International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[OneMountainAcres]

I jinxed myself by saying that the chickens were behaving themselves. My silver penciled rock hen is now broody :/ So now I have 3 broody turkeys, all working together to raise 2 poults and a silver penciled rock rolling everything she can find under her lol

 

[KF0002]

create a broody line! when life gives you lemons make lemonade, lol.

My line A and line C hens are very broody. Every hen I have set eggs under or given chicks to this year have ended up losing their chicks slowly and Im not even going to bother setting any more hens this year. They are already very broody lines. Lol

 

[KF0002]

Well, I rehomed all of this years hatch and one rooster today. They just wanted them for eggs and to make olive eggers. Tomorrow the rest of my adults are going. Still kind of sad! The end of one line. Here's to the beginning of a new line.

Cheers! Here's to a new start! You'll do well with Harvey's line, they are very well bred birds. I cant wait to see their egg color.

 

[marchick]

Cheers! Here's to a new start! You'll do well with Harvey's line, they are very well bred birds. I cant wait to see their egg color.

We won't celebrate too early. The guy backed out on the last 4 hens and cockeral. He didn't want them because I hadn't vaccinated for mareks.

 

[Magnolia Hill]

Well, I rehomed all of this years hatch and one rooster today. They just wanted them for eggs and to make olive eggers. Tomorrow the rest of my adults are going. Still kind of sad! The end of one line. Here's to the beginning of a new line.

It's hard thing to do, but sometimes it's necessary. I wish more people cared about the birds they bred and how they breed them forward. Im on my 4th line now , and i finally think i got some i can work with. So don't get discouraged and keep on keeping on.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

The Marans have claimed the woodpile. Even though everyone is free ranging together, this is their territory lol

 

[Red Banks]

Broodies, broodies, broodies! Most of my Marans have quit laying because they're all going broody! No sooner than I get 2-3 broken up, there are 2-3 more broody!

Marans are the worst. I have hens sitting on nothing or eggs for two months. One chick hatched on Friday. The hen killed it. A second chick hatched on Saturday, the hen seemed like she was going to take better care of it. Dead. I took the rest of the eggs and threw them away. The second chick was the cutest little pullet. I should have taken it away immediately. My Marans are not good mamas.

 

[Red Banks]

Well, I rehomed all of this years hatch and one rooster today. They just wanted them for eggs and to make olive eggers. Tomorrow the rest of my adults are going. Still kind of sad! The end of one line. Here's to the beginning of a new line.

You have worked hard, I hope this is the line that does it for you.

I am getting ready to clean house. I think I am going to give away Antonio and the old hens.... I guess I have to keep Gabby. Any of the younger hens with a serious flaw, high tail, knock kneed etc will go as well. I spend a lot of money feeding chickens to give eggs away. Not to mention the nuisance they are with the garden and porch. I guess it is my turn to be discouraged.

 

[marchick]

You have worked hard, I hope this is the line that does it for you.

I am getting ready to clean house. I think I am going to give away Antonio and the old hens.... I guess I have to keep Gabby. Any of the younger hens with a serious flaw, high tail, knock kneed etc will go as well. I spend a lot of money feeding chickens to give eggs away. Not to mention the nuisance they are with the garden and porch. I guess it is my turn to be discouraged.

This does get discouraging at times. I feel the same way! I spend a lot of money to give eggs away. I actually still have 4 hens and a rooster left. The guy backed out since I hadn't vaccinated for Maricks. I think he will have a difficult time finding them vaccinated. It was funny I had 4 people wanting them all at the same time. Yet they are still here!

 

[KF0002]

You have worked hard, I hope this is the line that does it for you.

I am getting ready to clean house. I think I am going to give away Antonio and the old hens.... I guess I have to keep Gabby. Any of the younger hens with a serious flaw, high tail, knock kneed etc will go as well. I spend a lot of money feeding chickens to give eggs away. Not to mention the nuisance they are with the garden and porch. I guess it is my turn to be discouraged.

Feeling discouraged with this breed comes and goes and is part of it. I know that feeling well. Downsizing and culling unnecessary birds is a good idea to cut feed costs. Especially if you are giving eggs away. I keep quite a few layers because I have a lot of egg customers, but if I didnt I would cull down to the bare minimum. They definitely are expensive to feed. I am constantly culling amongst the breeds I raise. I have a Marans cockerel whose days are numbered and he will be going in the freezer this weekend. It is one of the cockerels I was hoping would make a good breeder, but he is getting really aggressive and his tail is high.. so off with his head! Lol