Golden, Lemon etc. Cuckoo Maran

[TexasLady]

I have a few Cuckoo Marans. Unfortunately, a long story, when the breeder I purchased from quit the Cuckoos, I tried to purchase some Cuckoos from another source. They swore that I would be getting very dark eggs. They lied. But since nobody ever knows what egg color they might get until eight months later, I didn't discover it until the following year. In the meantime, I got a cold going through my flock, and most of the older ones didn't make it. So I was left with light brown eggs. I'm still very unhappy about it.

While looking for Cuckoos, I saw the beautiful Goldens. I'm hooked.

I love the coloring of chickens, but I don't know type. I don't know where to learn about type either (except to go to a show where I'm terrified I might pick up something to carry home). I've tried to connect with a few people, but it seems most don't want to deal with me if I don't buy their breed. And, well, there are a lot of breeds of chickens that just don't catch my fancy.

I don't know of any Golden (Lemon) etc. nearby where I live (Sacramento, CA area). So I'm still looking.

But I also don't know how to tell the difference. Does anyone have pictures of the Golden, Lemon, and all those similar colors?

I've seen this rooster http://shop.gabbardhatchingeggs.com/products/marans-assortment-day-old-chicks which is pretty but I don't know what color he might be.

And this http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog.../Hatching-Eggs-Golden-Cuckoo-Marans-p542.aspx though they might be the same bird(s). I want Marans because of the egg color, so selecting a line that doesn't have the right color is pointless, but as soon as I say that, I have to look at the chickens every day. And I will have a lot more hens than roosters, so a pretty rooster is nice, but if I don't like the look of the majority of the flock (hens), then unless the rooster is drop dead gorgeous, I'm not going to want that line either.

Then there are these that are Goldens http://www.thefancychick.com/ (click on Golden). These breeders have excellent egg color from what I can tell (which seems to be a fault of many of the Goldens.)

I also have seen this roo http://albertachickensetc.punbb-hosting.com/viewtopic.php?id=24828 which I like the even color of (and the OE above has very pretty coloring).

Then I see this Lemon Cuckoo Orpington coloration, http://albertachickensetc.punbb-hosting.com/viewtopic.php?id=24828 for another variation. This is probably my favorite of the "Golden" variety coloration. Would it be a correct Maran color?

Then we have these pictures of Lemon (?) or Golden (?) http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/rule-roost/lemon-cuckoo-maran_49324.html Then down further on the page is a Salmon Cuckoo--is that a color too?

I'm not sure of the color/s? Will the color be permitted in Marans? If so, which of the colors will be permitted?

Thanks.

 

[nicalandia]

But I also don't know how to tell the difference. Does anyone have pictures of the Golden, Lemon, and all those similar colors?

so far no true "Lemon Blue" Marans have been produced, due to red enhancers ruining the lemon shade, so far they look just like your plain old blue copper marans. as for "Golden" is only produced on the roosters and is the cross of a birchen maran mated to a black copper maran, hen´s can´t be golden, they are gold or silver only

edit.
you may want to read this thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/608357/lemon-blue-saddle-color-genetics

 

[Debbi]

Why not try asking on the Cuckoo Marans thread? Folks love to talk about their birds!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/495365/lets-talk-cuckoo-and-white-marans-breeding-strategies/810

Cuckoos don't typically lay the darkest eggs anyway. Quite a few breeders are vastly improving their egg color though in quite a few of the color varieties. Black Coppers usually lay the darkest eggs, but that is not even the case if the breeder doesn't breed towards that goal. There are quite a few Marans threads here on BYC, check them all out, there is a lot to learn about the breed!