Let's talk Golden Cuckoo Marans!

[buckabucka]

I've been skimming/searching this thread and noticed that Golden Cuckoo Marans don't seem to breed true. Just looking at the first post, you can get [COLOR=333333]Salmons, Silver cuckoos, blacks, wheatons marans roos. I only have 1 hen and 8 roos. The roos all look different, but the female (which I have nothing to compare it to) has the barred trait. Now due to the sex-linked barred gene, the females always look barred, right? Regarding the roos, you got a whole mess of genetics to work out. [/COLOR]My other question follows up on this: so since this breed does not breed true, is it really a breed? I don't have APA standards book yet, but I'm guessing they aren't listed under the marans section yet.

According to the French Standard a Marans has to lay at least a number 4 egg consistently to be called a Marans... and then you get into colors............anyways most all of the current Types breed true and the reason this kind does not is because of the limited stock in the US and that they only recently were developed. https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6689581/ If you replace the Leghorn in this chart with Wheaton Marans and the Barred Plymouth with plain Cuckoo Marans you are suposed to get Golden Cuckoo Marans and replace the Wheatons with Birchen the you will get Silver Cuckoo. This is my understanding

Thanks. This is very interesting to me, since I know little about the genetics or origins of this bird. So the feathered legs must come from the Wheaton Marans, but the Wheaton likely got them from some other cross. So dumb question, but is there an original chicken somewhere? I know you can make all kinds of crosses and there are mutations that happen, but what are the early origins of this bird?

 

[jbkirk]

Thanks. This is very interesting to me, since I know little about the genetics or origins of this bird. So the feathered legs must come from the Wheaton Marans, but the Wheaton likely got them from some other cross. So dumb question, but is there an original chicken somewhere? I know you can make all kinds of crosses and there are mutations that happen, but what are the early origins of this bird?

It developed in Marans France and is thought to have come about by genetic mutations and just all the random birds that were in that area at that time. I don't know much about the feathered legs though....

 

[rainbowchick]

My son would really love to raise gcms. I'm having a hard time finding them though. Of the three breeders I found online, two have not responded (two separate emails several months apart), and one (Bev Davis) won't have any available 2015 as she is still working on her lines.
We are in NC, but would love to get hatching eggs rather than chicks, so distance shouldn't be a problem. Anyone planning on having eggs available in the next month or two?
Oh, and he really cares about the egg color, so we'd like to find a breeder that has focused on that. We do have access to a high quality line of bcms to help correct type and egg color, but it'd be nice to have a good starting point too...

 

[chickee]

My son would really love to raise gcms. I'm having a hard time finding them though. Of the three breeders I found online, two have not responded (two separate emails several months apart), and one (Bev Davis) won't have any available 2015 as she is still working on her lines.
We are in NC, but would love to get hatching eggs rather than chicks, so distance shouldn't be a problem. Anyone planning on having eggs available in the next month or two?
Oh, and he really cares about the egg color, so we'd like to find a breeder that has focused on that. We do have access to a high quality line of bcms to help correct type and egg color, but it'd be nice to have a good starting point too...

My GCMs are just starting to lay again, so I should have enough eggs to sell in another month or two. I am only getting 1-3 eggs a day right now. My pullets are Davis/ Jean/ Braden lines and my rooster Bev Davis lines that had black copper Marans (Davis I believe) added in a few generations back to improve type and egg color. I am working on egg color, especially the holding power of that dark color through the laying cycle. I haven't been working the GCMs for long, but I think they have pretty good egg color and type compared to many others I've seen.

 

[rainbowchick]

That sounds great! We are planning on doing a test hatch in our incubator in the next few weeks, then we should be ready for a shipment of eggs in March. My son is planning on buying the hatching eggs with his own money, so I'm not sure what price you charge, but we were hoping to get 8-12 eggs for under $40 (with shipping included).
I noticed your flock list, can I also ask what line(s)of Ameraucanas you have? Those are one I was interested in...

 

[chickee]

None of my Ameraucanas are laying yet. They tend to take a long winter break, but once they start they crank out the eggs pretty good. Not like the Marans, but not bad either. My lines are Pips&Peeps, Paul Smith and I just added an old, hard to find, pure, wheaten/blue wheaten line from Cree.

I will PM you with availability and egg prices.

 

[cynstaub]

My GCM's are 4 months old. I thinned the flock to just 3 (I do have one other hen that's 8 weeks old), a rooster and two hens. Well, I haven't been paying a lot of attention to them as I had a bunch of chicks and was preoccupied. Today I was sitting out in the coop with all of them and was looking at my GCM hen....what? Sickle feathers? This was a true GCM hen chick in all regards! It is clearly, clearly a rooster. How I missed it recently, I don't know...could be something to do with 30 other chickens, a full time job and 3 little boys but that's another matter.
She's a he! I'm very disappointed : ( Now I only have 2 hens. I don't want to do anymore chicks right now. Boo.

Oh well......now, to decide which Rooster to keep. They are different shades. One is much lighter and one is more dark golden. The lighter roo Jericho, has truly amazing feathered feet and a bigger comb. Take a look and tell me what you think. Thanks!!

 

[chickee]

My GCM's are 4 months old. I thinned the flock to just 3 (I do have one other hen that's 8 weeks old), a rooster and two hens. Well, I haven't been paying a lot of attention to them as I had a bunch of chicks and was preoccupied. Today I was sitting out in the coop with all of them and was looking at my GCM hen....what? Sickle feathers? This was a true GCM hen chick in all regards! It is clearly, clearly a rooster. How I missed it recently, I don't know...could be something to do with 30 other chickens, a full time job and 3 little boys but that's another matter.
She's a he! I'm very disappointed : ( Now I only have 2 hens. I don't want to do anymore chicks right now. Boo.

Oh well......now, to decide which Rooster to keep. They are different shades. One is much lighter and one is more dark golden. The lighter roo Jericho, has truly amazing feathered feet and a bigger comb. Take a look and tell me what you think. Thanks!!

I like the darker one. He has a better topline, fuller chest, lower tail set, plus I am partial to the darker gold color. Nice boys! Who did you get yours from?

 

[rainbowchick]

I like the darker one's more even coloring, although it looks like he doesn't have as much barring in his tail as the light one? I'd personally prefer better barring, but maybe that's just me, and not the breed consensus...

 

[jbkirk]

The lighter colored one has a Better comb, tail position (45 degrees), barring and should have a little bit darker Coloring though the darker one has more consistent coloring and should be a bit more than a bit lighter.
This is MY understanding of the desired Quality's