Wheaton maran chick from cuckoo maran parents?

[lonnyandrinda]

Is it possible to hatch a wheaton maran from cuckoo maran parents? Bought 3 hatching eggs from a lady, she said the only dark layers she has are cuckoo marans yet I hatched out two black chicks and one pure yellow chick. From what I'm reading on the forums wheaton marans are often thrown from impure black copper maran lines, but I can't find anything about them coming from cuckoo maran lines. I can't get a straight answer from this lady about why I got a yellow chick- I hate to think badly about a fellow chicken-friend but it sounds like she got her roosters mixed up and doesn't want to admit it. I'm not mad about it although I think it's dishonest, just trying to figure out what exactly I have!

Any thoughts?

 

[fergy623]

Did you get anywhere with your quest for info? I too am confused. I have or had only Cuckoo marans. and 3 old hens and one rooster. All purebreed cuckoos. We hatched out Plenty of Cuckoos and I would say we have about 40 % of these birds are Black with copper or orange eyes. I don't really know what to think or do about this. I will be separating the three hens this winter and allow the boy to visit untill I have enough Identified eggs to set up a trial. Then I just have to wait. I also see this might clear up those questions I have is to which hen I have puts off the few rumpless birds. but thats another situation. unless the incubation is the cause of rumpless chicks.

 

[3riverschick]

Is it possible to hatch a wheaton maran from cuckoo maran parents? Bought 3 hatching eggs from a lady, she said the only dark layers she has are cuckoo marans yet I hatched out two black chicks and one pure yellow chick. From what I'm reading on the forums wheaton marans are often thrown from impure black copper maran lines, but I can't find anything about them coming from cuckoo maran lines. I can't get a straight answer from this lady about why I got a yellow chick- I hate to think badly about a fellow chicken-friend but it sounds like she got her roosters mixed up and doesn't want to admit it. I'm not mad about it although I think it's dishonest, just trying to figure out what exactly I have!

Any thoughts?

Hi
Cuckoo Marans do throw black chicks. that's just part of the genetics of cuckoo. As for the yellow chick, grow it out and see what you get. Could be a Black Tailed Buff. Pure cuckoo are black and white birds, so should not throw gold birds. At any rate, it's an interestng chick. Take pics of it as it grows to document its coloring during development. I wouldn't worry about the breeder. the way things are with homogenized strains in Marans, it's very possible this is a complete surprise to her and she doesn't know where the gold chick came from either. Don't be mad, be curious, smile.
If you want some nice show Black Copper Marans, buy some from the three Texas breeders Peggy Taylor, Ernie Haire, or Mrs. Roberston. They all know each other and you can find their contact info in the breeders directory at Marans Chicken Club and Marans of America Club. All three show their birds and the win consistntly in top competition.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

 

[nicalandia]

Is it possible to hatch a wheaton maran from cuckoo maran parents?

Yes very very possible, remember that there are wheaten marans also, so if at any time of their recent history both parents(rooster and Hen) were mixed with a wheaten maran line... the Cuckoos have the most dominant e allele, which is Extended Black(E/E) and Wheaten has one the most recessive e allele found on chickens, which is the Wheaten e allele(eWh/eWh) if you cross Cuckoo and wheaten marans all of your first cross(F1) will come out looking like Cuckoo maran at chick(black down) and when they fully mature.. and since they look like your everyday cuckoo maran there is now way to tell they are heterozygotes E/eWh.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Wow I had forgotten I made this post. Well unfortunately a few months after I posted my dog ripped into the grower coop during a storm and killed ALL my babies. It was very sad. That dog is no longer with us, super sweet and good with the chickens until a thunderstorm came through. It happened repeatedly so she had to go. We get too many of those storms whip up unexpectedly in Oklahoma.
Here is one of the last pictures I had of her. The two black ones are the others that came from the maran eggs, I really do think they were just maran mixes. The pure white chick was a white ameraucana. As the yellow maran chick grew more and more black splotches came out. As I did some reading, cuckoo marans can very rarely throw a splash sport? I think that's what she was. Wish she was still with us.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Here are their "baby" pictures.

 

[Luv-R-Chickens]

I sure am thankful for all the people who take time to post info on here. I learn alot from all of you. So happy to be able to gain wisdom from your
expertise. I was wondering about the Cuckoo Maran crossed with the Wheaten Maran because that's what I have in one of our breeding pens.
Thanks again.

 

[Luv-R-Chickens]

Here's the lovely pair of Marans. I just put some of her eggs in the bator. Now I know they will be cuckoo'd.

First generation mating.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Yay! Congrats and happy hatching!