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

[geebs]

There was some talk on the marans general question thread and SNOWBIRD suggested we have a thread dedicated to just this color... I say good show.... Fabulous Idea! I know very little about breeding strategies of these color... I started with it but am just opening the door.

I currently have a quad of bantam cuckoo and a couple dwarfed bantam sized black copper hens. I have had the hens for nearly 3 years and have produced from time to time small offspring so I thought it prudent to use what I have with what someone else had so I obtained a quad of Cuckoo "bantam". These are not true bantam as they exceed the french standard for wieght both the cock and hen. Also the barred birds have no leg feathering. I am hoping by learning on this thread about this color to be able to incorporate the knowledge. My BC's are positive for partridge which may also house Columbian, so this thread with the cuckoo may be able to help bring this forward.

I have no whites but am interested to learn from those who do... Please post about them here on this thread.

 

[Myabcs3]

Thanks Geebs and Snowbird for the idea and starting it. I have a group of 3 hens and a rooster from Chookschicks from which I have hatched offspring late fall and early winter. The pullets from last fall are just starting to lay - got a few new eggs this week. I will get some updated pics today to post. I have both french and clean legged. I am new at this, so am here to learn!

 

[BevDavis]

Hi

I have one cuckoo hen and a single barred male and a few chicks, all are now feather legged. When I say a single barred male this means he is carrying one set of genes for barring and one set for black. I am using these birds to get a black line. When a male carries one set of genes for barring his barring is the same as a female cuckoo who also has one set of barring genes. A male carrying two sets of genes for barring is a lighter color.

Bev

 

[storminstaffs]

i have 8 cuckoo marans they hatched out on april fools day

here's a few pictures i think i have 3 roo's and 5 hen's so a good start, there's also a picture of the egg colour they hatched out of

 

[geebs]

Oh I see... The males and females would be hard to distinguish then. That would be from a barred male over black hens??? and the offspring are difficult to tell? Am I correct here Bev?

If you cross a black on barred you are supposed to get sexlinked offspring.. female black and males barred.. is this correct?

 

[Hens and Roos]

thanks for starting this: we currently have 1 cuckoo hen who is hatchery and she lays at least 5 days out of 7 and maybe around a 4 in color. We also have this boy who was hatched out Jan 1st 2011, I traded another BYCer in my area for him as I liked his color.

This was taken after we got him so he was still stressed. I'll have to get a better picture.

 

[geebs]

do you have the leg feathering?

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
the boy does but not the hen...I am waiting till the boy gets a few months older, he is just 4 months now. The hen was the only survivor of 3 chicks I ordered with someone elses order.

 

[geebs]

storminstaff I am not seeing the egg color you were mentioning.. Love the pix of the babes staring full on!!! To die for!!!

 

[Lotsapaints]

Thanks Geebs I have both Silver and Golden Cuckoos very few with feathered shanks. My Silver Cuckoos have the best egg color my Goldens are barely 4's except for one she lays a 5/6 but her eggs seem to be hard to hatch...it's always something....
I did hatch this guy hopefully he'll grow up to replace my clean legged rooster.