Good cross with Cuckoo marans?

[claud]

Just wondering what would be a good cross with a Cuckoo Marans. I want to add a couple lighter egg laying breeds to my flock and eventually I'll end up with crosses since I have a Marans roo. How about a RIR?

 

[Buckguy20]

Quote:
When you say lighter, do you mean egg color or a smaller chicken. RIRs aren't any smaller than Marans.

 

[rosyposyosy]

RIR's are smaller. Marans are huge

 

[Buckguy20]

My Marans aren't much bigger if any than RIR's. Maybe just the strain that I have.

 

[justusnak]

I have a Maran Roo as well. I have been trying to find him a home, but to no avail! He is a Cuckoo Maran. I am just going to put him in a seperate pen, with my only little dominique hen. See what comes of that! Should be pretty little things, both parents being black and white barred.

 

[speckledhen]

A barred rooster will produce barring on all his chicks to some degree. With a red hen of some sort, they'll probably have red in the hackle areas. Rosy, my breeder RIR was much larger than my hatchery RIRs.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

One day when I just have a kitchen flock I want:

Barred Rock
Maran
Dominque
Barred Cochin
& maybe a barred leghorn!

I think all of those would be neat crosses

 

[claud]

Quote:
When you say lighter, do you mean egg color or a smaller chicken. RIRs aren't any smaller than Marans.

Oh, I meant lighter egg color.

 

[Katy]

I have a BR X Marans pullet and she's laying a darker egg than her mom, but not as dark as a full Marans. She's about as dark as my marans hens tho. Have to really look to pick her out.

 

[claud]

Quote:
I actually have two elderly RIR hens also. They are close in size to my Marans - maybe slightly smaller. I suppose there are variations is size(i think my RIR might have some production red in them too).