Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[flgardengirl]

Hi kowgurl62

to the Marans thread

My hatch is still going on but mostly done I think. I will leave them a few more days. I ended up with 9 Olive eggers, 1 blue copper, 1 splash copper, and the one blue birchen. No more birchens darn darn. Out of the 13 eggs from my own chickens, 11 hatched total. I didn't candle ..I usually don't so don't know if there was ever any development on the birchen eggs. I will eggtopsy them though.

THe broodiness has started here. I have 2 broody key west hens and one broody muscovy duck that has decided to make her nest up on the patio. I tried to move it and she won't sit unless I put it back. She has 13 eggs last I saw. If you think broody chicken poo is gross you should see broody muscovy poo >>>BARF!!
I have to spray down the patio every morning now.

 

[gilavina]

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Shoot! That's too bad you didn't get any more birchens...I was sure keeping my fingers crossed for you. If you ever feel like doing shipping eggs again, I have a few tips that have worked for me to increase the odds of development. I am curious to see what you find in your eggtopsy...

Today has been a stressful one....just came in to see what was going on to get my mind off of my does kidding. There is very little progress at the moment...wouldn't it be just like them to wait til the middle of the night....

 

[gilavina]

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I also read through the whole thread at the beginning of this year before jumping into the thread. It really is packed with info and full of friendly people willing to help. How far along are the eggs in your incubator?

 

[kowgurl62]

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LOL that's funny, guy at work told me ducks were nassssy. Guess he was right!

Well, at least now we've finally got some nice weather up here. Mannn, for the longest time it was so wet, nasty, cold, and miserable here.
I saw somebody post earlier that they had cooked their eggs at 111 one day, thought I had done the same. I bought a new bator with a fan on, got it going, and moved the eggs with the turner to it, good temps going, went to work, came home, and the temp was at 106. I was a nervous wreck, but believe it or not, they're still alive.

 

[kowgurl62]

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I also read through the whole thread at the beginning of this year before jumping into the thread. It really is packed with info and full of friendly people willing to help. How far along are the eggs in your incubator?

There Marans are at day 3. I have some mutt eggs in there that are at day 18, so they get moved to the other incubator today. Those were just for practice, all but 4 were fertile, so I guess I havent done too bad. The shipped eggs, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[syble]

glad to hear there is nothing particularly temperamental about marans eggs. I hadn't read anything other then they can be difficult to candle untill last night when i read that auction. Its been a few years since i've incubated, but i have a mixed batch of araucana chickens and beltsville white turkeys due the 7th of april. My next batch hopefully is the marans, but its soo hard with shipped eggs to begin with i'd hate to mess up more by ignorance!
Thanks
Sib

 

[susannemw]

How sweet they are! I love the top BCMs. Has there been more hatching going on?




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[enggass]

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~ susannemw I just PMd you...

 

[enggass]

Anybody got any tips or things to look for in determining the sex of Marans at 3 days of age, and if not, about how long before I can tell (kind of) the boys from the girls?
Steve

 

[mama2many]

This thread is so long! I can't possibly read it all!! I had a bear rip open my coop last night and get my girl AL she was a marans and I am looking for more. I have a mixed flock and the dark deep brown eggs were my favorite. Im in Virginia near WV. PM me if you have any ladies or pullets you may be wanting to remove from your show flock. I am looking for pets.... who live out their lives with us.