Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[chics in the sun]

Hello, Marans fans! I got a color-surprize pack of six Marans eggs to put under my broody Olive Egger, and she has hatched five of them. Can you tell me what colors they are? I'm a bit surprised by the yellow one, as I didn't remember her saying she had any white Marans.

There are two with dots on their head, but one has a larger dot and color down the edges of it's wing. One black one has no dot. One is more bluish. That is the one in the last picture - he cannot stand/ walk. I gave him vitamins and tried to straighten his legs. We'll see if he requires a splint.

Oh, and the yellow one is the only one without feathered legs.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Quote:
I'll take a guess that the 2 with spots are Cuckoos the darker one a pullet the lighter one a cockerel the black ones could be sexlinks or black coppers and the white could be a white or a wheaten if it colors up on the wings in a week or so it's a wheaten. Have fun with your hatch and I hope the weak one makes it for you....

 

[Lotsapaints]

On feeding chicks I start mine with turkey starter I thought once I had cocci so I bought Corid and only lost one. I do mix medicated chick starter in with the turkey starter but I soon add parakeet feed that's 25% and after 8 weeks mix game bird with it and take out the medicated feed. 12 weeks I add my grown bird mix to the 23% game bird they eat that up to POL then go on the bird mix with mash....I have been considering using the game bird starter but the turkey is made local and I like the price. My birds mostly eat whole grains with the Ultra Kibble the ones I raise now would rather just have the whole grains and if the squirrels didn't eat so much feed I wouldn't go through as much....I've tried lots of different things but this program works the best for me my butcher birds are ready to process at 3 and 4 months and the ones I like get 5 to 6 months before the final cull.

 

[chics in the sun]

Quote:
I'll take a guess that the 2 with spots are Cuckoos the darker one a pullet the lighter one a cockerel the black ones could be sexlinks or black coppers and the white could be a white or a wheaten if it colors up on the wings in a week or so it's a wheaten. Have fun with your hatch and I hope the weak one makes it for you....

Thanks - I had told her I didn't want any Black since I already have a pretty FBCM, but maybe on slipped in. And I think she did have wheaten ones, so maybe that explains the yellow one.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Sounds like too high protein is not my problem and many of you start with medicated feed and feed it for several weeks. I'm interested in the fact that many of you seem to feed a game bird mix. I'll have to look into that.

 

[Debbi]

Good morning!

The heat is on! 105 heat index today, hope there is a breeze.

My Silkie eggs went into lockdown this morning, so keep your fingers crossed for me, please!

I promised myself, this is my last hatch until I can get rid of some roos and build more pens around here....at least till the fall

Got a weekend project for myself, I am going to try to install two security screen doors. I finally found them here locally, after Lowe's turned up their nose at me for even suggesting to order them. I'll never shop there again! These are steel doors with lockset and dead bolts. Don't need them so much for security, but so I can leave my doors open at night without fear of my dog charging through those cheapo aluminum or wooden screen doors and going after Bambi in the front yard.

My main problem will be getting it lined up and trying to hold it in place, by myself. Think I could tack it up with some nails to hold it, then screw in some screws to keep in place, then finish the screws and take out the nails. Any helpful suggestions from my handy builder friends would be appreciated!!

For all of you heading out today, have a safe and happy 4th of July!!

 

[flgardengirl]

Good luck on your silkie eggs Debbi. SIlkies are the cutest babies! I am excited for you. I was lucky that I got 7 girls and 3 little roos on my 10 that hatched so sending girly vibes to you. At least Silkies don't seem to crow as loud as the Marans though

Its really funny when these little silkie cockerals start getting cocky..little teeny poof balls with attitude lol.
I have one silkie who wants babies but she is a partridge and I don't have a partridge male so have to use either a dark blue or splash male. I have one white male but his comb is so red I don't wanna use him for breeding.
Here's some pics of my silkies when they were babies.
Partridge

Splashes, lav, and blue (my lav died and it was a girl too whaaaa)

Okay this one is my fav. and is a buff silkie pullet. Her name is Tater Tots because her daddy is Bobbi Porto's 'Tater'. She is real cute now and stayed really tiny.

Tater Tot (left) and the white silkie male

 

[Debbi]

Oh how cute!! Thanks for posting those pics! I have an assorted color lot expected; Black, White, Splash, Buff, and Partridge. I sure hope I get some pullets out of them! Yes, folks talk about the Silkie roo-tude, but I can't imagine it would be much of a problem after dealing with Pip!

Little ankle biters??

 

[flgardengirl]

Yep the little silkie roos are like the chihuahua's of the chicken world lol but fluffier.

 

[Debbi]

Guess it will be hard to see the "fire" in their eyes!

I'll just have to wait for the perferated blue jean bottoms? It will give me something to laugh at anyway. Hopefully, I'll get some pullets that want to be broody so they can hatch some of my Marans eggs! Would be funny to see a Silkie mom with Marans babies, bigger than her at a few weeks old!