Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

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Thanks Debbi! I sure am in love with him...he is a sweet as his daddy. I have not handled him like I normally would any rooster that I am entertaining thoughts of keeping just to see if his sweetness came out naturally, it does.

Even at his flighty age I can walk right up to him and he just stands there because he knows he is going to be picked up. This is the same thing his Pops does. I also didn't handle any of the BCM's that came from GFF except for the neccessaries to see if they would be friendly all on their own....they were a bit skiddish for about 6-7 months, but now they are under foot all of the time and constantly following me around and they could care less if they are scooped up off the ground....of course this can only happen if they are in their coop run...if they are out on the grass, FORGET IT....they ain't having none of that during their recess time, so it's more like a game of chase.

 

[Debbi]

That's pretty much the way it is with Roy and Clyde. The big lunks are always underfoot, nosey when I'm filling feeders, and the only ones that don't run if I decide to reach down and pet. I spent a lot of handling time with them as they spent a long time in the brooder inside, due to the weather. To pick those dudes up now, may render me a hernia!

Your chicklets are now getting into the rythm of going to bed by themselves. They are so funny when the light starts to dim. They go into their "night song" for quite awhile, and it gets quite loud. Pip will now stand outside of their pen and talk to them to try to quiet them down. Once they are in their coop, he will then go into the big coop. As much of a PIA that Pip is, he does have his good attributes.

 

[bonebrake]

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Hi Jay!

Are you sure your chicks are 5-6 weeks old? The reason I ask is, their feathering seems to be lacking for that age. By 4 weeks, they should have just about all their feathering in, and yours are still showing a lot of down. Love the "stink eye" that first one is giving you!

HI Debbie-

You're right - getting my timline screwed up. I've picked up a lots of chicks lately and I'm getting confussed. I've had these FBCM's for about 3-weeks. So I guess you're right, they are only around 3-weeks old!

And the stink eye is classic!

Jay

 

[math ace]

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GIRL, I am working just as quick as I can, but these girls don't have a coop. They sleep in an old dog house. I put the rubbermaid boxes out as temp laying boxes until their coop gets built. Dh and I are putting the walls up today and might get to the roof too.

I am not making real good time with the project. It has been real rough getting any thing done when it is just Dad and me. When the family is around on the weekends, Dh and I can get more done because there are more eyes on deck, if you get what I am saying

As soon as I get the coop finished for these girls, I have two more to build.

 

[Myabcs3]

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Snowbird, I am interested in cuckoos. I have a flock of French and clean legged and am interested in 1) figuring out exactly where I am with them and 2) how to improve them toward the proposed standard. I lurk in here, but don't feel like I know enough to post. When I say that, please know you all are very kind and great with sharing wisdom and answering my questions, but sometimes I feel like I don't know what I don't know, if that makes sense.

 

[geebs]

Snowbird: I think that there is enough interest for a Cuckoo thread... Even I own a token one.

I keep her around because her egg color is really amazing. She is a Bev Davis/Donna Gherke... which I believe she got from Braden along the Kelly Cratty line. Big fat bird.. just no male to match her.. Never did find a good specimen...She is unfortunately clean legged.

Okay I will throw up the thread. Disclaimer.. I know very little about this color... more history than practical knowledge but it is the first color I had. I currently have a quad of "bantams" that I got over the winter. They are project birds so I guess it is time to do a little learning...

 

[geebs]

Okay I threw up a thread for cuckoo... It is up... knock yourselves out!!! I don't have a lot to offer in that area.. I hope to learn more from others who have worked with them.

 

[StevenW.]

I only have 6 Marans eggs out of 13 I guess this is a good number since they were shipped.

But I did take some pictures of the 3 eggs I just threw out a little bit ago and I thought I should open them up and see what is in there.

This one had a little blood but I have no clue if it started to develop and didnt or maybe it was just a blood spot or ......

This one is the same as the first one.

I think this one either stopped developing after a week or delevoped later than the rest.

 

[geebs]

I hope the others hatch!!! They look scrambled to me....
Was there breakage??? how was the packaging? (I prefer the bubble wrap method best)

 

[StevenW.]

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That could explain why they came out of the egg really easily.
None were broke, The seller used Bubble Wrap and wrapped each egg twice then taped all the wrapped eggs together then bubble wrapped them again and put them in the box with a bunch of newspapers on the sides, bottom, and top.

I really hope the others hatch! I really really want to start a breeding flock!