California - Northern

[ronott1]

the 4 big ones are penedesenca's the yellowish ones are icelandic's 5 are the crosses. I will have to see as they grow if they are autosexed.

Cream Legbar cockerels have a white spot on the top of the head.

I am very interested in this since I have two Cream Legbar Cockerels and am keeping two of my FBC Marans Pullets.

I see a couple of yours with a white spot. I like the way they look. Did you get the Cream Legbars from the Sheriff?

This is exciting!

Ron

 

[zooweemama]

Not a mallard. Looks like a wood duck. :\

 

[Wishing4Wings]

How adorable! My mallard never got wild, even though he would occasionally fly. But he seemed to be slightly deformed (shaped like a football). Do you think this little one would revert back to the wild, or is the imprinting too strong?

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Cream Legbar cockerels have a white spot on the top of the head.

I am very interested in this since I have two Cream Legbar Cockerels and am keeping two of my FBC Marans Pullets.

I see a couple of yours with a white spot. I like the way they look. Did you get the Cream Legbars from the Sheriff?

This is exciting!

Ron

I got mine from Deann at Just struttin in Novato. She hatched the cross chicks. she had a Cream legbar with 3 welsummer and 1 penedesenca chicks. Crele penedesenca hens are brown with a white dot. males are more grey and technically have a larger dot though it doesnt look as much like a dot to me. more like a just a lighter colored chick.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: I just read a post from DMRippy:

I have hatched a lot of crosses. I have been told that straight comb CAN lay blue or olive eggs.... but it has not happened at my house yet. I had two of the prettiest EE, big beard and muffs and straight comb..... BROWN eggs. I had a pullet with a hybrid comb and she laid a blue green eggs. Now if they have some kinda hybrid comb you chances increase but STRAIGHT combs, I just cull. The trick to Olive Eggers is to use a blue egg layer that has 2 copies and is DOMINATE for the pea comb.

I changed the font color to help with getting Olive colored eggs

I have the cutest little Dorking x Americauan Cockerel with a beard and a pea comb. For the two pullets, one looks like a Silver Dorking but you can't trust the genetics. The other one has beard, muff, pea comb and slate legs. For the above, I don't think they would be a good cross for making Olive colored Eggs with the Marans. Do the legbars have the double blue Genes? If so, what rooster and hen mating should be used?

Bye,

Ron

 

[sewandgrow]

I haven't kept up with this thread the way I used to. When I first joined I lurked & learned for months before I started posting regularly. There is so very much to learn............. I was lucky to have a few people on the Marans thread that really helped me out.
Personally I think if you have good birds selling hatching eggs is a good way to make back some money. I slowly got rid of any birds that I was keeping just as layers & replaced them with pullets of good breeding stock I already had. I always keep a back up cockerel or 2 of each breed I have "just in case". Chick sales are good off & on & another way to pick up on feed costs. I never even had to advertose the Marans varieties. They sell themselves word of mouth. I try to target breeds & varieties with a variety of purposes. I keep a couple of "winter layers' so I am never without eggs when most of the other breeds stop laying. I have never used light to extend laying but hear that works too. I can pretty much hatch all year long. My brooders are indoors & I raise the chicks in 3 stages from incubator to brooder, from brooder to grow out pens & from grow out pens to chainlink outdoor pens with covered areas. It is not fancy but does a good job.
I started with a variety of metal & styro small incubators & worked up to getting my Brinsea Ova 190 with a humidity module as a Christmas present a couple years back..... I love it. You can find used incubators around & there are several good large cabinet ones that show up from time to time you just have to be vigilant in looking & save your pennies.....LOL With my big one I am able to help local 4Hers hatch too. The people you meet that you help & others that help you make all the difference. It keeps me going socially even as I slow down physically.....LOL.
I find the heat is a bigger threat to my birds than the cold. Yesterday I lost a full grown Wheaten Marans hen. They were panting in the heat, even in the shade of the cover in their pen. Last year we ran sprinklers over their pens during the heat. We have moved all the pens since then & I guess will have to reinstall the sprinkler system.
My biggest problem is limiting myself.......I keep wanting to try a new breed & then the search is one & I scramble to rearrange everyone to make room for yet another breed or variety......LOL
This can certainly be a lifelong pursuit.......LOL

 

[ronott1]

Quote: I just wanted to quickly point out that culling does not necessarily mean killing them. You can cull by giving them away, selling them or moving them into a layer flock. Culls are often sold to people that want chicks not hatched from a hatchery. Some see that process as cruel and don't like the idea of chicks being shipped across the country in little boxes.

You can still hatch and sell chicks locally without the goal of improving a breed for showing. Yes, that would be a lot of work for someone doing this part time.

Have fun with setting up for the new babies!

For now, the planning and dreaming is great too.

Ron

 

[zooweemama]

How adorable! My mallard never got wild, even though he would occasionally fly. But he seemed to be slightly deformed (shaped like a football). Do you think this little one would revert back to the wild, or is the imprinting too strong?

I'm waiting for the wildflife refuge to call me back. I am having a very difficult time getting her to eat or drink. Drink is more important. She slept for a couple hours on my chest last night (otherwise she just cries and cries). She will now jump right into my hand. So I suspect the imprinting become too strong. What I do not want to see happen- is her to die from dehydration because I cannot get her to drink properly. I did get her to take sips. But only a few here and there then she refuses to I have to try again in an hour. Our goslings are arriving around Tuesday next week and I don't know if I can handle 3 brooders of 3 different baby birds and one having imprinted on me. LOL

 

[zooweemama]

I just wanted to quickly point out that culling does not necessarily mean killing them. You can cull by giving them away, selling them or moving them into a layer flock. Culls are often sold to people that want chicks not hatched from a hatchery. Some see that process as cruel and don't like the idea of chicks being shipped across the country in little boxes.

You can still hatch and sell chicks locally without the goal of improving a breed for showing. Yes, that would be a lot of work for someone doing this part time.

Have fun with setting up for the new babies!

For now, the planning and dreaming is great too.

Ron

Oh I wouldn't be killing them. I couldn't kill for the purpose of saving only the best for show. I just don't have it in me. Lots of re-homing would be going on. Just like with all the drakes I couldn't keep.

 

[zooweemama]

I haven't kept up with this thread the way I used to. When I first joined I lurked & learned for months before I started posting regularly. There is so very much to learn............. I was lucky to have a few people on the Marans thread that really helped me out.
Personally I think if you have good birds selling hatching eggs is a good way to make back some money. I slowly got rid of any birds that I was keeping just as layers & replaced them with pullets of good breeding stock I already had. I always keep a back up cockerel or 2 of each breed I have "just in case". Chick sales are good off & on & another way to pick up on feed costs. I never even had to advertose the Marans varieties. They sell themselves word of mouth. I try to target breeds & varieties with a variety of purposes. I keep a couple of "winter layers' so I am never without eggs when most of the other breeds stop laying. I have never used light to extend laying but hear that works too. I can pretty much hatch all year long. My brooders are indoors & I raise the chicks in 3 stages from incubator to brooder, from brooder to grow out pens & from grow out pens to chainlink outdoor pens with covered areas. It is not fancy but does a good job.
I started with a variety of metal & styro small incubators & worked up to getting my Brinsea Ova 190 with a humidity module as a Christmas present a couple years back..... I love it. You can find used incubators around & there are several good large cabinet ones that show up from time to time you just have to be vigilant in looking & save your pennies.....LOL With my big one I am able to help local 4Hers hatch too. The people you meet that you help & others that help you make all the difference. It keeps me going socially even as I slow down physically.....LOL.
I find the heat is a bigger threat to my birds than the cold. Yesterday I lost a full grown Wheaten Marans hen. They were panting in the heat, even in the shade of the cover in their pen. Last year we ran sprinklers over their pens during the heat. We have moved all the pens since then & I guess will have to reinstall the sprinkler system.
My biggest problem is limiting myself.......I keep wanting to try a new breed & then the search is one & I scramble to rearrange everyone to make room for yet another breed or variety......LOL
This can certainly be a lifelong pursuit.......LOL

What are your winter layers? Yes this darn heat. I worry about that. With my ducks they have pools and the pond. I'm sorry you lost your hen.