Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[seabreeze]

Thanks Don, that looks very do-able for even a tool klutz like me! Will grab some stuff this weekend. Do you worry about the rodents staggering out and about where other critters can consume them, such as chickens, puppies etc?

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
It has never been a problem here. Use a pipe bracket or hanger to mount.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
MAN today has been super rough with my dad today!

If I missed anyone else's questions - - -please repost it

flgardengirl, I have been trying to grow blueberries in my own yard for about 5 years now..... We really screwed up when we first planted them.
We order some composted dirt and it was super high in ph and we didn't know it! I killed the first couple of years plantings....
Then we got smart and dug in some peat moss and pine straw and lowered the ph that way. Also, hooked up an irrigation for regular watering.

This is the first decent years production that I have gotten off of them - - 5 cups of berries at one time and another 5 still on the bushes.
I looked around Callahan and did not see anyone advertising u pick em blueberries. I would like to get more BUT not at the $5 a pint from the store.
I think I finally have the blueberry thing right, so I am expecting a BIG harvest next year. This is the first year I have gotten more than a handfull of blueberries.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
You know....I've been thinking and following both yours and Math's limpy boys and have a couple questions.

So....neither of them is showing signs of bumble right?

No, no signs of Bumblefoot

Neither of them has any open sores on the leg or foot anywhere, right?

No, no sores anywhere

Are there any hot spots on the leg or the foot? I am especially wondering about the shank area.

The only swelling I can see/feel is in the knee joint, and it is a tad warm. Shank is fine as are the feet

Any signs of swelling?

See above

How much does each bird weigh?

Don't have a scale, but at 5 months old, this boy weighs probably 8-9 pounds!

How high are their roosts? Or how high is the highest point they can get up to and perch or when they are resting outside?

Never seen him go to any height or even perch while out of the coop. The roost is about 4 foot at the highest level

Would they ever be jumping off something that is more than 5ft off the ground?

See above. 4' is the highest I've seen him jump from. When he does jump off the roost, he does not use his wings very much. No flapping, just kind of opens them and jumps. He's been sleeping in one of the nest boxes since he hurt himself, about one foot off the ground.


So, what do you surmise here??

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Lisa,

My first three pullets had the "triangle" of feathers on their backs. For a long time, they held their tails like a guinea! Turns out, these three have long backs. The other two pullets that are amost a year, didn't have the triangle, and have shorter backs. Now watching my Pink babies tonight, I did notice the triangle yet again, and sure enough, at 12 weeks old, the ones with the triangles have the longer backs. It is also the long backed girls that lay the HUGE eggs too! Triangle = good!

Just my home observations, others may have a different finding...

 

[StevenW.]

I was thinking about ordering some Marans eggs again to try again since my first try failed...
But the weather is not cooperateing. 100 degree temps... I'm not takeing no chance on that!
But everyones pictures have kept me content for now and I will attempt to incubate Marans eggs this fall or next year.

 

[math ace]

Debbi,

I sure hope triangle = good.
These girls are starting to do the squat, so I know it won't be long and I will be collecting some eggs from them.
I have been such a CRAPPY mommy to my birds this year. . . .

With the 7 hatches under my belt, it has been all I can do to keep up with the "MUST DOs". Water, food, heat, and clean bedding..... The "MUST DOs".
There is almost NO TIME left over for bonding. . .PLUS, I have noticed that anything I pay a lot of attention to becomes a target when dad is psycho.
So, I maintain my space between the babies and myself for that reason.

My darlin BCM pullets will be laying soon and I haven't even named them! The little Olive egger that is in with them is named "Wild Thing". How wrong is it that the Olive egger gets a name and the BCM pullets - - the whole reason for the hatch - - don't get one ? ? ?

I can't wait to see their egg color. They are the F1 generation and the roo is from a different source than the hens.... so I am anxious to see if he is gonna help my egg color out with his genes.

I haven't even had time to sit down and look them over really good. I only had 4 pullets as opposed to 11 cockerels. In my case the males were getting a lot more attention because I had to get that 11 down to something more manageable ( MEL - - I had to go goggle that word just for you.... I wasn't sure if the "e" stayed or disappeared. Couldn't you do something else other than have an English background? The stress is on every time I post something now!). I NEED to sit down and look at the girls closely. From a distance, their color looks so much better than the P1. The black is blacker and the blue is darker too. Combs are still FUGLY, but that is going to be a "LATER" goal. If hens control the combs, then I am a WORLD OF HURT!

 

[Debbi]

Yes, don't give up Ducklover, but I know what you mean about this dang heat! It was 96 here today, high humidity, and not a breeze to be had.

All of the chickens were panting and drinking up a storm. They were really having a hard time with it today with no breeze.

Hopefully the temps will drop, or we'll get a breeze so I can get back into the garden to re-till and re-plant! The only thing that really survived all the rain were the cukes and some cabbage plants. Four pepper plants are hanging in there, but they don't look their best. Seems the older I get, the less I can tolerate the high humidity and heat. The humidity is also reaking havoc on all my joints with arthritis. First we crab about the rain, now we crab about the heat!

Living in the state of Misery...

 

[Debbi]

Lisa, Seems like here since we all got on the topic of combs, that's all I'm seeing!

So much work to do, but I'm not pressed for time and will just enjoy them all, and try to improve over time. My three gals with the long backs and low tails had them for a long time. I was so envious of everyone else's pert little hen tails, while mine still looked like guineas. I can see now that these girls may compensate for a nice roo with a shorter back, so thanks to Don, I waited on them to fill out. Now, she's a briiick house; she's mighty mighty, just lettin' it all hang out...

Gees, almost forgot! I've got 7 eggs going into lockdown on Sunday!! That's the end of the season for this old gal...till fall anyway!

 

[Ivywoods]

Quote:
I hear ya on the arthritis thing. Today was my day off, and I got some things done that really needed to be done. I just love productive days! HOWEVER, my knee is really talking to me now, and it's not saying nice things.

I've got to go back outside after a while. All the juvies I put in the new pen wouldn't come out of the house, so I MADE them go out into the run (large pen.) NOW they don't want to go back out into that dark hole. There's no electricity out there, so I will have to go out with a flashlight and get them all in. They are all crowded into corners and I'm sure they are quietly freaking out.