Let's talk Cuckoo and WHITE marans... breeding strategies...

[DMRippy]

Either way, make no difference to me. CULLING hard has got me a flock with feathered legs. The next round will be to work on the feather coloring. I am LEAPS and BOUNDS further than I was last summer. I had clean legs and sparsely feathered birds and just had to CULL all the clean legs. I ended up with a roo that was nice in every way but 1 little feather. I have been looking through my SOP and I just don't see white feathers on barred birds are a DQ. Black feathers are mentioned, but not white. Walt did say it would have to be what the other cuckoos are in the SOP. I just don't know of another SOP Cuckoo bird. Barred rocks, Hollands, cochins..... that is all I can find or know of.... but I have 2 babies so it is hard to scroll though the whole thing page by page looking for cuckoo something. In the general cutting for defects, I don't see it either.... even in the BR that are mentioned.

These birds are SO FAR from SOP that we have to work from something an get to the SOP. Last year I was DESPERATELY looking or Feathered legs on birds breed near the SOP and HOPING for dark eggs too. This year I have some type in my birds, feathered legs and darker eggs than my original hens.

 

[snowbird]

That is a topic that was brought up several times when the Committee was writing the Standards that will be presented to the APA. I don't want to speak out of turn, but I don't think that white in the tail feather is going to be a disqualification. White in a tail feather is not desirable, but I don't think that it is going to be a disqualification.

I will be able to answer the question after we get back from a meeting that is planned at the show in Newnan, Georgia. This is one of the questions that I plan to ask while we are there. I hope that we get a large number of Cuckoos entered there to make some decisions about planning a Qualifying Meet for the Cuckoos.

Regards,
Ernie Haire

Ernie, Walt Leonard Chairman of the Standards Committee of the APA stated on this thread to one of your committee that the white feather would be a DQ and would not be accepted by the APA if it is in the Proposed Standard. I will extract myself from this discussion and let everyone breed whatever way they would like. Things like this is what caused the mess with the white feathers in the BC.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

roo 1


this is my little roo 2

roo 3

Either way, make no difference to me. CULLING hard has got me a flock with feathered legs. The next round will be to work on the feather coloring. I am LEAPS and BOUNDS further than I was last summer. I had clean legs and sparsely feathered birds and just had to CULL all the clean legs. I ended up with a roo that was nice in every way but 1 little feather. I have been looking through my SOP and I just don't see white feathers on barred birds are a DQ. Black feathers are mentioned, but not white. Walt did say it would have to be what the other cuckoos are in the SOP. I just don't know of another SOP Cuckoo bird. Barred rocks, Hollands, cochins..... that is all I can find or know of.... but I have 2 babies so it is hard to scroll though the whole thing page by page looking for cuckoo something. In the general cutting for defects, I don't see it either.... even in the BR that are mentioned.

These birds are SO FAR from SOP that we have to work from something an get to the SOP. Last year I was DESPERATELY looking or Feathered legs on birds breed near the SOP and HOPING for dark eggs too. This year I have some type in my birds, feathered legs and darker eggs than my original hens.
He is

I am happy to have eggs coming with feathered legs, I am no expert but I have 2 Cuckoos that have great leg feathering and body looks good to my eye, I will post pics later and one who looks way to small for me, all r roosters wow lol

 

[DMRippy]

Here is the link on the Marans Thread about the white feathers. It is NOT a DQ.... he (Walt) feels it should be a serious FAULT and maybe a DQ but that is one of those gray areas in the SOP. Just not there. I knew I had read it somewhere. NOW he is talking about BLACK birds here not barreds I don't know if that would make a difference or not.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...on-pictures-are-welcome/41680_20#post_9996555

 

[flgardengirl]

I will look forward to see what is decided about the white tail feathers in the cuckoos. I don't see to have the white tail feathers in the silver cuckoos but my original golden cuckoo males both had a white tail feather and I know a lot of others whose did as well. Seems to be a real issue.

 

[xlboergoats]

We don't keep Cuckoo males with White tail feathers. We try to work toward the goal of breeding it out of our Cuckoos. I am sure that the issue will come up in Newnan again.

Regards,
Ernie Haire

 

[pmessner]

I will look forward to see what is decided about the white tail feathers in the cuckoos. I don't see to have the white tail feathers in the silver cuckoos but my original golden cuckoo males both had a white tail feather and I know a lot of others whose did as well. Seems to be a real issue.

excluding white tail feathers in the goldens could prove challenging... the genetics are a bit different from the silver???

 

[snowbird]

excluding white tail feathers in the goldens could prove challenging... the genetics are a bit different from the silver???

Getting rid of the white in golden is basically the same as any other variety, the axe must be used more often.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

I have decided not to continue with the White Marans, I only have the one pullet, she is sweet, nice shank feathering and to my eye looks good. But it's been kind of a hassle getting a cockerel of different lineage to put her with and the thought of building yet another coop has dissuaded me. Good luck to you all, I hope you are successful in getting them into the Standard.

 

[Raven1]

I wish you were close I think she is beautiful!