Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

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Cool I love my 2 sussex even if they are hatchery babies. I've never had Delawares and don't know anything at all about them lol.

They won't be hatchery . . . I promise!

Delawares - - - you will be converted.

PINK OH PINK - - - My delaware roo has yet to crow. He is the same age as my other loud mouth BCM roos from the first hatch. They crow ALL the time. The delaware roo is in a separate pen with his ladies and I have NEVER heard him crow. NOW, the delaware pullets do the Geese sounds any time I bother them, but he is silent! How about your delaware roos?

2 out of the 3 are crowing and have been for quite some time, I think the first one started to crow around 8-10 weeks, but not one of them is alpha boy in that grow out pen, my very special splash Bill boy is in charge of that pen and he does most of the crowing, but the Del boys will chime in. They have a nice throaty crow already at 4 mos. Now Del's are nice sized birds and they do mature and beef up at a pretty good rate....but compared to the Bill's splash boy...they need to eat they wheaties and get some grow on, if they want to catch up to him. But the Del boys are waaaaaayyyyyyyyyy friendlier then the splash boy. The splash boy just gives me this......"yah.....right" sideways look.

And yes the Del girls "honk", the Del girls are toooooooo much, the "honking" is hilarious and cute. Those girls make me love them sump'in fierce. I think that I am going hatch and grow my Marans out with Delawares from now on....(soon as I can get Del going in the 'bator, won't be long before they are laying

). Having those Del's in with my Marans was the best.....the females that came out of there are just as friendly as the Del's and the one that I kept for myself still is ooooober friendly. I think the Dels bring a sense of calm and trust to other birds around them. Sounds crazy but I swear those Dels attitudes rub off.

 

[pinkchick]

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I thought you were the one they asked to create the test????

 

[pinkchick]

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Too funny, getting ready to move out ya'lls way..that would be Mel, Pinks, Royce.....and my reponse to DH after seeing the place/local/ closest LITTLE town.....right out of "Deliverance"... will keep my new best friend close to the front door....locked and loaded Comes complete with Bears and a Cougar or two if you believe what the local farmer/rancher said. Gonna make extra sure my Chickies are safe and secure for sure!

Your going to be a PNW'ner!!!!!! Bring all of your rain gear and good rubber boots.

Did you get your house stuff all wrapped up????

You know what?????? Geebs will kinda be centrally located between you and me......we'll just have to meet up at her house one day.

 

[gilavina]

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I had a pullet year in 2010. All I had was a styro incubator with a turner but I got 10 pullets to 3 cockerels in BCMs & 1 cockerel to 6 pullets in EEs. This year's hatch so far there is no telling but a friend & I did try the wing feather sexing thing on them but won't know for sure til much later. Yesterday I was telling my husband about the holding them up by the scruff of the neck thing you told us about & tried it on one. If it's true the one I picked up was a pullet. She struggled for a short time ( a few seconds) then just submitted & hung there.

I don't remember who it was that mentioned the picking them up by the scruff of the neck...but I just pick mine up like normal. I haven't tried the scruff of the neck thing, but I'm pretty certain at this point with my 21 chicks I have, there are 4 pullets and the rest are cockerels so far....I'm reallllllly hoping deep down that since I haven't done this test since last fall that I'm rusty and there are more pullets.

Although, I guess I can't complain, because I am looking for some standout boys from some of the breeding pens that I'm setting up, so I guess I got my wish on that too....
It's crazy to think you had a pullet year too, even all the way over there. I talked to 5 or 6 people around here and every single one of us had pullets like crazy last year. Nature is a crazy thing. I don't know if its true or not, but one of the older guys I talked to said that he was always taught that pullet years only come along every 8 to 10 years or so. If that's really true...then I have a long wait on my hands haha

 

[pinkchick]

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Mel, I am a general contractor, so I'll just design and build the whole thing for you, no worries my friend......but like the Guggenhiem and a Frank Lloyd Wright, I will leave my signature and stamp for all to see.

How do you like the color PINK?

 

[gilavina]

Morning everyone

I've got my shipped eggs going to lockdown on Monday...and I'm not gonna lie, I am already getting really impatient

I think I'll have to find other things to do to keep me distracted after work today...and tomorrow I'll have to find something to keep me busy the whole day... Might be a good day to start seeds!

For some reason, once they go into lockdown I feel a bit calmer...I know there is only a little bit more waiting to go then

I put i a few of my own eggs as well, one of them is a JUMBO egg...the thing is huuuuge, so I'm really curious to see what comes out since I know for sure there is a monster developing in there!

 

[pinkchick]

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Thanks for posting them Steve! It sure is cool to see them and knowing they are across the country...is a total mind blower. COOL!!!!! Many good incubating and hatching vibes coming your way.

EDITED TO ADD: Thank you all for your kind words and great vibes your sending out to everyone that is getting eggs from me. I love this place!

 

[pinkchick]

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I am having a hard time watching them rest.... just want to put them in the 'bator and start the count down. This is my first time hatching marans, I know to give them extra days to hatch, they like a dry hatch.... any thing else I should keep in mind? Got a new hydrometer/thermometer!

I think you have it all under control Keara and don't worry there are plenty Marans friends who have your back....we are here for you!

But really......I don't think that I am truly the best one to get incubating tips from.....I don't play by the rules, I am a "setter and forgetter" Ronco style as Geebs would put it.

I don't fuss over them at all, I will often let the water run completely dry and sometimes I don't hurry to refill it. I don't worry too much if the humidity drops down even into the 20's the first 18 days and if I can't get the humidity up past 40 or 45 during lockdown....I don't worry about that either, who ever is going to hatch is going to hatch. If I can manage to get the humidity up to around 50 in one of my little stryo 'bators that I like to use for hatching then I am happy, but if I can't, I can't.
I am also one that will open the 'bator when I am not suppose to.

I'm one of those fly by the seat of my pants type of peeps.

 

[sewandgrow]

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I had a pullet year in 2010. All I had was a styro incubator with a turner but I got 10 pullets to 3 cockerels in BCMs & 1 cockerel to 6 pullets in EEs. This year's hatch so far there is no telling but a friend & I did try the wing feather sexing thing on them but won't know for sure til much later. Yesterday I was telling my husband about the holding them up by the scruff of the neck thing you told us about & tried it on one. If it's true the one I picked up was a pullet. She struggled for a short time ( a few seconds) then just submitted & hung there.

I don't remember who it was that mentioned the picking them up by the scruff of the neck...but I just pick mine up like normal. I haven't tried the scruff of the neck thing, but I'm pretty certain at this point with my 21 chicks I have, there are 4 pullets and the rest are cockerels so far....I'm reallllllly hoping deep down that since I haven't done this test since last fall that I'm rusty and there are more pullets.

Although, I guess I can't complain, because I am looking for some standout boys from some of the breeding pens that I'm setting up, so I guess I got my wish on that too....
It's crazy to think you had a pullet year too, even all the way over there. I talked to 5 or 6 people around here and every single one of us had pullets like crazy last year. Nature is a crazy thing. I don't know if its true or not, but one of the older guys I talked to said that he was always taught that pullet years only come along every 8 to 10 years or so. If that's really true...then I have a long wait on my hands haha

My hatch was way late in July & early August. I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not. Where I live that time of year is not a time to worry about the cold but heat stroke is a possibility.......LOL It gets HOT here. If there is anythign to the wing feather sexing thing the batch I just took out is high in cockerels.

 

[pinkchick]

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If I remember you said you needed a good roo. Carefull what you ask for! THanks for the advice!

I found that really good roo - - - he is in Vermont at your house.
Are you ready to pack him up and send him to me ? ?

I sure hope your girls produce more girls than mine do . . . . Oh I can see it now - - -

THE WINNER OF "MOST ROOS HATCHED" goes to

. . .



. . .


drum roll please


. . .


. . .




MATH ACE

The record being attempted is to hatch 90% roos for 12 hatches straight. Will she do it ladies and gents ? ??

Tune in Same web site, Same thread, Same time 12 months from now to find out . . .

Nope.....won't happen.....you will get some girls from the my eggs.

Unless you are doing some sort of Voo-doo thing over the eggs while they are incubating.