International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Minky]

Rats taking down chickens. That is crazy. Those must be some huge rats! I only have tiny chipmunks that my chickens could take out, but chose to ignore.

I am having a bad chicken week. My pullet with the dislocated hip who has been in isolation for 6 weeks and was starting to walk a bit with a limp, seems to have given up. She weighs nothing, lays there all day, I've had to bathe her twice, and when I take her out, she doesnt even stand and try and walk anymore. I'm so sad, but I think I have to let her go. My other pullet who was healthy on Sunday night and has some sort of nerve damage suddenly- isnt getting better...and is also not eating or drinking, so I will have my husband take care of them both tomorrow. What a [email protected] week.

 

[Minky]

I'm so sorry! That is terrible.

I've had the same run of bad luck this year, time and again! I had 3 very nice and clear eyed marans grow outs in a large outdoor brooder with some young Games a few days ago I've been watching closely. A cockerel and two pullets, all starting to show proper copper coloring, but too young to join the older grow outs. Rats burrowed in and wiped the entire pen out. The birds were too young to roost and were sitting ducks on the ground. I have waged war on the rats and have been putting out poison. I hate them!!

That's awful. Im so sorry I had no idea they can dig. I was feeling like I was due for an attack, its been 2.5 years of nothing...and we are right in the forest, and have fisher, foxes and coy wolves, ferrel cats. When we built the outdoor pen, we dug down almost 2 feet below grade with chicken wire, so Im confident about the pen, but the barn (where my main coop is) is so old, the chickens have been digging for bugs in a couple of corners, and I can see sunlight coming in through 2-3 inch gaps now. Gotta correct that. I cant loose anyone else. Two to freak injuries is enough.

 

[kcrandall]

No, i think summer...

It’s mid-spring down under. Their summer is Dec. thru Feb.

 

[kcrandall]

Rats taking down chickens. That is crazy. Those must be some huge rats! I only have tiny chipmunks that my chickens could take out, but chose to ignore.

I am having a bad chicken week. My pullet with the dislocated hip who has been in isolation for 6 weeks and was starting to walk a bit with a limp, seems to have given up. She weighs nothing, lays there all day, I've had to bathe her twice, and when I take her out, she doesnt even stand and try and walk anymore. I'm so sad, but I think I have to let her go. My other pullet who was healthy on Sunday night and has some sort of nerve damage suddenly- isnt getting better...and is also not eating or drinking, so I will have my husband take care of them both tomorrow. What a [email protected] week.

I’m sorry your girls aren’t getting better. It’s never easy to make those decsions but I try to focus on the good life they had.

 

[Minky]

I’m sorry your girls aren’t getting better. It’s never easy to make those decsions but I try to focus on the good life they had.

Thanks for the kind words. I will try and give them a nice morning outside in the fresh air.

 

[Minky]

I think I recall @Chooks man saying that ideally one doesn't breed a pullet until her first birthday-or until her eggs are over 50 g?? My 3 marans pullets have laid about 30 eggs between them, and they are averaging about 55 g.
Would you say it would be ok to put them in with my rooster in a couple weeks? I was hoping to set some eggs in early November... test out my incubator before hatching season starts...

 

[kcrandall]

I think I recall @Chooks man saying that ideally one doesn't breed a pullet until her first birthday-or until her eggs are over 50 g?? My 3 marans pullets have laid about 30 eggs between them, and they are averaging about 55 g.
Would you say it would be ok to put them in with my rooster in a couple weeks? I was hoping to set some eggs in early November... test out my incubator before hatching season starts...

I do not incubate eggs that weigh less than 65 g and prefer eggs in the 70-75 g range. I find my hatch rate decreases when eggs are under 65 g.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Marans eggs should be at least 65g to use for hatching. Big eggs= big chickens.

We dont want to begin breeding smaller marans because then we lose this important characteristic they have.

If you hatch smaller eggs, you will be breeding small marans.

 

[kcrandall]

I think I recall @Chooks man saying that ideally one doesn't breed a pullet until her first birthday-or until her eggs are over 50 g?? My 3 marans pullets have laid about 30 eggs between them, and they are averaging about 55 g.
Would you say it would be ok to put them in with my rooster in a couple weeks? I was hoping to set some eggs in early November... test out my incubator before hatching season starts...

I usually operate my incubator empty for 2-3 days prior to incubation to make sure that temperature and humidity will hold at the desired levels as well as making sure the automatic egg turner is working properly.

 

[Minky]

Eggsellent! I did not know that. Thanks for that info.
I figured they would be born small but catch up by 6 months or so..... interesting that that is not the case.
One of my marans pullets laid a 74 gram egg today! 24 weeks old. OUCH! Not particularly dark, but BIG.