California-Southern

[hosspak]

An update from the Crazy H-Bar Ranch;
After a very busy week, yesterday was my Birthday... and I was looking forward to a much needed day of rest and recuperation.... Well it was a good plan! I started the day by replacing the front brake rotors and pads on the truck, after removing all the parts I realized that I was given the wrong rotors and since there was no way to get the correct ones I had to put everything back together so I could get to work tomorrow. With that chore now out of the way (temporarily) I could concentrate on the relaxing and fun part of having a B-Day on a Saturday...or so I thought! Since my favorite son Anthony, who was rudely awakened early to help with the brake job, was still up I thought maybe I (we) could start on a simple project I have been wanting to do with the quail... Did I say "simple" out loud? Please read this story as this is a great educational opportunity for those who are new to raising quail! With the quail condo now complete I (we) began setting up breeding quads, which is now nicely underway, but first we had to play a little game known as "Sex the Quail". As chicken and poultry herders we all know that determining the sex of our little friends can be....let's just say it can be challenging and a bit messy! The Pharaohs were easy if you know what to look for; males have a rust colored breast and the girls have speckled breast, easy peazy! Let's move on to the Tibetans, color won't help with the sexing of these birds so a little investigation is needed. Since this was my (our) first time we were a little nervous (well we really wanted to stop at this point). The investigative part of the endeavor requires that you get a firm grip on your subject and flip them over to get a close look at their underparts. Tip #1; Always point the underparts away from you, preferably towards those who are assisting you (and have no clue as to what is going to happen) Tip #2; DO NOT look directly into the eye! Poultry people know what I mean! Anywho, you need to find the recently evacuated vent (be careful, it appears that multiple evacuations are possible) when you find the vent you will see or not see one thing, a bulge just behind the vent on a male bird. WARNING! You may feel the urge to squeeze the bulge.... Resist the urge to squeeze the bulge!!! But if you can't resist, make sure that your squeamish helper gets a good look at the white foam that emerges, that there is a fingerful of male quail love juice. Females will not have the bulge but they may have some foam emerge if they were recently mounted...Again, make sure the squeamish assistant gets a good look! (Having fun yet Son?) Tip #3; plan to do these projects on your birthday.... now people have to help you!!! In summary, I (we) now have color banded all of the quail and have put breeding quads together (1 male:3 females); we have 3 quads of Pharoahs, 2 quads of A&Ms, 1 quad w/ 1 A&M (Golden Tuxedo) male over 4 Tibetan tuxedo females, and a quad w/ 1 Tibetan male over 3 A&M (Golden Tuxedo) girls. I will be getting a pair of jumbo males soon so I have a question; Can I pair these males with the A&Ms or Pharoahs to get bigger birds or should I wait to pair them with jumbo females??? How do I keep tract of each project hatch in the bator? How long should I keep the quads together? Oy vay, so many new questions...

 

[sol2go]

Looking for black/blue/splash copper Maran hens or pullets. Would also consider chicks, or another breed that lays a really dark egg. My egg basket is all pale colors, it "needs" some more variety . Not interested in eggs, currently don't have an incubator set up. Might ship chicks, but not older birds.

Hi, I am hatching feathered black copper marans this spring if you are interested; also olive eggers if you need some other colors.

 

[Sylvester017]

Looking for black/blue/splash copper Maran hens or pullets. Would also consider chicks, or another breed that lays a really dark egg. My egg basket is all pale colors, it "needs" some more variety . Not interested in eggs, currently don't have an incubator set up. Might ship chicks, but not older birds.

My friend and I had Marans - I had a Cuckoo and she had Cuckoo and BCMs. We found them to be calm around humans but at maturity they were a bit nippy to downright combative toward other breeds in the flock. They were lazy foragers and ate like pigs. The eggs were about #4 to 5 on the egg color chart with varying degrees of light to medium brown and sometimes with speckles but never had a dark chocolate egg like you see in photos. In looking at Welsummer eggs they have similar colors, shades, and patterns in their shells as Marans and might be a less aggressive breed to have in a mixed flock. Just a shared thought. An interesting website regarding egg colors (click on the pdf A Review of Egg Color in the middle of their home page): http://maranschickenclubusa.com/
I talked with Greenfire Farms regarding our sad experience with Marans and they shared that the least combative of their Marans were the Wheaten variety but we decided not to take a chance with any more Marans. To each his own.

 

[Phage]

One of my most favorite hens was a wheaten marans. She was the sweetest girl ever and laid super dark eggs.


@Sylvester017 you seem to have terrible luck with so many aggressive hens

 

[Sylvester017]

One of my most favorite hens was a wheaten marans. She was the sweetest girl ever and laid super dark eggs.


@Sylvester017 you seem to have terrible luck with so many aggressive hens

Yes, early on when keeping backyard chickens I wasn't savvy about the different temperaments of different breeds or combative breeds vs non-combative. I'm more savvy about mixing breeds in a flock now. I've talked with Greenfire about their Wheatens being their calmest Marans and I've seen several web photos of dark eggs from Wheatens and was impressed. Currently I couldn't add ANY Marans in my under-5-lb gentles flock -- after our crazy experience w/ large Cuckoos & BCMs I won't be trying Marans any time soon. I LOVED my Leghorns (I grew up w/Babcocks on my folks' farm), however Legs are not a breed to mix with anything but other Mediterranean class birds. Legs are still THE most prolific breed I've experienced so far but I made the mistake of mixing them into a gentle flock. I've got a nice peaceful flock now w/ a Breda and another APA Ameraucana arriving in the Spring.

I've been doing research and contacting Pavlovskaja and Swedish Flower Hen owners to get their input on temperaments. So far it looks like the friendly SFH are good layers but larger than the gentle Pavs that aren't as good at laying. I have quite a bit of time to get more input on these 2 breeds before making a future choice. So far my absolute favourite for temperament and good production are the APA Amers. Our 2 Silkies are the pet "fun" factor to make us smile, and the new supposedly gentle Breda will be an experiment. The Amers give blue eggs, the Silkies give cream/pink eggs, and the Breda lays white. If I ever want a green egg I'd probably go with an EE since they are gentle like Amers. I would love a brown egg breed but so far haven't found a breed small or gentle enough to mix into our flock. I had a brown egglayer Dominique chick but we lost her before we could find out if she would integrate well into our gentles flock. In hindsight -- even though Doms are friendly -- she might've been too spunky a hen for our group. I may try another Dom in the far future after I see how our current breeds turn out. For the moment I'm more interested in compatibility than egg production. Our Amers are very good at production so utility or dual purpose breeds are not necessary for just the two of us. Faverolles, Bielefelders, Brahmas, Dorkings, Jersey Giants, Cochins, Sussex are considered "gentle giants" but because of their much larger sizes I would not add them to our 5-lb-&-under breeds.

I thought it was interesting to find that the majority of gentle non-combative reputations were breeds having either crests, beards, muffs, 5-toes, or feathered legs/feet -- Alsteirer or Sulmtaler, Ameraucana, Araucana, bantam Cochin, bantam Silkie, Breda, Crevecoeur, Dorking, EE, Faverolles, Houdan, Pavlovskaja, Polish, Sultan, etc. Coincidence?

 

[malndobe]

Hi, I am hatching feathered black copper marans this spring if you are interested; also olive eggers if you need some other colors.

Where are you located? I would be interested. I may have an olive egger, still waiting for her to lay her first egg. Her mom was a black Ameracauna that I got from Phage, I think her dad my be my BCM rooster, but we'll see. Otherwise I'll be looking for OEs also. I know I have light brown eggs, those are the girls who have already started laying (I don't have lights in my coop). Should have a white egg layer (leghorn cross), and I have a couple EE, one who may be an OE.

One of my most favorite hens was a wheaten marans. She was the sweetest girl ever and laid super dark eggs.

Are you planning to hatch any Marans? I like the Wheatens also, they are very pretty.

My Marans have always been very friendly, both the BCM and the Cuckoo. Unfortunately the Cuckoo were also quite stupid and all 5 committed suicide over the course of about 6 months doing things like flying into a dog kennel. Now everyone stays in a full enclosed run except for supervised free range time, to many lost to predators.

 

[sol2go]

Where are you located? I would be interested. I may have an olive egger, still waiting for her to lay her first egg. Her mom was a black Ameracauna that I got from Phage, I think her dad my be my BCM rooster, but we'll see. Otherwise I'll be looking for OEs also. I know I have light brown eggs, those are the girls who have already started laying (I don't have lights in my coop). Should have a white egg layer (leghorn cross), and I have a couple EE, one who may be an OE.

Hi I'm in Palos Verdes. I also have a pretty OE cockerel from a Cuckoo/Cream Legbar cross. He is about 4 months old and would love a new home with his own girls; he doesn't seem to have the problems of your other cuckoos.

 

[malndobe]

Hi I'm in Palos Verdes. I also have a pretty OE cockerel from a Cuckoo/Cream Legbar cross. He is about 4 months old and would love a new home with his own girls; he doesn't seem to have the problems of your other cuckoos.

Thanks but I'm not interested in a cockerel. I already have an OE rooster, plus a number of other roosters, if I buy chicks any boys will probably end up in the soup pot, or I'll be trying to rehome them.

 

[Anna6]

We have Marans with feathers on their feet. Some of the eggs are very dark. I was told the Dark Copper Marans have the really dark brown eggs. I think DH is done hatching Marans for now as he wanted only 15 hens and 3 roosters. He has splash, dark copper and blue. If you want him to hatch some he could take orders.

He also finished with hatching Buff Orphington and has enough for himself, again 15 hens and 3 roosters.

We also have 2 Ducks, Rouens, hens for sale, one started laying last week and the other should follow as they were hatched at the same time.

We also have Welsh Harlequin ducks, both hens and drakes.

Lots of roosters for sale and possibly some olive eggers, Dark copper Marans rooster over Amerauncana or Easter Eggers.

I am trying to talk him into going to the Lake Elsinore meet up. so if anyone sees something they like and want us to take birds or fertile eggs, duck or chicken, please let us know.

 

[Xanthfox]

Hey all! I'm in Hemet California. Just breaking into the chicken world. Looking for retailers. Got my first coop up and Ready. Now I gotta fill it. Mostly looking for egg production
Wynadette, Plymouth rock and Rhode island red.
I'm big into gardening. Grow a huge vegetable garden each year. I very much wish I could own and operate a farm. Buuuttt the good Lord put me here, so here I am making the most of it.