IA here

[Lilandra]

$40 - yikes...
good money for birds if you could get it -but that's a bit high for a lawn ornament or coyote food.

i love the birds, but for what we have for a set up and the fact birds have a job out here - $40 is just silly

i'm kinda kicking myself for not buying a pair of young marans, steve's friend bought a pair so we thought better not, plus i didn't need another rooster - but the eggs.....

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I don't have any Marans for sale at the moment, but it shouldn't be too long before Mine are laying. I have babies from some pretty good breeder's lines, so I should have pretty good quality by next Spring.

 

[Lilandra]

http://waterloo.craigslist.org/grd/1224103094.html

here's that guy with the clipped beak birds again - those poor dears

 

[FlashPointFarm]

I'm pretty sure they were at Burlington this weekend also. Still had a lot of birds left, but I saw they sold some to people too.

 

[skyedobb]

I bought 6 older pullets/hens from him. They do look a little strange being debeaked (somewhat like aliens!), but they're nice birds. He certainly has a ton of birds at his place!

 

[Lilandra]

they look good, health wise - agreed... but how well could they hunt for bugs in a yard is my big concern
different strokes

 

[skyedobb]

Surprisingly, they do well! Mine are all free range, and the 6 I got do just fine hunting for bugs and worms. I think they've just adapted. The end of the beak has a callus on it (looks like, at least). They're nice birds, let me pick them up and catch them easily. Sidenote, one tried to go broody (a nice broody)...she had one nest going in my old hay barn, and when I picked her up off the nest, the eggs had an obvious stink. I relocated her to a large dog crate with a nest I made for her, new/fresh fertile eggs, and food/water. I left her alone for a few days (she accepted the new digs), and jsut checked her again today. Two of the eggs had cracked and the rest stunk again. So now I've decided she's not the best broody (my first experience with this!), and I have her in the crate sans nest/bedding with food/water. She's obviously upset, but I think she needs to be broken.

 

[momof3]

The fox/coyote hit here yesterday. I'm so mad at myself. I was thinking of sorting and separating. I let certain ones out,usually the older ones to free range. That way if one ends up missing I know its back. Well I didn't do it yesterday and now regret it. I lost five of my one year old hens. All my buff orpingtons are food to the lousy fox/coyote. It came during the day right before it rained. So today the boys are going to hid with their air soft guns and see what really is coming.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

What a bummer! Good luck to the boys. Get those boys to a Hunters Safety course and send them out with a .22!

 

[Lilandra]

so sorry to hear that - during the day even.... that hurts