Black Copper Maran Eggs

[drom]

Wow-pics are great! thanks for posting them!

Your Roo is a beauty. You know I went ahead and bought some BC eggs from her via e-bay on Saturday night. I was thinking maybe she could incubate them for me however, I am in Northern Cal and it turns out she does not ship chicks, so I guess there is no way for me to get them up here.

I was actually looking for a pullet and finally just said what the heck, I will just bid on some eggs. Anyway, I have never actually hatched out eggs before. Ahahhahha! So, I am trying to find someone here local in my area who is really experienced with an incubator or has a good hen to hatch them for me. If I can't find anyone, I am just going to get a hova bator with a fan and give it a go.

Kind of wish I had seen your post before I bought the eggs, but I am not actually looking for a roo anyway. I have plenty of space-I am on 2 acres in a rural town, but just want a pretty egg layer.
It is nice to see everyone is so happy with Donna!!!

Thanks





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Hi drom. Bayhorsebonne will hatch the eggs for you for an extra $15. I will be very happy to take any extras off your hands!

Here is a pic of bayhorsebonne's eggs, later in the laying cycle, after they had been laying for eight months. I stopped by her house and these were on the table and I just snapped a shot. It was not a "set up" shot of the best eggs or anything. As you can see, the color varies, but the dark ones are still pretty dark. These birds she is breeding this season are producing mostly a F1 cross between Gene Wade and Ron Presley lines, both well respected breeders in the marans world.
http://hawkinsquarter.com/images/patty/chickens/donnasmaranseggs.jpg


I bought six eggs and put them unde a silkie. All were fertile, one pipped upside down and drowned. Here are the five that hatched.
http://hawkinsquarter.com/images/patty/chickens/standingproud.jpg

Here is a young roo from that cross at age three months, three weeks. He is good sized, with gorgeous plumage and a good personality and a nice comb. When I took him over to Donna to have her look at him because i just couldn't believe how pretty he was, her first words were "WOW! I may have to borrow him when he gets old enough! This is exactly what I breed for!" which made me feel really good. I have five roos and am only keeping three. Is the one bird you want perchance a roo? If so, let me know. They are young so I have not made my final choice yet, but no matter what, there will be either two or three available in a few months.
http://hawkinsquarter.com/images/patty/chickens/lightninglying.jpg

 

[onthespot]

Try to find someone with a broody. That will probably be your best bet, better than an incubator. Either way, best of luck! Keep us posted, and let me know if you end up with too many birds!

 

[drom]

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If I'm lucky, I will end up with too many and if that's the case will want to get in touch with you.

Thanks!

 

[tfpets]

All of these Marans are just beautiful! Makes me want more too!

I just hatched 10 Black Copper Marans last week - Dont know how many boys or girls I will have, and I only plan to keep at the most four girls if there are that many, and maybe one boy...I live in Chico/Forest Ranch.

No idea what heritage they have - I bought the eggs from Carla Freestep/Freestep Farm here in Chico...I will be looking for homes for some of these babies later

Oh, and I really want to get some Blue and Wheaten Marans also! I can incubate eggs, just have to get ahold of them!

Marans rock! Oh, and so do all the other chickens!

 

[drom]

Oh jeez. I didn't know there was anyone in Chico. This site makes it really a lot easier to find people. I didn't even know there was anyone in California I could get a bird from until I starting posting here. I had only heard about a person in Roseville, but didn't get a response from her when I sent an e-mail. Did you like the eggs you got from Freestep? Were they pretty dark?

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[tfpets]

Yeah, I am in Chico/ Forest Ranch.
I have gotten poultry/eggs from Carla Freestep, she's in Durham. She has a website and often has poultry for sale. I love Carlas Marans eggs - I got 12 Black Copper Marans eggs from her and the lighter ones ranged from much much darker than a typical store bought "brown egg" to most that were waaay darker than my own Cuckoo Marans eggs. I was impressed. Out of 12 eggs, I had 10 hatch, 1 was clear, 1 quit half way through incubation. I cant wait to see what my newly hatched babies turn out like! Carla's site says she's not selling/shipping Black Copper eggs any more this season - but I didnt need mine shipped either. Email her and she may still work something out?
I got my adult pair of Cuckoo Marans from her also, and my rooster is by far one of nicest characters in the pet yard, protective of his ladies but very gentle to his people.
Also in the Chico area is Tina Cardin of the Two by Two Petting Zoo. She often has sales of poultry and puts them on Chico Craigslist sometimes. She has a website too. (Not me, I'm a different Tina)
Keep in touch - it's nice to know of others in the around our neck of the woods/Northern California. I've even given someone in Redding some of my Call Duck Eggs. Got mixed up and accidentally gave her a chicken egg which she hatched, oops. She's a good sport though, named it Duck.
Take Care,
Tina

 

[onthespot]

Here is an update photo of bayhorsebonne's line. He is four months three weeks old in this picture.

 

[drom]

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Cute Pictures! You know, that enclosed yard looks like the perfect chicken sanctuary to me. I am on a small rural property and I have great fencing all around the property but it is horse fencing; 5 1/2 feet and 4 rail and the birds could walk right under it if they got to the edge of the property. So I am building a large coop. I would love to let them out to scratch around when I am watching them but I am afraid they will wander too far.

Anyway, your yard looks safe for them and it's nice you can at least keep hens in the city.

 

[adeledamate]

Wow Patty.(Onthespot) Is that Lightning?!! He is so beautiful!!! He looks so happy and proud!!

Thanks for your comments Drom. The chickens seem happy in the back yard. It is much bigger than it looks in the picture. Their coop is in the back of the yard and they are free to roam to the front(of the back yard). We have built it like Fort Knox around the fencing because of all of the animals. We have the occasional coyote that comes down from Griffith Park and I came home one morning to find two huge dogs trying to get into their coop (this was before we reinforced the fence line) I'm so glad the zoning laws allow us to at least have hens.
I'm originally from up north (Live Oak) and went to Chico State. I really miss Chico and would move back there in a heartbeat if my bornandraised in LA husband would go.
Good luck with your chicks and I can't wait to see pics.

Adele

 

[Serendipity]

WOW!!! That is one gorgeous rooster! Do you have photos of his girls too? Would love to see them!