International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[KF0002]

Antonio will have a 5X8 coop for himself. He would probably kill Tony2 and all those cockerels if I locked him up. I need to go ahead and cull a few. Hard to do they seem to change everyday.

They really do change a lot. Hang onto them as long as possible because a good tailed rooster at 4 and 5 months may be a high tailed rooster at 6 months, true story. Right now my oldest cockerels are 6-7 months old, with the oldest getting closer to 8 months. I know without a shadow of a doubt about 3 I want to cull. There are 2 that I will hang onto for a bit longer, and one of those will replace their brood sire (line A), until a better one comes along later.

You would be safe to go ahead and cull any high tailed cockerels now if some are already showing high tails at 4 months.

 

[KF0002]

Does anyone know what happened with the farm business?

I was wondering the same thing! I haven't heard from him in a bit on this thread, so I hope all is well.

 

[KF0002]

There you go staging those egg pictures again. I understand that the Instant Pot does a great job cooking eggs. Let us know.

Hahaha! Yeah that one was by accident. I am bad about putting eggs in my pockets when I find them, those are from my free range layers. Everything gets dumped on top of my washing machine when I come in through the back door. The Instant Pot can steam eggs though, yes! I have heard that steaming eggs makes peeling even fresh eggs a breeze. I will most definitely be trying that!

 

[Red Banks]

Hahaha! Yeah that one was by accident. I am bad about putting eggs in my pockets when I find them, those are from my free range layers. Everything gets dumped on top of my washing machine when I come in through the back door. The Instant Pot can steam eggs though, yes! I have heard that steaming eggs makes peeling even fresh eggs a breeze. I will most definitely be trying that!

If you don't steam them, drop them gently in a pot of boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Plunge them into ice cold water (water and ice). They will peel easily.

 

[Hensndoes]

If you don't steam them, drop them gently in a pot of boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Plunge them into ice cold water (water and ice). They will peel easily.

Still doesn't work for most of my layers. Only a few hens lay eggs that peel easily. I tried the trick of cracking the top and bottom of the egg before resting them in water and that really helped. There is a new gadget for cooking them where you crack the egg in a mold. Problem solved. I'm a little funny about heating food in plastic...

 

[Hensndoes]

So it's not just the barn cat eating the cat food caught this on the trail cam two nights ago. Set the trap and heard it go off about 9 last night. now I'm trying to convince my man that we should just dispatch it. He is opposed as he says they eat rats and thinks this thing would be beneficial. Well the barn cat also eats rats and I haven't caught the cat on cam since this thing showed up. And it's still out there in the trap.

 

[Red Banks]

So it's not just the barn cat eating the cat food caught this on the trail cam two nights ago. Set the trap and heard it go off about 9 last night. now I'm trying to convince my man that we should just dispatch it. He is opposed as he says they eat rats and thinks this thing would be beneficial. Well the barn cat also eats rats and I haven't caught the cat on cam since this thing showed up. And it's still out there in the trap.View attachment 1318610

They can be very dangerous to your chickens. This one looks very young. If you put out cat food...... they will come. I caught one, could not kill her and her babies. I don't think they will kill rats, I think they are opportunists. Never mind seems they do good things too!

Opossums eat fruits, snakes (opossums are immune to all types of snake venom, except that of the coral snake), insects, snails, slugs, eggs, mice, rats, fish, frogs, crayfish, and carrion. If for no other reason than pest control,opossums are great to have around!

 

[Hensndoes]

They can be very dangerous to your chickens. This one looks very young. If you put out cat food...... they will come. I caught one, could not kill her and her babies. I don't think they will kill rats, I think they are opportunists. Never mind seems they do good things too!

Opossums eat fruits, snakes (opossums are immune to all types of snake venom, except that of the coral snake), insects, snails, slugs, eggs, mice, rats, fish, frogs, crayfish, and carrion. If for no other reason than pest control,opossums are great to have around!

It's going to take a bear to get into our coops. There is one short section of the run with no skirt so that is where the rats found a path to food. It won't be an easy fix as it is mostly granite and marble slab there. Haven't seen a rat since a few weeks after releasing the barn cats.

The only time we would be worried is when they are free ranging. Knock on wood... haven't lost a bird yet in 2 yrs of daily free ranging. The Roos and dogs keep close watch on the flock. I'm thinking I will lose this discussion so maybe I will offer a truce and pull the barn cat food.

 

[Barry42001]

First and oldest black maran chicks one sexed others not sure remaining black maran c

 

[Barry42001]

It's going to take a bear to get into our coops. There is one short section of the run with no skirt so that is where the rats found a path to food. It won't be an easy fix as it is mostly granite and marble slab there. Haven't seen a rat since a few weeks after releasing the barn cats.

The only time we would be worried is when they are free ranging. Knock on wood... haven't lost a bird yet in 2 yrs of daily free ranging. The Roos and dogs keep close watch on the flock. I'm thinking I will lose this discussion so maybe I will offer a truce and pull the barn cat food.

Possums are opportunistic feeders, eggs and sleeping chickens are easier food chasing rats ( something possums like never really do unless it's a dead rat they are chasing lol ) possums are beneficial like raccoons, neither belong in your chicken habitat unless you don't like your chickens . Both once a learn, and