International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

Hi everyone! Still following the thread and learning alot. Really enjoy seeing all the photos. Beautiful birds!

@Punkybrewster
Read your situation with your Roo. So sorry he's not well.

I've also seen similar lameness in a couple birds over the years. Seems it's always a favorite, too. Someone told me about riboflavin deficiency in birds and well, I will research a topic to death! LOL

Anyway, I've used B Complex and a poultry multivitamin on a few lame birds. I used Rooster Booster Poultry Multivitamins and Electrolytes. I purchased B Complex, the human type, at the drug store. It contains many different B vitamins including Riboflavin which is B2. I found some that was liquid drops for adults. (The B Complex capsules full of powder do not mix well with water and taste bitter.) I gave the drops straight to the beak 2 times daily for a few days. I also mixed the poultry multivitamin powder per directions in the only water source. It also contains electrolytes. Also good when they are stressed.

I have seen it help 2 birds. One was a roo who we rehomed. Sweet boy, but can only keep so many. The other is one of my lap babies named Dixie. She responded well and is now 7 years old this past Feb. Glad I gave her the chance. She has raised me lots of chicks and still at 7 years old gives me a few pretty blue eggs in spring. Dixie is a Cream Legbar.

I don't know if it will help your boy but I see no reason it will hurt him. If you want to leave him with his ladies, you could mix the vitamin water for your flock and just give him the B Complex drops. As long as he can get to his food and water without getting hurt, he would probably be happier with his flock. If you feel he if suffering, you can always put him down.

I've read the cause could be many different things. Some are vitamins in older feeds can degrade, molds can be present that are not seen with the eye, some birds may need a bit more than others when stressed. I could never find a cause with mine.

I also recall reading sometimes if it goes on too long, it can be permanent.

Here's some things I found when I searched and there's more info out there, too.

https://holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2015/09/identification-of-riboflavin-deficiency.html#.YM5tM2hKjIW

https://holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2016/05/cure-curled-toe-paralysis-in-poultry.html#.YM5s3mhKjIX

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/curly-toed-paralysis

I truly wish you best of luck.

And howdy neighbor, I see you are in SC. I'm in NC.
 
Hi everyone! Still following the thread and learning alot. Really enjoy seeing all the photos. Beautiful birds!

@Punkybrewster
Read your situation with your Roo. So sorry he's not well.

I've also seen similar lameness in a couple birds over the years. Seems it's always a favorite, too. Someone told me about riboflavin deficiency in birds and well, I will research a topic to death! LOL

Anyway, I've used B Complex and a poultry multivitamin on a few lame birds. I used Rooster Booster Poultry Multivitamins and Electrolytes. I purchased B Complex, the human type, at the drug store. It contains many different B vitamins including Riboflavin which is B2. I found some that was liquid drops for adults. (The B Complex capsules full of powder do not mix well with water and taste bitter.) I gave the drops straight to the beak 2 times daily for a few days. I also mixed the poultry multivitamin powder per directions in the only water source. It also contains electrolytes. Also good when they are stressed.

I have seen it help 2 birds. One was a roo who we rehomed. Sweet boy, but can only keep so many. The other is one of my lap babies named Dixie. She responded well and is now 7 years old this past Feb. Glad I gave her the chance. She has raised me lots of chicks and still at 7 years old gives me a few pretty blue eggs in spring. Dixie is a Cream Legbar.

I don't know if it will help your boy but I see no reason it will hurt him. If you want to leave him with his ladies, you could mix the vitamin water for your flock and just give him the B Complex drops. As long as he can get to his food and water without getting hurt, he would probably be happier with his flock. If you feel he if suffering, you can always put him down.

I've read the cause could be many different things. Some are vitamins in older feeds can degrade, molds can be present that are not seen with the eye, some birds may need a bit more than others when stressed. I could never find a cause with mine.

I also recall reading sometimes if it goes on too long, it can be permanent.

Here's some things I found when I searched and there's more info out there, too.

https://holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2015/09/identification-of-riboflavin-deficiency.html#.YM5tM2hKjIW

https://holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2016/05/cure-curled-toe-paralysis-in-poultry.html#.YM5s3mhKjIX

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/curly-toed-paralysis

I truly wish you best of luck.

And howdy neighbor, I see you are in SC. I'm in NC.
Hello neighbor!
I'm in the North West corner.

My gut tells me it is some kind of deficiency or something he ate. I just wish I knew. He is getting Rooster Booster vitamins and I have also mixed a bit in the main feeders for all the flocks just to be safe.

Their feed does not sit around long enough to spoil but who knows. It could be any thing.

I even considered botulism but he does not have any of the classic symptoms other than not being able to stand up and walk properly.

Thank you for the info on the B vitamin. I did find this info in my extensive reading too and will give it a try.

He has been this way for almost a week and it may be too late. But I will try and I will also keep some on hand in case this happens again I can try right away.

The way things are lately with supply and demand of grain, i have had to purchase my All Flock feed from different sources.

It has been very hard to keep them on the same brand or even find All Flock without having to visit several farm stores. Every one is sold out. In the months to come, this problem should improve.

I have been using name brands from Tractor supply but also local feed stores that mix their own rations locally.

I am wondering if the variation in mixes has something to do with this.
One bag being fortified more than another.

Or maybe I am just grasping at straws...

All of my Marans are doing wonderful except for him.

Thank you for the links.
 
Hello neighbor!
I'm in the North West corner.

My gut tells me it is some kind of deficiency or something he ate. I just wish I knew. He is getting Rooster Booster vitamins and I have also mixed a bit in the main feeders for all the flocks just to be safe.

Their feed does not sit around long enough to spoil but who knows. It could be any thing.

I even considered botulism but he does not have any of the classic symptoms other than not being able to stand up and walk properly.

Thank you for the info on the B vitamin. I did find this info in my extensive reading too and will give it a try.

He has been this way for almost a week and it may be too late. But I will try and I will also keep some on hand in case this happens again I can try right away.

The way things are lately with supply and demand of grain, i have had to purchase my All Flock feed from different sources.

It has been very hard to keep them on the same brand or even find All Flock without having to visit several farm stores. Every one is sold out. In the months to come, this problem should improve.

I have been using name brands from Tractor supply but also local feed stores that mix their own rations locally.

I am wondering if the variation in mixes has something to do with this.
One bag being fortified more than another.

Or maybe I am just grasping at straws...

All of my Marans are doing wonderful except for him.

Thank you for the links.

to maintain marans flock or any Heritage breeds of chooks any layer feed is good for them , because all the store feed are design for heavy hybrid layers to cover 250/300 eggs a year . heritage breeds don t lay that much ,marans only lay 150/180 eggs a year .marans love s grass .

for me I use high quality breeders feed 18% protein but Give them 20 g /head of wheat { Spring and summer and 30g/head black sun flower seed good when molting and growing new feathers . plus they have access to a lot varieties of grass .
one a week they get wet feed . breeder pallet soaked in cultured yogurt with Cod liver oil . plus the grass is loaded with all sort of bacteria .
one week a month { first week} they get ACV 2ml/l .

all my cockerels after 5 months of age and all the roosters get a ration of 60% Wheat and 40% breeders pallets . When molting ,I switch thing 60% breeders pallet and 40 % wheat plus 20g of Black sun flower seeds . they get a wet feed only ones a month not like the hens ones a weeks .

with all this care ,I still got 2 roosters crippled on me from 150 chooks . does not mean I did some thing wrong .what does mean the 2 roosters have a weak health system .
I do not change my feed because 1 or 2 chooks went sick . it is some thing else not a feed or the space .

if many chooks in the flock showing a same symptoms ,than yeah some thing has to change .

keep your chooks on a same routine ,they like it and it is easier to catch thing if they go wrong .

chooks man

PS= very hard to achieve great result when hatching some one else eggs .we don t know how they maintain they breeders flock .
 
This makes sense.
There will be these problems from time to time.

Ive done all the research and treatment I can and I have read about experiences you folks have had.

As long as the rest of my flock is healthy and happy, i will move on from here and make note of this issue.

Thank you everyone for the help and suggestions.
You are dear friends.
 
This makes sense.
There will be these problems from time to time.

Ive done all the research and treatment I can and I have read about experiences you folks have had.

As long as the rest of my flock is healthy and happy, i will move on from here and make note of this issue.

Thank you everyone for the help and suggestions.
You are dear friends.

I m pleased you understood what I was trying to say . you said it well { there will be these problems from time to time } if we only from the older/ healthier/ and robust chooks we will never see that again .
breeding for health is the foundation of my breeding programs because my chooks are outdoor all the year around , they need to be tough .

you have good looking young stock , slowly you will breed your hardy lines of BCM ,this thing will take time and more time . be patient and don t give up easily .

chooks man
 
fired up 2 incubators 49 eggs each last week . all the eggs come from 10 hens -7 marans and 3 crosses . those are the broody mamas who come to lay early . all the eggs are sired by Viking Red . nothing serious about this breeding ,just checking how VR fertility and a type of progeny he will throw . he has a chance to prove him self because he was running with high quality hens .
let see .
my hens starting to lay not all but more and more every day . breeding pens are almost ready to accommodate the breeders .
looking forward to see some new chicks from new pairing .

chooks man
 
I have 2 or 3 young pullets begin to lay last week at 19 weeks. They are the fast feathering/maturing line #3. Egg color seems good.

I found a couple of eggs on the ground under their roost so I put in a laying box. Now I hope they learn to use it.
If not, i will move them in with the hens to teach them.
 
I have 2 or 3 young pullets begin to lay last week at 19 weeks. They are the fast feathering/maturing line #3. Egg color seems good.

I found a couple of eggs on the ground under their roost so I put in a laying box. Now I hope they learn to use it.
If not, i will move them in with the hens to teach them.

great news .love they early maturing type .what a special trait almost lost in a modern BCM strains .
they will learn don t worry about it ,nice next box and some fake eggs will do the tricks .
photos please if you have time ,

chooks man
 
Their little bitty things.
It is raining right now so I cant get pictures as I am off to work soon.
20210622_092001.jpg
 

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