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

[Goose and Fig]

Quote:
Now that I look at "her" picture again, it that a little red wattle I see??

ps- did you have any hatch with were feather legged?

I got quite a mix from that hatch, but the others all look like plain silver cuckoo clean-legged, and that one that looks like a rhodebar.

I have some from other breeders with feathered shanks, but they are still tiny.

Going out to lok at that one again. It certainly looks more girly than the hatchmates, and it had a tail first, but now I don't know

 

[Harris5]

Here is his pullet hatchmate...

As a chick:

Her now:

 

[Harris5]

And others hatched from the same parent birds:

A silver cockerel:

A lighter colored cockerel:

And a dark colored pullet:

Any ideas what is going on genetically with this group?? Is it a mess or worth working with? Thanks!!

 

[Harris5]

Quote:
Now that I look at "her" picture again, it that a little red wattle I see??

ps- did you have any hatch with were feather legged?

I got quite a mix from that hatch, but the others all look like plain silver cuckoo clean-legged, and that one that looks like a rhodebar.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/28521_100_4274.jpg

I have some from other breeders with feathered shanks, but they are still tiny.

Going out to lok at that one again. It certainly looks more girly than the hatchmates, and it had a tail first, but now I don't know

This one is very golden. It almost glows!

 

[Raven1]

Happymtn- Your chicks look fat and fit! I can see way more golden in this picture of them. I have a few good ones coming along but will get to see the new roosters chicks this week from a broody hope they are better still.

 

[VillageChicken]

Quote:
Well the unbarred daughter means that the parent rooster has only one gene for barring. I think the original cockerel you showed has only one also. This doesn't affect the barred/cuckoo daughters, they should be fine. Your new cockerel will throw unbarred hens about 50% of the time, even if paired up with a cuckoo hen. But he might get you a good double factor barred rooster if bred back to his mother.

Not sure what's going on with the lighter cockerel. What color was his chickdown? That dark pullet looks like she's just missing the barring gene, kind of like a mossy black copper.

 

[Raven1]

Well VC I guess you nailed it on the chick down I do have Exchequer Leghorns and that is what the blk and wht chick down looks like.

 

[Harris5]

VC...thanks, so much, for the input! This is the light colored cockerel as a chick:

 

[Hens and Roos]

Thought I'd share a picture of our Cuckoo boy "Hilarious" and his 3 girls- we just moved them all into this pen yesterday and they are getting along like they grew up together.

Also thought I'd share a picture of what was in the pen this am, the egg is from the cuckoo hen but not sure which one laid the thin shell as the other 2 Blue Marans girls each laid yesterday and they lay a much darker egg!

 

[admhotel]

Quick question for the genetics gurus;
I have both golden cuckoo and BBS marans. One of my GC cockerels has the double barring, If I put him over the splash hens I should get all blue cuckoo correct?

I know with him as sire I should get all cuckoo chicks, and I know black to splash should make all blue, just not sure how they work together.