Marans eggs on ebay....

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Steve,

I'd like your 'recipe' for feed- our mill will mix for us, but I'm not sure what to ask for- I'm certain I don't want any of the HOG44 they lean on when upping the protein in their normal layer, though. I remember Glenda Heywood also reported at one point she didn't allow any corn for protein in her feed, as she bred white birds and it yellows them (boy, does it!!).

This is all very interesting!

The "old recipes" I have seen for non corn based feeds used sorghum, barley,alfalfa meal, wheat. All call for soybean oil meal. The wheat for example is a higher protien than corn - I think wheat is about 12% vice 8 for corn.

Some interesting reading can be found in
Feeds and Feeding by Frank B. Morrison

Steve in NC

 

[6littlechickies]

just thought I would update, the seller from the OP's original post is the same seller I bought from. I finally recieved the eggs today. A total of 7 were sent but only 6 made it to final destination. The packing was, well, differerent. Box showed no signs of foul play (lol) but something must have gotten jostled somewhere to have one broke. eh, these things happen. The other 6 eggs arrived in tact but there is one that looks like it might have been superglued already, can't say for sure and I'm not accusing anyone of anything, just an odd looking spot. DH is coming home at lunch and I'm going to ask what he thinks (without mentioning my thoughts). I can try to take a pic but I don't think it would come through. Guess I could candle it and if there was a crack I could see that way.

anyway, the coloring is not quite what I was hoping for, but not the lightest I've gotten either so can't complain there. Packing, as I said, was different, not bad just unique. The box was either hot or super glued shut so quite difficult to open. The top was filled will crumpled notebook paper and then each egg was packed in both an initial wrap of bubble wrap and then covered with about 1/2 a roll of toilet paper.
Here are some pics of the eggs and packaging. They are backwards in order of events. lol
6 remaining eggs. Egg in the bottom right is the one I question.

the broken egg:

eggs still wrapepd in box:

initial opening of box:

 

[Wynette]

Wow, 6little - those eggs are very light for Marans. Of course I realize they do lighten as they lay through their cycle, however, these do not appear to even be a 4 on the Marans Egg Colour scale. (I personally cull from my program hens that do not always lay at least a 4 at the lightest through their cycle.)

You're right - that's very interesting wrapping! Can't say I've ever gotten eggs like that before! And, I sure hope you're wrong on the one being superglued. But, if your DH thinks the same thing, I'd definitely get back with the seller on this; this is something they should have notified you of in advance at the very least. Again, JMO!

 

[Krys109uk]

Not meaning to be rude, but, unless the photo has considerably bleached the colour of those eggs, they are not dark enough to be considered proper Marans eggs.

Those are about the same colour as the spangled/ mille fleur Marans type bird I've was making & those had an outcross to Orpingtons a couple of generations ago!

Oh, I ought to add.....I don't believe the very dark eggs in the pic shown in the advert are from the same hens as the eggs received in the box. A few of my hens lay eggs s dark as those at start of lay even now at the end of the season they are only about one shade lighter, on the French egg chart, than they were at start of lay.
I might have one or two eggs left from the darker egg layers (they stopped laying recently). Unless someone has eaten them I'll see if I can take a pic to give an indication of shade of eggs at end of season.

 

[Katy]

I'd be VERY upset if I bought those!

 

[Krys109uk]

I personally cull from my program hens that do not always lay at least a 4 at the lightest through their cycle

Quite so. Me too. As it said on the French website an egg as to be at least a 4 at its lightest to be considered a Marans.​

 

[McSpin]

This is precisely why I stay away from auctions that don't show examples of what the hens are currently laying. Personally, I highly doubt the eggs you received, came from the same hens as the ones laying the eggs in the auction photo. In my way of thinking, showing eggs that dark and then shipping eggs that light without a thorough explanation is just plain deceit.

 

[6littlechickies]

This is DH, and the eggs aren't all they are cracked up to be. (lol) This is supposed to be from the VP of the Marans of America Club and figured there would be better quality control involved in color and packing. Trying to see if the "glue" is just egg white but it doesn't seem to wipe off with wet scrubbing. These are probably some of the lighter eggs received from our several maran orders through various outlets. Can't really claim glued for sure though, so we'll leave it at that. I would like to think we will cull properly at our farm and deliver high quality should we ever decide to sell eggs. Haven't left feed back yet to seller, some perspective needed, how would you reply??? I have read a lot of the wifes posts and everyone here is pretty nice and helpful. Thanks

 

[Krys109uk]

Haven't left feed back yet to seller, some perspective needed, how would you reply???

How about "Product not as described; highly disappointing" ?

These are some end of season eggs. They are definitely lighter than they were for the first few weeks. But they haven't gone from very dark to very light. I think their colour is still passable.

 

[AHappychick]

those are very nice Krys109uk, the others are horrible I dont believe for a second they went from a 8 on the chart (which is what the pic looks like) to less than 4. Unless the hen is 10 years old. I think she is a scam artist frankly and if she hadthe color she claims to wouldnt she have hatched new generations so that there would be younger hens earlier in their cycle laying? I dont think any breeder goes a whole season with out hatching their own eggs at least once nd keeping the best. If anything it should be a mix of lighter and darker ones ie: older and younger hens.