Let's talk Golden Cuckoo Marans!

[morbius18]

My golden cuckoo olive eggers are progressing nicely and look exactly like my marans, with the exception of the combs and light leg feathering.

Golden cuckoo marans:

Golden cuckoo olive egger:

 

[cree57i]

These guys are definitely a project and I know they have a bunch of faults, but I am hoping to get some constructive advice. There are more pullets and another rooster, but they weren't around for pictures. These are pretty representative.

GCM X BCM. His sisters have decent egg color. He has light feathering on his legs that doesn't show in this pic. 8 months old.

Pullet 4 months old.



4 month old pullets



4 month old cockerel and pullets

Hen

Hen-Mother to BCM X GCM. Poor egg color.

 

[morbius18]

These guys are definitely a project and I know they have a bunch of faults, but I am hoping to get some constructive advice. There are more pullets and another rooster, but they weren't around for pictures. These are pretty representative. GCM X BCM. His sisters have decent egg color. He has light feathering on his legs that doesn't show in this pic. 8 months old. Pullet 4 months old. 4 month old pullets 4 month old cockerel and pullets Hen Hen-Mother to BCM X GCM. Poor egg color.

The 4 month old cockerel seems pretty good. He appears double barred. The Rooster you have pictured is really dark, even for being single barred. I'd work on replacing him. The hen as well, she appears almost plain cuckoo with a little golding of the hackles. The really light leg featheting should be worked with as well. Something like this should be visable:

Your 4 month old pullet strongly resembles my Golden cuckoo crossed with a buff orpington:

That being said, the pullet appears e+ based with a salmon breast appearance. Is she a cross with the BCM or between the two hen and rooster you have pictured? I also see you are in TN as well. Do you have an incubator?

 

[cree57i]

The 4 month old cockerel seems pretty good. He appears double barred. The Rooster you have pictured is really dark, even for being single barred. I'd work on replacing him. The hen as well, she appears almost plain cuckoo with a little golding of the hackles.

The really light leg featheting should be worked with as well.

Something like this should be visable:


Your 4 month old pullet strongly resembles my Golden cuckoo crossed with a buff orpington:



That being said, the pullet appears e+ based with a salmon breast appearance. Is she a cross with the BCM or between the two hen and rooster you have pictured?

I also see you are in TN as well. Do you have an incubator?

Yes I do have incubators. I am east of Nashville.

The 4 month olds came from Papa Brooder in CA. and they are all very light. They were supposed to be pure bred GCM. As I look at the ones on here, they do look crossed with something else though. The pullets almost look partridge instead of barred. The others were from eggs I got locally. Sounds like the one rooster is a keeper and the rest need to go to the recycle bin.
.

 

[morbius18]

Yes I do have incubators. I am east of Nashville.

The 4 month olds came from Papa Brooder in CA. and they are all very light. They were supposed to be pure bred GCM. As I look at the ones on here, they do look crossed with something else though. The pullets almost look partridge instead of barred. The others were from eggs I got locally. Sounds like the one rooster is a keeper and the rest need to go to the recycle bin.
.

I'd take the light rooster and cross with a bcm to improve egg color and work on not having the salmon females. I've gotten really good results doing this.

Cockerals via this cross:

Pullets via this cross:

 

[morbius18]

Yes I do have incubators. I am east of Nashville.

The 4 month olds came from Papa Brooder in CA. and they are all very light. They were supposed to be pure bred GCM. As I look at the ones on here, they do look crossed with something else though. The pullets almost look partridge instead of barred. The others were from eggs I got locally. Sounds like the one rooster is a keeper and the rest need to go to the recycle bin.
.

I don't think that yours are crossed with something else. I think it looks like You are seeing e+ duckwing based birds. Do the pullets have a wing triangle? The e+ duckwing based birds have a salmon chest. The ER birchen based birds are cuckoo with a gold neck.

 

[morbius18]

Here's another of the GCM BO cross when she was 4 months.

 

[cree57i]

Here's another of the GCM BO cross when she was 4 months.

That looks almost identical to mine. Aggrevating, but I knew they didn't look right. I'm just going to sell them and start over.

 

[morbius18]

When mine get going, I can send you some eggs for free, if you pay shipping.

 

[cree57i]

When mine get going, I can send you some eggs for free, if you pay shipping.

That is very kind of you. I would be honored to have some of your chicks! I know you have put a bunch of work into them.