International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Red Banks]

I think it stands for original poster.

That makes perfect sense!

 

[Red Banks]

Sorry Chooks Man! You’re right, both weather extremes are difficult to deal with but fortunately Marans are one tough bird. My Marans have the freedom to roost in their coop or outside. For whatever reason they prefer to roost outside even when we had 100 straight hours of 20 degrees last week - they just tucked their heads under a wing.

Take Care,
Keith

Chickens are a lot tougher than we give them credit for. Just think of all the wild birds that cope with the weather. My birds are in open coops. I do have tarps on the young ones coop to protect against the wind. The weather has turned mild again for me so I took the heat lamp out of their coop. Next week when the cold weather returns I am going to let them manage without the lamp. Of course, I am in Florida and that is a different story, in the deep south we are very spoiled with the good weather. Each part of the country has some season that is excellent.

 

[Red Banks]

I am so sorry Chooks man! I know how you feel, I have lost quite a few young birds and chicks during this cold snap we've had.

When I am trying to catch up on the thread I start reading and post my replies and then I get a little further and my replies are redundant or ridiculous. I am so sorry for the weather related losses y'all have experienced. Chickens can be heartbreaking.

 

[Red Banks]

one of my pullets is sick. she cannot digest food. I didn't feel anything in her crop except some corn that might be sitting there for at least 48 hours. I went to the vet but he knows almost nothing about chickens. as she laid 1 soft shelled egg 2 days ago and her digestive system is not functioning he suspects IB. as I had IB in my flock I really doubt it. she has no respiratory symptoms.

did anyone had any similar situation? the pullet expelled 1 worm yesterday. I gave her human vermox but she did not expel any other worms. she cannot walk properly. I guess she is in pain.

It is always difficult when they are sick. They are so stoic. Hope she recovers quickly.

 

[Red Banks]

one of my pullets is sick. she cannot digest food. I didn't feel anything in her crop except some corn that might be sitting there for at least 48 hours. I went to the vet but he knows almost nothing about chickens. as she laid 1 soft shelled egg 2 days ago and her digestive system is not functioning he suspects IB. as I had IB in my flock I really doubt it. she has no respiratory symptoms.

did anyone had any similar situation? the pullet expelled 1 worm yesterday. I gave her human vermox but she did not expel any other worms. she cannot walk properly. I guess she is in pain.

It is always difficult when they are sick. They are so stoic. Hope she recovers quickly.

 

[Red Banks]

Well it is official! I just sold my flock of BBS Paul Smith Ameraucanas to make more pens for my Marans. A very nice family with 4 young kids got them. I am glad they went to a good home. A little bitter sweet. I still have one pen with 5 Self Blue Ameraucanas. To add a little color to my egg basket. Marans are my first love and never know I may in the future add a few Birchen. If I can find a good start on them. Right now I have 4 pens for my Marans. I do have 2- 4ft x 8ft chicken tractors I can use for a few chicks. My flock went from 38 to 28. I don't know when the last time I had this few chickens! Quick I need to hatch something!!!!

Going thru withdrawal!

 

[Red Banks]

Marchick,

Harvey Moore has some nice Birchen Marans and Silver Blue Cuckoo Marans. He raises several varieties and is working on Columbian Marans. His Facebook Page is HD Quality Marans. I think he is in Missouri or Kansas.

Jay Brenneman with Sandhills Poultry in Iowa also has some nice Birchen Marans. He too raises several Marans Varities. His Facebook Page is Sand Hills Poultry and website is Sand Hill Preservation Center.

Both are small operations so it may take some time for them to respond to an inquiry as they are geared up for breeding season.

Keith

Silver/Blue Cuckoo Marans! Now that sounds very interesting....... wish I hadn't seen this post. Went to FB..... beautiful birds!

 

[Red Banks]

very good question .
marans hens should lay a larger eggs 70g or plus .
you are alright .if the egg is too large than it is very hard to hatch them .they need very low humidity to incubate them .
I hatch the large eggs all the time 70/78g ( 50% hatch rate )

your case is different . your is a pullets and she is laying those extra large egg .so they should hatch easily because they come from a pullets .high fertility and youth vigor .

the extra large eggs do very well if incubated under a broody hen .it is a reason the marans hens where selected for those trait long time ago before the incubator .
now we are using the botor and we are selecting the smaller eggs 65g to incubate because they have a high hatch rate .

I m keeping by large egg layer hens and breeding from them . very important trait .

the best size for the incubator is 65g for a high hatch rate .Study done by Cobb s the commercial broilers breeders .

chooks man

PS .I m breeding as well a marans broody line just for this purpose .

Please tell me more about the broody line. My Blue hen was the best. Her first time she hatched 11 out of 12 and took amazing care of them. She wounded me several times, she was very protective. All 11 were strong and healthy.

 

[Red Banks]

I have been on Sand Hill Preservation Center's site and read their Poultry Breeding Philosophy. It is spot on. Inclusive, common sense. Room for everyone.
https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/poultry_catalog.html

 

[KF0002]

one of my pullets is sick. she cannot digest food. I didn't feel anything in her crop except some corn that might be sitting there for at least 48 hours. I went to the vet but he knows almost nothing about chickens. as she laid 1 soft shelled egg 2 days ago and her digestive system is not functioning he suspects IB. as I had IB in my flock I really doubt it. she has no respiratory symptoms.

did anyone had any similar situation? the pullet expelled 1 worm yesterday. I gave her human vermox but she did not expel any other worms. she cannot walk properly. I guess she is in pain.

Could her crop be impacted? The only GI issue I have delt with in our birds that sounds even remotely similar has been impacted crop. Mud, one of my original cock birds had recurring impacted crop that eventually took its toll. The second time, he started becoming lethargic and looked very ill so we decided to cull him. Impacted crop occurs when there is an obstruction to the opening of the crop where food is passed through. The food just sits there in the crop and will ferment and sour, causing even more problems. Despite massaging Mud's crop, ACV in the water and feeding yogurt to combat potential yeast and witholding feed, the second time it recurred he would not recover. He may have had other underlying GI complications along with it, but I think the impacted crop caused his crop to stretch and become overly large which led to pendulous crop and further complicated everything. In the end I felt it more humane to cull him than let him suffer.

Chickens are a prey animal and will conceal signs of illness as long as they can as a defense mechanism. Once a bird begins to show symptoms of an illness they are usually very ill. Im sorry your girl is sick.