Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[wolftracks]

OMG I typed out a long post and then closed the window! arrrgggg

I have both I think. Cinnamon for sure, but might have to buy more Tumeric since I use it more often.

I did a thorough dusting in March with followups and also wormed them. I don't mind doing this all again, just wondered if it's safe to worm them again this soon.

I have some older girls that I have only noticed going into the boxes recently. It would make since if they were just starting back up and laying light eggs at first, but then where are all the darker eggs going?

We have had fluctuating weather. Got pretty hot a few days and then dropped way down. It's warming up now for a couple more days and then I guess we have rain coming.

I haven't changed anything other than cutting out some treats and I ran out of BOSS two weeks ago and just got more yesterday.

I was going to buy more Sevin today anyway. I use it on the dogs too and in the yard. Flea season!

These birds always have full run of the yard. They have everything they need out there and I actually stopped giving as many treats to make sure they had enough protien in their diets. I have other breeds and I let them out for shorter periods of time, but I've noticed their eggs are also lightening up.

I do have Permectrin that I bought just before my husband died last summer and I have never used it. I have a 1/4 acrea backyard. Not sure how I'll do this, but I'll start everything including added the tumeric and cinnamon today.

I do dust the coops once a month and I have nesting boxes outside in other areas too and I make sure those are dusted also.

OK, so I'll start with these now and open for any other ideas, so keep them coming.

Thanks so much so far for the help. I really do appreciate it.

 

[syble]

no comments on my little ones?
Sib

 

[Debbi]

Syble ~ I'll give it a try, but don't hold me to it!

#1 - Pullet, but what color it is, I have no clue? Looks mossy or has partridge type markings?

#2 - Roo lft, pullet rt. look to be both blues

#3 - Roo lft, pullet rt. Splashes

#4 - Light Blue? Pullet

#5 - Splash pullet

#6 - Black? Roo?

#7 - 2 blue pullets

#8 - Black or dark blue? Pullet

That's just my spin, I'm sure someone else will come and correct me!

Nice babies!!

 

[Debbi]

Well, learned something new today. Last night I hauled a bale of straw over to the garden. Was too tired to drag it in and spread it, so left it outside of the gate. This morning after about an hour of letting the chooks out of the run, the main 7 in charge, had totally dismantled and spread the straw...EVERYWHERE!

They did better than I would've, it was so evenly spread. Now...if only it was IN the garden!

Guess that's why they made rakes..

 

[Raven1]

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I have soooo done that!

 

[Mountain Mel]

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I totally agree...OMG! it's a sweltering 56 degrees here!!! It'll probably hit 60 today!

 

[syble]

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#1 hatched from a blue copper marans egg, it was an accident, and deffinately mossy(or atleast as i understand it), may keep her for a layer, but thats about it . Thanks for weighing in, i hope your right, would give me a roo from each colour to choose from.
Thanks
Sib

 

[Bravo]

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LOL! Not like you had anything better to do today, right?

It cracks me up how they don't miss anything. I swear mine spend their days plotting on how to get into my husbands garden--that place is locked down like Ft. Knox and yet every now and then one hen finds a weakness in his fortress and the party is on!

I've been meaning to ask you, how are your chicken saddles working?

Did you find some super cool fabric prints??

Pics are needed

 

[Myabcs3]

Wolftracks - I am experiencing the same thing with my older flock. A suggestion came to me through others that I might take a look at the supplemental calcium I was giving. Last fall and through the winter, I feed roasted egg shells with cayenne, cinnamon and turmeric as their calcium and maintained egg color. Late winter/early spring, I switched to oyster shell and started getting lighter eggs. I immediately started collecting and roasting egg shells, and my color improved. Was it the spices? Egg shells? Don't know - changed too many variables at once. However, my oyster shell looked different - not "shellish" more like chunks of drywall... Just "food" for thought...would love to hear other feedback.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
LOL! Not like you had anything better to do today, right?

It cracks me up how they don't miss anything. I swear mine spend their days plotting on how to get into my husbands garden--that place is locked down like Ft. Knox and yet every now and then one hen finds a weakness in his fortress and the party is on!

I've been meaning to ask you, how are your chicken saddles working?

Did you find some super cool fabric prints??

Pics are needed

Yeh right!

On the good side, seems like they ate all of the wheat seeds out of the straw! The saddles/aprons are doing well! Only one bad girl is going without, she is a crafty escape artist. May have to wait till she goes to roost as she always seems to evade me!

Only one problem I'm seeing with these. Seems the boys are leery of them, and I'm not seeing much if any breeding going on with the coated girls. The bad girl though, seems to have gone from "ugly girl" status, to the favorite!

She may be begging me for an apron before too long! They are also molting right now, and they are looking soooo shabby!