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So cute, where did you get the eggs? I want a white Marans
So cute, where did you get the eggs? I want a white Marans
Let's talk Cuckoo and WHITE marans... breeding strategies...
- Thread starter geebs
- Start date
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Thanks for asking about the baby - he's doing great. A super efficient nurser, and sleeps pretty well too. After our first was colicky, I didn't know what to expect... and I've been thinking lately - Oh, so this is what most newborns are like! DW is doing great too, a much faster recovery than last time - less stairs, and less stress in nursing/putting to sleep. Just bathtime and changing is stressful for the new guy - he's a lean one like me, and doesn't like being cold!
So about Cuckoo or Silver Cuckoo and Birchen. Here's the thing. Even an Extended Black based bird, without the proper melanizers will have some hackle color. An example is your average Black Star or Black sex-link. They look Birchen-ish because they are crossed to a breed that doesn't carry the same level of melanizers as the barred hen parent. So the question is, will the standard ask for clear hackle, or just lighter colored hackle? The unworked standard on the MCCUSA says slightly lighter. So this could be worked in a couple different ways. An overmelanized Birchen - your typical overdark BC hen shows it's not hard to get just a "slightly" lighter hackle. OR you select EE extended black based birds with lighter hackle, and breed out some of the melanizer for a lighter hackle. I have no idea what affect this will have on corresponding hens and roos. If a properly colored hen, with lighter hackle will then throw roosters with not enough black or with white feathers. It could be messy, creating a standard that doesn't require separate breeding pens for hens and roos. I'm sure there will be popular lines with very different genetic backgrounds, and that crossing them will cause some strange results. Even the Braden cuckoos are not bred for genetic consistency, as he states.
Thanks for asking about the baby - he's doing great. A super efficient nurser, and sleeps pretty well too. After our first was colicky, I didn't know what to expect... and I've been thinking lately - Oh, so this is what most newborns are like! DW is doing great too, a much faster recovery than last time - less stairs, and less stress in nursing/putting to sleep. Just bathtime and changing is stressful for the new guy - he's a lean one like me, and doesn't like being cold!
So about Cuckoo or Silver Cuckoo and Birchen. Here's the thing. Even an Extended Black based bird, without the proper melanizers will have some hackle color. An example is your average Black Star or Black sex-link. They look Birchen-ish because they are crossed to a breed that doesn't carry the same level of melanizers as the barred hen parent. So the question is, will the standard ask for clear hackle, or just lighter colored hackle? The unworked standard on the MCCUSA says slightly lighter. So this could be worked in a couple different ways. An overmelanized Birchen - your typical overdark BC hen shows it's not hard to get just a "slightly" lighter hackle. OR you select EE extended black based birds with lighter hackle, and breed out some of the melanizer for a lighter hackle. I have no idea what affect this will have on corresponding hens and roos. If a properly colored hen, with lighter hackle will then throw roosters with not enough black or with white feathers. It could be messy, creating a standard that doesn't require separate breeding pens for hens and roos. I'm sure there will be popular lines with very different genetic backgrounds, and that crossing them will cause some strange results. Even the Braden cuckoos are not bred for genetic consistency, as he states.
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I know its odd. I have a huge old incubator and for the last three days I place the eggs in one of the bottom drawers in a bed of clean alfalfa hay. I have found that it does several things. It makes it easier for them to walk instead of on the wire and it helps hold heat and humidity. It also keeps the chicks from pooing on the ones below them. IT also give them something to practice pecking and eating while they fluff.
When they are done hatching I just remove he entire drawer and dump everything,clean, sanitize and dry it.
Time to go count them
I know its odd. I have a huge old incubator and for the last three days I place the eggs in one of the bottom drawers in a bed of clean alfalfa hay. I have found that it does several things. It makes it easier for them to walk instead of on the wire and it helps hold heat and humidity. It also keeps the chicks from pooing on the ones below them. IT also give them something to practice pecking and eating while they fluff.
When they are done hatching I just remove he entire drawer and dump everything,clean, sanitize and dry it.
Time to go count them
Quote:
I know its odd. I have a huge old incubator and for the last three days I place the eggs in one of the bottom drawers in a bed of clean alfalfa hay. I have found that it does several things. It makes it easier for them to walk instead of on the wire and it helps hold heat and humidity. It also keeps the chicks from pooing on the ones below them. IT also give them something to practice pecking and eating while they fluff.
When they are done hatching I just remove he entire drawer and dump everything,clean, sanitize and dry it.
Time to go count them
Can't wait to see the pics! Hope it was a successful hatch!
I know its odd. I have a huge old incubator and for the last three days I place the eggs in one of the bottom drawers in a bed of clean alfalfa hay. I have found that it does several things. It makes it easier for them to walk instead of on the wire and it helps hold heat and humidity. It also keeps the chicks from pooing on the ones below them. IT also give them something to practice pecking and eating while they fluff.
When they are done hatching I just remove he entire drawer and dump everything,clean, sanitize and dry it.
Time to go count them
Can't wait to see the pics! Hope it was a successful hatch!
10 out of 24 so far and more piping!!
6 cuckoo 4 white.
It is always so hard to resist checking them out. I have to just stay away from that side of the barn...I also have some really nice Pure Davis BCM, some soild blues that are Davis, hatching and some of my Bantam Marans. That is also exciting stuff!!
6 cuckoo 4 white.
It is always so hard to resist checking them out. I have to just stay away from that side of the barn...I also have some really nice Pure Davis BCM, some soild blues that are Davis, hatching and some of my Bantam Marans. That is also exciting stuff!!
YEA!!!!
e
Boy I am glad they hatched my fingers were starting to hurt
I am hatching too so far have 4 goldens, 5 solid blue, and 8 bl/bcm's. and more pips whenI left for work!
e
Boy I am glad they hatched my fingers were starting to hurt
I am hatching too so far have 4 goldens, 5 solid blue, and 8 bl/bcm's. and more pips whenI left for work!
Here are the results of the Cuckoo Rooster (Hansel) and the french cuckoo hen (Claire). This picture was taken mid April when they were at 9 weeks and looking good so far? (please let me know what you see). They have really grown in the past month and have nice size. The hatch consisted of 1 feathered pullet, 1 feathered roo and 1 clean roo:
I am anxious to see egg color from the pullet. Her mother has always laid lighter than the other cuckoo hens, but I am optimistic as my first generation of pullets from the rooster and clean legged hens have resulted in this egg color:
I am anxious to see egg color from the pullet. Her mother has always laid lighter than the other cuckoo hens, but I am optimistic as my first generation of pullets from the rooster and clean legged hens have resulted in this egg color:
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That pullet would definitely be considered a dark cuckoo in the UK. She looks nice. How's her eye color?
That pullet would definitely be considered a dark cuckoo in the UK. She looks nice. How's her eye color?
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That pullet would definitely be considered a dark cuckoo in the UK. She looks nice. How's her eye color?
Love the Dark Cuckoo. Her feathers almost look laced more than barred. The lighter one remids me of my bantam marans roo. He is blue and cuckoo.
That pullet would definitely be considered a dark cuckoo in the UK. She looks nice. How's her eye color?
Love the Dark Cuckoo. Her feathers almost look laced more than barred. The lighter one remids me of my bantam marans roo. He is blue and cuckoo.
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