Anyone else receive INFERTILE $70 Black Copper marans Eggs 12/2008?

[seaOFmarans]

Hey guys,

I purchase a dozen black copper marans eggs (really dark) from a fellow in Mass. I contacted him in December, he had eggs, I paid paypal $70, and had to ask weekly where my eggs were.

The eggs were finally shipped by way of UPS 2nd day air around 12/16/2008. I received, incubated next to some lighter blue coppers I had in the bator. Sadly all the blue coppers hatched, 1 of the bcm from the fellow started to pip and died in the shell, and the rest were INFERTILE.

I sent the fellow pics of the eggs - all cracked open and asked if he'd had fertility probs. He claimed not to, and said he would get back to me when he had time.

A week went by and I'd asked about it again, he said he was busy and wasn't abandoning me on the subject...just wanted to let me know.

To make a long-drawn-out-story, short; he FINALLY "admitted" that he may have had a fertility problem as other people that he had shipped to, had the same problem. Mind you, we are already into nearly February by the time I got THAT response. So, he was going to do a test hatch and said he would happily send out another set if I covered shipping. He just wanted me to have a successful hatch. HIS WORDS, NOT MINE!

I gave him plenty of time- Feb finished, March went by, April came and went. By May, I figured he must have had a hard time w/ fertility and I'd better write to see what was happening.

NOTHING. April- no response, MAY-nothing back, and June AND JULY- No response to PLEADING emails about what was happening. I even asked if he didn't plan on following through w/ his original offer, PLEASE TELL ME. I did not want a flock of a bunch different BLACK COPPER MARANS. I was RELIGIOUSLY WAITING for HIS...that is why I paid $70 in the FIRST PLACE.

I NEVER asked for my money back.

I am writing to find out if anyone else had this experience around the same time..as he did INDEED claim that he had a few others that had the same experience.

Thank you for any response.

SeaOFmarans

 

[1lpoock]

Wow...i'm so sorry, $70 is a lot to just lose, but his customer service is even worse! Did you buy them on ebay or where...you should tell people who it was so they dont have the same experience.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

I would email him one more time and I would also put a complaint in with Paypal and let him know you put that complaint in.


I would not post his name on here without warning him you were going to do that first.


Sometimes life just over whelms us all and we try to bury our heads in the sand. But I would still give him one more chance and let him know I told paypal about him and that if he didn't resolve this soon I would post his name on the chicken forum you belong to. That might push him to face this and take care of it.

 

[seaOFmarans]

I've already given the "ONe last chance" - TWICE! The last 3 times I wrote was June 15, and the ONE LAST CHANCES were: June 24, and July 14. Mind you, he wrote:

"...so have set a batch of eggs to check fertility myself. I should
know more in a week or so. I can offer you more eggs at no cost if you
would be willing to pay shipping once we determine that my fertility
is good. I know how disappointing it can be and understand the
investment made."

Before that, I emailed him Feb 14, March 3, March 29, etc.

It is too late for paypal to get involved...the payment was made back in Dec of 2008. I am starting to feel like he made me think he was going to take care of it, so I didn't file a dispute...and now it is too late

 

[cottagegarden]

Seaofmarans-I am sorry you have had this frustrating experience.
I wish people would be more honest. Marans are amazing birds.
There are fertility issues with breeders. There is chick mortality, and they are more of a challenge to hatch in general. There is a limited gene pool and there are health issues. They arent as hardy as other breeds and BCM Roosters die at about a year. Most people have spent many times what you have and still dont have much that meets the Standard. Its very frustrating.
But those are the facts.
I am sad to see people keep thinking the problems are things they did.
Keep with your breeder and see what you can work out.
if you search his name other buyers may come up, isnt the first time Ive heard it.

Hang in there with the breed. Its more work...but worth it.

 

[onthespot]

I can tell by what you didn't say in your story who this is. Call Bev Davis and ask her to put pressure on him and he should get you squared away.

His eggs ARE dark, and he wins egg contests, but a LOT of people have had zero hatches from him, terrible communication, blowing them off for months, disappearing act. Not sure what is going on in his personal life, but he should at least tend to his "chicken life" if he is charging that much for eggs, or ANY amount, for that matter. He knows he has a problem and he is not being forthright and he is not making things right on people he took BIG money from, at least not without a lot of help from other members of the Marans Club of America. Same thing goes for his olive eggs from what I have heard, FWIW.

 

[seaOFmarans]

Quote:
Thank you so much. You are all very nice. I appreciate your kindness. I don't feel bad for myself. I just really want to find out if anyone had the same experience w/ the fertility of the eggs as he said, or if it was just me.

I do, indeed have some blue copper marans that I LOVE madly, right now. They are ALL sick with coughing and blood coming out of their mucusy throat when they shake their heads from not being able to get their breath. I've never seen anything like it before in alllll my chicken years. I've been giving them antibiotics since it hit, and in total have lost 14 birds from it, so far.

I have found others that have said it is a respiratory issues w/ marans, but not sure if mine is the same. As none of them mention blood.

The egg color on his eggs are still the darkest I've ever seen. This is why I didn't have a problem paying that amount. And I would do it again (if I had it!) for that dark of an egg, that was actually THAT dark in person! Not from him, of course. I found him through BYC after someone posted a picture of his eggs winning an egg show.

 

[WalkingWolf]

I suggest you contact GreenFireFarms for your BCM eggs or chicks. I have dealt with them on Pumpkins and they are great to deal with. The price is only slightly higher for their eggs.

http://www.greenfirefarms.com/store/marans

 

[mountaintopchicken]

They are ALL sick with coughing and blood coming out of their mucusy throat when they shake their heads from not being able to get their breath.

That sounds like ILT . I hope I'm wrong.

Unfortunately, it sounds as if that breeder has made a decision to ignore e-mails. There's no other explanation for ignoring that many. I hope you find a way to work this issue out with this person - have you tried calling?​

 

[cottagegarden]

"I do, indeed have some blue copper marans that I LOVE madly, right now. They are ALL sick with coughing and blood coming out of their mucusy throat when they shake their heads from not being able to get their breath. I've never seen anything like it before in alllll my chicken years. I've been giving them antibiotics since it hit, and in total have lost 14 birds from it, so far. "




Seaofmarans-that doesnt sound good. Blood and mucus could be Laryngotracheitis, which is a disease and not a specific Marans problem. Pls read up on it and other resperatory problems and get some info on getting a necropsy done on one. There is no cure. Any birds surviving this will remain carriers and you would want to make sure this isnt at your place before you bought any more pricy eggs.
This is not transmitted thru the egg.
Im not trying to scare you, but anytime you have birds die there is a possibility that something is going in.