Let's talk Golden Cuckoo Marans!

[morbius18]

Looks like your birds carry wheaten? That is the color my wheaten Marans chicks are.

I had one pop up with my easter egger cross with the rooster as well. It is definitely white. I just assumed easter egger = random breeds= random colors. This last batch of easter eggers gave me some weird colors. Some cuckoo, 1 black with gold laced feathers on breast/neck, and 1 chocolate with gold on neck. I cannot figure that one out, they SHOULD be cuckoo as the male is double barred. But again, with easter egger hens the genes are a mystery.

I also crossed him with a buff orpington hen, which carry e^wh, and didnt have any wheaten chicks. So I don't think it is Wheaten, but I guess time will tell.

This is the white easter egger cross:

 

[morbius18]

I came home and the white chick was cheeping loudly, I checked the brooder out, it was on it's back flailing around. I picked it up and it went limp and died. So, I guess something wasn't quite right with it. I did assist it hatching as well.

I guess I'll have to see if it repeats itself in my next hatch.

 

[morbius18]

Here are 2 of the GCM rooster crossed with a buff orpington. Should be ER/e^wh birds:

At hatch:

Now about 3 weeks old pullet and cockeral:

This is a hen that I have now from the same cross:

Now:

I haven't raised large numbers of these though, about 10. But I should have half wheaten if the Rooster carries it.

 

[chickee]

I came home and the white chick was cheeping loudly, I checked the brooder out, it was on it's back flailing around. I picked it up and it went limp and died. So, I guess something wasn't quite right with it. I did assist it hatching as well.

I guess I'll have to see if it repeats itself in my next hatch.

How sad

I just had a rough hatch with wheaten Marans eggs I bought from a local breeder. Not sure what happened. Possibly a vitamin deficiency in the parent birds. All my own eggs incubated with them hatched perfectly.

 

[chickee]

Here are 2 of the GCM rooster crossed with a buff orpington. Should be ER/e^wh birds:

At hatch:

Now about 3 weeks old pullet and cockeral:

This is a hen that I have now from the same cross:

Now:

I haven't raised large numbers of these though, about 10. But I should have half wheaten if the Rooster carries it.

That cross makes some really pretty birds!

 

[morbius18]

That cross makes some really pretty birds!

And super fat hens, the big one is the size of a buff orpington hen and she's about 9 months old.

 

[morbius18]

I took a few more pics. I love taking them for my records too.
Cockeral:

He's showing some color on his wings, don't know if it's variation or sexual dimorphism showing. But it is early yet. The colored barring pattern is nice though. He's also ALOT bigger than my GCM chicks of the same age:

Pullet:

Both are showing the cuckoo barring with gold color, and nice leg feathering.

 

[morbius18]

Here is a weird chocolate one. When it was hatched, it was brown. Feathering in, he is still chocolate with some gold. He's an easter egger cross with my GCM rooster.

I see faint barring with brown, but I don't know if this is a lacing or a cuckoo barring. But he "should" be cuckoo since the rooster is double barred.

 

[morbius18]

Since I'm on a roll with all my "mutts", here is the last one. Another easter egger cross that "should" be cuckoo. This guy is black copper black. Was solid black as a chick. Feathering in, he appears to have black on almost black cuckoo pattern:

This chick and the chocolate one from the last post share the same mother:

And the weird thing is, she's thrown regular cuckoo chicks from the same pairing.

 

[morbius18]

There must also be something with the pea comb/blue egg gene that inhibits leg feathering, or something with the Buff Orpington that encourages it. My buff crosses could pass as a Marans for leg feathering. Father - feathered shanks, mother - none. My easter egger crosses have 3-6 stubs and no real feathers. Father - feathered shanks, mother - none.

GCM marans:

GCM x Buff orpington:

GCM x easter egger:

Anyone have any insight on the feathered shank genes?