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

[Blarneyeggs]

8/9 month old and not laying that very late maturing strain for sure..you need a early maturing rooster to cross with your strain.
shame to hear about your cuckoo cockerel .he s the only one you ve got.
my pullets from my first hutch last year late August20th they start laying 5.5 and 6 months old.

Good advice, I suppose I'll use the one that showed his secondary characteristics in late fall. The other white cockerel is not only maturing slower, but is a bit smaller (unless he hasn't finished filling out yet). I'll hang onto him as a back up. Culling down to only one cockerel is a sure way to get a visit from a fox or hawk. I'm not too worried about the Cuckoo cockerel as they haven't been accepted into our SOP and so I won't be showing him anyway. I can cross him with pullets that need size and better shank feathering.

I wonder if I have something eating eggs...there are a lot of crows here and I do see them with eggs every now and again. Even so, I would think I'd get at least one egg every once in a while. I wormed that coop and also my Partridge Orpingtons this week, hopefully some eggs soon.

I would love to see some pics of your alls birds for reference so I can start identifying good qualities to look for as my chicks grow.

I haven't taken any shots recently, but there should be some on this thread a few pages back.

 

[DMRippy]

@Chooks man what is that in your avitar? Looks like a birchen and a cuckoo, what breed is it?

 

[Chooks man]

My avatar is a Silver cuckoo marans .her name is Chelsea.

 

[KF0002]

@Blarneyeggs I just figured out how to go back through the pics on this thread. I learn something new all the time. Your birds are gorgeous! I love the white marans!

Also, is there any way you could have an egg eater in your flock? We had a pair of Deadend Gray gamefowl we couldn't raise anything off of because no sooner than the hen would lay an egg, she would turn around and eat it! And she taught the rooster to eat eggs so we have yet to raise ONE chick from that pair. We sent them to my father in law and he has concocted a pen that makes the egg roll out so they can't eat it. Beats all I've ever seen. I actually have about a dozen of their eggs in the incubator now, but it doesn't look like the rooster is doing his job. They are all clear except for one it looks like. If it isn't one thing it's another.

Sorry to ramble!

 

[DMRippy]

My avatar is a Silver cuckoo marans .her name is Chelsea.

You mean a Reg Cuckoo? (Silver Cuckoos are a different color than reg Cuckoo) Her coloring is not correct. She is carrying birchen and cuckoos shouldn't be birchen.

http://www.maranschickenclubusa.com/Cuckoovariety.html

 

[Blarneyeggs]

My avatar is a Silver cuckoo marans .her name is Chelsea.

Chelsea is a looker! I haven't see that variety before. Very nice. Bev Davis is working on a new variety.... I think Creole? Ha! I forget. Anyway, it's nice to see people dedicate themselves to new varieties.

@kfelton0002 So cool that you have a relative that's handy enough to get your egg eating problem under control. I hadn't considered egg eaters, I have been checking the nesting boxes and haven't seen any evidence of egg eating, I think they tend to leave a bit behind or at least a wet spot and there's been none of that. It's been nothing but rain, rain, rain here...oh, and mud! I haven't checked nest boxes since this morning.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: A lot of people mistakenly call Cuckoos Silver Cuckoos that is actually a color but it is mostly a white bird with barring. That is a non standard cuckoo. We had a huge disscution on here once about breeding them to look birchen and it is just a HUGE no no.

Here is a link to a TRUE Silver Cuckoo Marans.

 

[KF0002]

I

Chelsea is a looker! I haven't see that variety before. Very nice. Bev Davis is working on a new variety.... I think Creole? Ha! I forget. Anyway, it's nice to see people dedicate themselves to new varieties.

@kfelton0002 So cool that you have a relative that's handy enough to get your egg eating problem under control. I hadn't considered egg eaters, I have been checking the nesting boxes and haven't seen any evidence of egg eating, I think they tend to leave a bit behind or at least a wet spot and there's been none of that. It's been nothing but rain, rain, rain here...oh, and mud! I haven't checked nest boxes since this morning.

I hope they aren't eating eggs and are just slower to mature. An egg eater isn't worth their feed. I hold the same opinion for feather pickers. lol
Our hens are getting a late start laying because of all this rain and bad weather also. I have come to the conclusion that they are just prissy and only lay when they feel like it.

When you really want to raise off of them, they won't lay. The ones you aren't that worried about lay like crazy.. it's maddening. Good luck though! Can't wait to see some of those little white snowball Marans chicks!

 

[KF0002]

@Blarneyeggs Is that a Great Pyrenees in your Avatar pic? We have 2 of them, Rowdy and Bear (they are brothers). Rowdy is our main property guard dog and protects all the chickens from varmints. He is a big ol' sweetie otherwise though. Wouldn't bite a hot biscuit. He watches over my 3 year old son when we are outside.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

A lot of people mistakenly call Cuckoos Silver Cuckoos that is actually a color but it is mostly a white bird with barring. That is a non standard cuckoo. We had a huge disscution on here once about breeding them to look birchen and it is just a HUGE no no.

Here is a link to a TRUE Silver Cuckoo Marans.
Thanks for the info. I've not seen them or even heard of them before.

@Blarneyeggs Is that a Great Pyrenees in your Avatar pic? We have 2 of them, Rowdy and Bear (they are brothers). Rowdy is our main property guard dog and protects all the chickens from varmints. He is a big ol' sweetie otherwise though. Wouldn't bite a hot biscuit. He watches over my 3 year old son when we are outside.

Oh Wow! Precious

I was just thinking it's about time for an avatar change...yes she's a great Pyr. That's my Bella, she has my heart.