Rolo Rabbit Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hi everyone. We've ordered a cuckoo Maran but I've just read in my chicken book that marans 'prefer not to be handled and can be a bit temperamental.'As we have 2 children we were hoping for nice, friendly hens. What do you all think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnwithoutanE Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hi We replaced our Gingernut & Peppercorn with a Cuckoo & a crested chook about 3 weeks ago. They are just boring! Not a lot about them at all, they just sit about in the garden minding their own business regardless of what we try and tempt them with to be more sociable! No more running up the garden every time I open the back door! Stick to the friendlier breeds I say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I have 2 French Wheaten Marans - they are very pretty, very friendly and really good layers of lovely dark eggs.. They love walking round the handrails of the deck like a tight-rope, and come up and sit at the back door (even though they're 'banned' from there now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Rabbit Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 Ooh! Very different replies! Your two girls look gorgeous and sound lovely too Feemcg. Does the 'cuckoo' bit just refer to their colour or is there a whole breed which would have a different personality from yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnwithoutanE Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 We got the new birds from Merrydale Poultry. They look lovely, but in the words of the Simply Red song "beautiful but oh so boring!" The Cuckoo is called a Merrydale Cuckoo because of its markings I guess- grey with lighter grey specks. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with either Merrydale or the 2 new birds, but having had 2 Omlet chickens to start off with we thought that all chickens were the same- WRONG!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Rabbit Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 If it's not a rude question,annwithoutane, why did you swap your chickens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnwithoutanE Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 We did not swop the Omlet chiocken, they both died just before Christmas within about 3 weeks of each other. I guess we waited until after the holiday and started to look for new ones and found these on the web Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 (edited) I have a cuckoo maran that I got last November. She isn't the friendliest of the 5, but I can still pick her up. Once she is settled, she is fine. Lays lovely dark eggs too. Not the best picture - She is the one standing up at the front. Edited February 11, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 we thought that all chickens were the same- WRONG!!!! They are all little individuals, aren't they? Angelica, my Wyandotte bantam, isn't what you'd call friendly - she hates being picked up - but she comes running whenever she sees me. Cupboard love BTW, AnnewithoutanE, you need to put a space between 'green' and 'eglu' to get the picture of one in your profile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Cuckoo Marans are similar to Speckledy hybrids - black and grey. As for personalities - I think it depends mostly on individual hens rather than breeds. I would never hatch or keep Welsummers again as I found them noisy, nervy and unfriendly - someone on the forum has a gentle, friendly Welsummer. Similarly my Buff Sussex are so friendly I trip over them as they follow me around, someone else on here can't get near their timid Buff Sussex. So you see, everyone has different experiences. I personally think there are nicer colours of Marans than 'cuckoo' but thats just my own taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnwithoutanE Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Like that you mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Rabbit Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 Sorry Annwithoutane - I mis-read your reply. From what you've all said it's probably hit and miss whether we get a friendly cuckoo maran or not. I love the colour of Christian's so I think we'll stick with it for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 My welsummer is a doll, and my maran is lovely for a cuddle (but she has foot issues and can't run away...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 We have a cuckoo maran, she is very easy to pick up, a reliable layer, she's a very busy little hen which is strange as sometimes their character is described as lazy and our maran certainly isnt lazy!! She's greedy, friendly, inquisitive and always barging in the kitchen door. We wouldnt be without her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...