Golden Cuckoo Marans - how to tell the sex of chicks?

[VioletBlueBell]

Hi! I just got two Golden Cuckoo Marans. I keep hearing different things about how to tell the sex of chicks for this breed. I've heard the black chicks are hens and brown are Roos. Then I've also heard that color doesn't matter, it just depends if they have spots on their heads. Spots means Roos. Help!

 

[JedJackson]

Hi! I just got two Golden Cuckoo Marans. I keep hearing different things about how to tell the sex of chicks for this breed. I've heard the black chicks are hens and brown are Roos. Then I've also heard that color doesn't matter, it just depends if they have spots on their heads. Spots means Roos. Help!

As I understand it, the reason you're hearing different things is because GCMs are created using different Marans varieties, depending on the breeder. Some may use black coppers, some may use wheatens to cross with cuckoo Marans to create the breed. So unless you know what varieties the breeder used it's difficult to say how the chicks can be differentiated. But since your chicks look so different, I would assume you have one male and one female.

You could try posting in here to get better answers https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/general-breed-discussions-faq.14/

Or just post in the biggest Marans thread in this forum.

 

[drumstick diva]

Thanks Jed, I didn't know that about GCMs

 

[The Moonshiner]

I didn't know much about the variety myself but it did come up in a thread the other day.
Like any barred/cuckoo variety pullets have a smaller more defined head spot and.males have a larger head spot with more faded edges.
With auto sexing breeds the effect of males having two copies of barring and females only one the males color/pattern is diluted. Males are lighter colored at hatch.
I wasn't sure how well it would show on a birchen chick but was shown a pic and in it it was clear as day. Females were black or black with brown and male was more of a grey then black.
Going by over all color/pattern and head spots I'd say two pullets.

I think this is the most active marans thread. Surely someone there can help with GCM.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-thread-breeding-to-the-sop.1122465/page-856

 

[JedJackson]

I didn't know much about the variety myself but it did come up in a thread the other day.
Like any barred/cuckoo variety pullets have a smaller more defined head spot and.males have a larger head spot with more faded edges.
With auto sexing breeds the effect of males having two copies of barring and females only one the males color/pattern is diluted. Males are lighter colored at hatch.
I wasn't sure how well it would show on a birchen chick but was shown a pic and in it it was clear as day. Females were black or black with brown and male was more of a grey then black.
Going by over all color/pattern and head spots I'd say two pullets.

I think this is the most active marans thread. Surely someone there can help with GCM.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-thread-breeding-to-the-sop.1122465/page-856

That makes sense. For those that haven't looked it up, cuckoo Marans are basically the birchen color pattern with the barring gene added, which differentiates them from barred rocks, which are black with the barring gene. So they are different in color genetics as well as in appearance from Barred rocks. It would be great if both these chicks were pullets (assuming that's what the original poster wants, of course.)

 

[VioletBlueBell]

Here's an update. What do you guys think? Pullets or Roos?

 

[VioletBlueBell]

Thought I’d post an update! The brown chick ended up a pullet, and the grey/black chick ended up a cockerel! Thoughts on this based on their color as chicks?