos, and where will that leave me?? I know, I'm selfish, I dont even have my Golden Cuckoos started yet (Don is sending me some eggs in February

) but I am totally captivated by your discussion of the breeding process, really, the two of you are impressive in your efforts, and well not to sound too sappy, but the whole trading amongst yourselves to better the breed and sharing of information, I just want to say thank you for bringing it here in the forum for this long!
Maybe if you guys email instead, you could just cc me, so I could keep up? What you are doing is really important for the breed, I think Golden Cuckoo Marans are so pretty! Oh, or could you perhaps start a "Golden Cuckoo Marans Thread" and update the posts amongst yourselves there! JMO
Tina/tfpets

 

[Katie Jo]

Quote:
I second this motion!!!!!

 

[Jenlyn9483]

I third that! It's great info! And I did not know Marans had a different taste to them than say dark cornish or whatever. Thats GREAT info, I am always looking for ways to breed awesome meat birds. I was actually thinking about putting some dark cornish hens in my Cuckoo Maran pen just because my cuckoos are massive birds and I want to hatch my own broilers

 

[pasofinofarm]

I am pretty transparent in my breeding practices and I get the feeling that Don is too, not so with some folks so I find him a breath of fresh air. When selling eggs or chicks becomes the primary goal then people tend to change what they are willing to share. Personaly I love being able to cover feed and of course spend even more money on chickens from the sale of hatching eggs but mostly my take on it all is that it costs the same amount of money to feed and house an ugly bird as a beautiful one so I keep really nice birds for my own pleasure and sell hatching eggs so others can do the same.

Don, I don't think we are talking about anything more than getting a few folks in that are willing to stay the course and cull ruthlessly for the next few generations to get them 'ready out of the shell'. I just think that with the current BC craze and the prices that those eggs and birds are commanding mostly everyone has focused there. When you also factor in the push to get the Marans admitted into the APA then you have folks wanting to work with the birds that will work best to that end.

I am glad we 'met'. I hope that if there are any other closet GCM breeders out there we can pull you in too... And thanks for being sweet about the hi-jack on your egg thread.... hope you sell a million!

Blessings,

 

[chickenlisa]

Quote:
I am so excited now- I'll be getting some of these eggs in Mid Feb. I love the whole incubating and hatching experience! Its so addicting!I will try to be good though, as my husband just does not appreciate the higher electric bills when I'm buying up eggs and hatching them, then keeping the little chicks warm with the red heat lamps.
I've got a question about the "meat" role they can fill...when does one process them if they want to eat them? Can you tell who is going to be a cockerel or pullet at hatch time? From the pics, the boys look to be all light colored and the girls all dark colored. Is that true for all or was it just in those pics?
Lisa

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Don sent you a pm. Might be able to help you hatch out birds and I want to buy some eggs.

 

[chickenlisa]

I got 1 PM from him asking if I want eggs. (I do!

Not sure if you meant another one (PM) or not...But I"m still wondering about the meat role of these birds and the different colors at hatch time; if that means they are able to be sexed by their color.

 

[nivtup]

chickenlisa,

Sorry for the confusion, there was a lot of traffic yesterday, and I was checking in on an irregular basis and got crossed up.

Anyway, I have you scheduled.

As far as the meat bird question - I do not know. They grow out to good sized stock, although I would still consider them as a dual purpose bird.
Melissa might be able offer up more on the subject.

The color sexing thing seems to work for the large percentage of the hatch.

 

[chickenlisa]

Quote:
No problem- I just so happy to be scheduled to get your eggs! Thanks for answering my questions- if anyone else (Melissa?) knows more, please add your 2 cents. I'm always wanting to learn as much as I can about these feathered friends I have. Thank you so much!
Lisa
PS- Can everyone who has nice weather please send some warmer temps to NJ, along with an early Spring? I'm so envious of all of you with laying hens now, and eggs that don't freeze, and all the good stuff that comes with Springtime.