Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Rebecca thank you so much for this post - it definitely helps me.
I love the look of the Black Copper Marans and I also love the dark eggs and that they don't lay every day. I didn't know their feet were only lightly feathered - that sounds encouraging.
I guess my concerns about feathered feet are threefold. There is the issue of tracking mud into the nest boxes and making the eggs mucky, and then I was worried about them having waterlogged feet when it gets below freezing. Finally I was worried about the sister plucking - though admittedly nobody has plucked out the Roadrunners' little crests so maybe I am more relaxed about that.
On the muddy feet thing it is not like mine live in a swamp or anything - the Chicken Palace (both coop and runs) are quite dry. But whenever they wander out in the yard they all make a B-line for muddy water and have a grand old time drinking it (like I don't give them clean water in the Chicken Palace!) and running around in puddles. I don't blame them - it looks fun - and every kid I have ever known loves to jump in puddles so why not! But with the clean legged chickens it has the impact of a spa treatment on their toes - they emerge shiny and clean. I assume with feathers they would emerge a soggy mess around their feet.
If you don't mind, could I ask you one thing - can you tell when a Marans chick is just hatched how heavily feathered their legs will be? I am wondering (assuming the farm even breeds Marans) if I could pick out ones with less (or no) feathers on their feet.

As far as dirty eggs go, I've never gotten a dirty egg from one of my Marans, and they worship mud, mudpuddles and the creek. If i got a dirty egg it was from either Henrietta or Momma hen. The nest boxes are lined with hay, or if they want to make me find the egg its on a bale of hay. When the chicks hatch you will know straight away if they have clean legs or feathered feet. If they have feathered legs/feet they will have chick down on the outside of their legs and outer toe. Only the outer toe is supposed to have feathers, the rest do not have any. As far as to how heavily feathered that really can not be determined at hatch. Your best clue there is to look at the parents leg feathering. Oh another thing about Maran's feet is they are huge, even the hens have big feet.

 

[rural mouse]

Lovely collection.
How come when I get to try and take FBF shots they all turn to look at me and walk right up to my feet!

Try to take Mugshots. Maybe they'll turn away instead.

 

[BY Bob]

Field Trip Photos

In this first photo we are looking at Legertha. She is starting to lose her head poof. You can see the tiny pin feathers coming in. I believe these two are going to start looking silly soon.

This is Sylvie from up high.

The reactions of the big hens were very interesting. Sydney came over twice and got her face right down next to them. They were peeping away. I can't tell if Sydney said anything to them or not.

Aunt Aurora was all over this. She has a fascination with chicks that makes me wish she would set. She might be an excellent mum.

The high today is only going to be 76°F (24°C) so if we go back out it will be mid day in the sun.

 

[BY Bob]

As far as dirty eggs go, I've never gotten a dirty egg from one of my Marans, and they worship mud, mudpuddles and the creek. If i got a dirty egg it was from either Henrietta or Momma hen. The nest boxes are lined with hay, or if they want to make me find the egg its on a bale of hay. When the chicks hatch you will know straight away if they have clean legs or feathered feet. If they have feathered legs/feet they will have chick down on the outside of their legs and outer toe. Only the outer toe is supposed to have feathers, the rest do not have any. As far as to how heavily feathered that really can not be determined at hatch. Your best clue there is to look at the parents leg feathering. Oh another thing about Maran's feet is they are huge, even the hens have big feet.

They have very large feet compared to the others. Patsy's feet were bigger than Hattie's are.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I wish we knew someone in a few weeks who was taking a road trip that involved both Kentucky and Pennsylvania and Royal Chick was ready for new chicks. When Bunny lets her group go I will only keep 1 maybe 2 at most out of her 7 she has left. They turned 3 weeks old yesterday so I'm now watching them very closely for signs of a boy, if there is one I will know for sure in the next week. And these guys are being broody raised, which makes for smarter chickens as adults I've found. Bunny lets me handle these chicks without much complaint, but once she weans them all it takes me is at most 3 days to have them fully tamed, lap chickens.

 

[Marie2020]

May I ask what is about the feathered feet that concerns you? I admit, before I got my Marans I had never had a breed with feathered feet before and I was nervous about it. After having them for over 18 months now I can tell you that I don't think I've ever saw their feet dirty. They free range and are constantly either digging in the manure pile, fresh sawdust, stomping or wading in the creek or mud and their feet feathers never give them any trouble. I've also never saw them or any of the other chickens pick or try to pluck their leg and feet feathers off each other. I love feathered feet so much I now have 3 feathered feet breeds and some mixes with feathered feet which I adore. Marans are also not supposed to be heavily feathered on their feet and legs like the silkies and cochins. Plus you can get a clean legged Black Copper Marans, they are just not bred to the French standard, but English. Daisy has clean legs, her daughter Clover had clean legs. 2 of Clover's chicks that Bunny is raising have clean legs and her other 2 chicks have feathered legs. I will call the Marans decent layers, 4 to 5 eggs a week which is more then enough for me. Daisy rarely lays, I think I've gotten 10 eggs from her this season. I believe when she laid that monster egg last fall that she got egg bound with for a few days it maybe damaged something internally. Outwardly she is fine, and even goes through the motions of laying and sitting in the nest boxes sometimes for a couple hours and nothing. It is ok, she is one of my favorite chickens and if she is a freeloader the rest of her life I'm ok with it. I prefer her company over her eggs. Marans are also not just pretty to look at, they are friendly in your face chickens who want to be involved with whatever your doing. Even the roosters are friendly and gentle if you are able to have a rooster. The hens are pretty, but, those boys are stunning in my opinion. Oh and the egg color, they may not be blue like your roadrunners, but they are a dark brown, and the speckled ones are even prettier. The big combs can be a concern in cold weather, but if they are in a draft free coop at night, frostbit should not be a concern. We survived this past winter without losing a single point on a comb and we had some real cold snaps.

I haven't found a maran chicken with feathered legs here, yet.

 

[Marie2020]

That was actually the pool heater. It is not working correctly either so my algae riddled pool now has cold water too. The heater just switches on and off right now.

It wasn't me! The chicks put it in my head

All together now, singing
" If I could walk with the animal's grunt, squeak, squawk with the animal's and they speak and talk to me "

 

[Marie2020]

I will remain neutral in this thought process. I don't want to be seen as an enabler.

You're way too busy seeking out fluffy butts

 

[RoyalChick]

As far as dirty eggs go, I've never gotten a dirty egg from one of my Marans, and they worship mud, mudpuddles and the creek. If i got a dirty egg it was from either Henrietta or Momma hen. The nest boxes are lined with hay, or if they want to make me find the egg its on a bale of hay. When the chicks hatch you will know straight away if they have clean legs or feathered feet. If they have feathered legs/feet they will have chick down on the outside of their legs and outer toe. Only the outer toe is supposed to have feathers, the rest do not have any. As far as to how heavily feathered that really can not be determined at hatch. Your best clue there is to look at the parents leg feathering. Oh another thing about Maran's feet is they are huge, even the hens have big feet.

You really are making a great pitch here!
Thank you so much. I am going to chat to the people at the farm and find out whether they still have a Marans flock (I know they did a couple of years ago) and how feathered their legs are!

 

[Marie2020]

Lovely collection.
How come when I get to try and take FBF shots they all turn to look at me and walk right up to my feet!

At least they don't follow you to the car like Alex's girls.