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

[snowbird]

Has anyone heard anything about the proposed Standard for the Cuckoo since the Standard has to be in before the Cuckoo approval meet that I heard was going to be at the Shawnee Show.

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Does anyone have any of Ron Presley's line of Cuckoos? I heard that he got out of Cuckoos, and I ended up with one hen from a friend who had them, and then also got out of them.

I'm working to preserve this line, as it tended to have large birds, nicely feathered shanks, and good egg color. I got black Marans rooster from Whitmore farm (a sport from their BCM breeding), and crossed him to my lone remaining hen. I have a good number of big single barred Cuckoo boys almost mature now that I will breed back to their mom this spring, as well as to a handful of blue and black hens.

I would love to find some remnants of this line to cross into my project.

Many thanks
Bailey
Schoharie, NY

 

[DMRippy]

Does anyone have any of Ron Presley's line of Cuckoos? I heard that he got out of Cuckoos, and I ended up with one hen from a friend who had them, and then also got out of them.

I'm working to preserve this line, as it tended to have large birds, nicely feathered shanks, and good egg color. I got black Marans rooster from Whitmore farm (a sport from their BCM breeding), and crossed him to my lone remaining hen. I have a good number of big single barred Cuckoo boys almost mature now that I will breed back to their mom this spring, as well as to a handful of blue and black hens.

I would love to find some remnants of this line to cross into my project.

Many thanks
Bailey
Schoharie, NY

NOT and EXPERT... but I WOULD NOT use a black copper (even if the copper is not showing) to make cuckoos..... I have had issues with gold showing up in my Cuckoos and I would guess that is how it gets in the Cuckoos.

 

[DMRippy]

Question: My Blue Cuckoos are coming out of molting and one seems to have LOST her cuckoo... REALLY! She just looks BLUE. She has one lone barred feather hanging off her tail... looks like it came from my Good Shepard Barred Rock roo.... I tried to get a picture.... maybe in a few days after the rain. Is that normal? Will it come back? They also seem to NOT have any gold leakage now.... very pretty birds. I know they have it cuz I had chicks with gold leakage.

Anyway, my young cuckoos are coming along nicely. I have several pullets to work with in a few months. I am test hatching from a Splash Cuckoo roo (one copy of the barring gene) with my reg cuckoo hen. Looking to improve egg color and add feathered legs.... maybe get some solid blue pullets in the process

I got a few chicks I hatched and some I ordered to improve my flock too. Hoping for some nice breeders in the fall. The chicks I got in the mail have the BEST feathered legs I have seen on any Cuckoos

I am thinking I might have a pen for just them when I see what color egg they lay.

Anybody else working on anything exciting?

 

[fowlman01]

Has anyone heard anything about the proposed Standard for the Cuckoo since the Standard has to be in before the Cuckoo approval meet that I heard was going to be at the Shawnee Show.

I believe it will be at Shawnee in 2013, but I have had no formal request.

Walt

 

[Hens and Roos]

Question: My Blue Cuckoos are coming out of molting and one seems to have LOST her cuckoo... REALLY!  She just looks BLUE.  She has one lone barred feather hanging off her tail... looks like it came from my Good Shepard Barred Rock roo....  I tried to get a picture.... maybe in a few days after the rain.  Is that normal? Will it come back?    They also seem to NOT have any gold leakage now.... very pretty birds.  I know they have it cuz I had chicks with gold leakage.

Anyway, my young cuckoos are coming along nicely.   I have several pullets to work with in a few months.  I am test hatching from a Splash Cuckoo roo (one copy of the barring gene) with my reg cuckoo hen.  Looking to improve egg color and add feathered legs.... maybe get some solid blue pullets in the process

I got a few chicks I hatched and some I ordered to improve my flock too.  Hoping for some nice breeders in the fall.  The chicks I got in the mail have the BEST feathered legs I have seen on any Cuckoos   I am thinking I might have a pen for just them when I see what color egg they lay.

Anybody else working on anything exciting?  

Sounds like you are making progress!

Our girls are on break, some seem to be molting and our daylight is getting short so very few eggs until we add the light back. also our rooster died several weeks back, came home in the afternoon one day and he was died out in the run. No sign of wounds, we are thinking either broken neck or heart attack.

Good luck and post some pictures

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

NOT and EXPERT... but I WOULD NOT use a black copper (even if the copper is not showing) to make cuckoos..... I have had issues with gold showing up in my Cuckoos and I would guess that is how it gets in the Cuckoos.

Well, it was either use my black "BCM" or let the cuckoo line die all together. The last hen is still alive, and I now have a GIANT son of hers out of this spring's crossing. He's starting to mate and crow, and doesn't have any gold yet. I hope I can get a few of their chicks before she dries up for good. I'm separating them today, actually!

 

[geebs]

Everybody uses something to create what they want.... There may be ppl here to help with the strategy on how to help you get what you want out of your black copper cross for your cuckoo line.. Good luck

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Everybody uses something to create what they want.... There may be ppl here to help with the strategy on how to help you get what you want out of your black copper cross for your cuckoo line.. Good luck

Thanks for the god luck! I may need it.

Finding a good Cuckoo rooster would have been my first choice. As a second choice, I'm sure solid blacks would have been a better idea if I had them, but I didn't. Not yet anyway. If all else fails, I have a great start on a Golden Cuckoo line! I'm hoping once I have a few more birds to work with I can hatch out a ton, and then cull for what I'm really looking for.

At least I know I have size, egg color, conformation, and proper foot feathering under control. Time will tell on the gold hackle issue!

 

[flgardengirl]

Here are a few pics of my newest silver based cuckoo marans from a spring hatch. I did have a total of 9 but lost some due to early spring flood and a particularly nasty strain of cocci grr. I ended up with 2 females and 3 males left. Most of the ones I lost were female (of course). I am not sure if I like the remaining males. I could only get pics of 2 of them today. I will have to try and get the shy one later on, maybe when they roost tonight. The good things about the boys are 1) they have feathered shanks 2) they are going to be HUGE 3) No gold leakage!

One of the pullets

2 of the cockerals

Close Up of one of the males hackles and saddles. I kinda like them so far but has some other faults...might still use him though. Look how big he is next to this 5 gallon bucket...and he is still growing lol.