Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Hi Vicki!

I believe I have posted all the birds that I have kept this year.....it was 7 and now as of 2 days ago the Black Copper cockerel that I posted a few pages back is out of the equation due to some predation issue. I found him in a very bad way just outside the hole that had been made in the fence and I put him down, so current count of birds I kept from the last hatching season is...6, 4 Blue Coppers (3 females and 1 roo) and 2 Black Copper pullets, both jet black and both from different pairings,

, but I am keeping them because they have excellent type. Hopefully I can get some color back into the offspring.
Now in the cockerel pen (I usually don't keep any of these birds, but like to watch them grow out...these birds are my winter dinners)...... I have 2 very dark blue copper cockerels that I am watching, but I seriously doubt that the one with clean legs will be sticking around. I do like the other very dark blue copper that is in there because he has nicely feathered legs and good copper coming in....in fact he is almost the spitting image of my Lil' Bill but darker blue. I might hang on to him..but seriously how many roos does a person need, right? LOL!

Have made some huge culling decisions in my breeding pens of Marans and am downsizing as we speak. Now good thing you didn't ask me about all the other breeds.......I seriously have too many birds.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
I must have missed your posts in my days of absence working outside. I'll have to go back and see if you posted any pics. I'm partially asking too since I've decided i'm going to be going through my adult birds too and culling and keeping only some of them. The girls will go to the layer pen. I did a huge amount of hatching this year to give me a good jump on having options...and am heading in a good direction...just mostly gotta be patient about things. I don't think things are going badly since I've only been in the marans a year and a half so far.

I know what you mean about other breeds and having too many. I'm working on culling through everything and am doing a pretty ok job...just wish I didn't have to cull my only BLR wyandotte cockerel for split wings. I'm now on the hunt for a good cockerel...and also for a silver penciled wyandotte cockerel or I'd even take a silver penciled rock cockerel really. Who would think I'd be looking for cockerels come this time of year?

oh...and do you remember those two girls I posted pics of way back that I said reminded me of east frisian gulls. The black girls with the white patterened breast and neck? I hatched out a cockerel that matches them perfectly in my last hatch! I'm going to be holding him to see how he grows out, but so far he is stout! Just what I need...more birds to play with.

Man....I need to get moving on those breeding pens I'm planning!

 

[Ivywoods]

Debbi-I think you are getting this morning part of what we got last night. First one came from the north-northwest, than as the system spun around one came in from the southwest. We got 2" of rain last night, 2 1/2" the night before.

Vicki-I think these were some of the same storms that hit you first.

Folks, I am very pleased with the marans chicks I have hatched out this year. They all look better than their parent stock, so maybe I put the right two together. For the coming year I think I am only going to keep the young ones, and pair them with the other rooster that I kept last year, fuzzy. He "might" be as close as an "uncle" to these chicks. Does that sound like an okay mating? I'll have to get pics sometime, but I am really bad about getting that done because they are free ranging right now and it is really tough to get a good picture.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
haha too funny...I'm sure Clyde will share the glory for a bit heehee

I am there with you on dreading the coming winter. I've been thinking about it more than I probably should...I just keep getting the feeling that I better get things sorted and set up for winter in a timely manner this year. Winter last year was a rough one for me to work outside in the cold and all the snow.
I hope those storms don't get too bad down there for you. I have no idea what it is supposed to do here...I was a bit distracted this morning. I got back home not long ago from picking up some female kitties to be mousers in my barn. I have two kitties I found in the barn when I was cleaning it out, but they both turned out to be males...so I figured I'd get some girls too. They are gorgeous...in fact they are sitting in a cat carrier next to me so they can get used to me. They are sweet as anything. One is a tortie the other is a blue calico! I'll have to see if I can get pics of all of them together. for now tho...here is the ad I got them from.

http://lincoln.craigslist.org/grd/2554052618.html

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Mornin Ivy! Haven't seen ya in a bit! I think you are probably right about those storms being the same ones that hit here first. We got 2 inches the other night and I think last night we ended up with about and inch and a half.

I feel much the same way about my birds too. I am going to be culling out some parent stock for sure as some of the chicks I hatched out are much better than they were. Its pretty gratifying to be able to see progress isn't it?

 

[Debbi]

Hi Susie, Yes, you are correct on the storms. These came in this morning from the northwest, and we probably got another 2" as well.

I had another guy that was going to help me get the shed converted into a coop, but alas, another SLUG! What is it with people any more?? Not like I'm asking for a favor, I am willing to pay them.

I too, will be culling out my initial hens, they are passing on the stupid comb for sure! Size is good on these new pullets though, so that is going to be a loss for me. These F1s are 17 weeks, and are the same size as some of my older birds. Nice looking too, and more shank feathering. STUPID COMBS!!!!!!!! So, if I ever get this shed done, I will have 7 pullets/hens for a laying flock...that'll keep me in eggs.

 

[pinkchick]

Hi Ivy!

Our buddy Mel is doing good...don't know if you have talked with him in a while but he called me last weekend so I thought I would let you know. Hope he is back on BYC soon but I think that will have to wait until after Salmon and Steelhead are done running. LOL!

Debbi~ I soooooooooo hear ya on the Stupid combs.....oh and I did get your PM the other day and the photo that you asked me to look at I couldn't see well enough to say but I believe that your assumptions are very correct.

Math~ I got your PM as well but just haven't had time to answer. Sorry.

I'm not ignoring any one that sends PM's, just sometimes I don't have enough time to answer them to the extent that they need answering....so if anyone has sent me PM's and you think you are being ignored....believe me you are not and someday, hopefully sooner rather than later, I will have some time to answer.

 

[Debbi]

I know you are busy, lady! Good to be busy, keeps us out of trouble!

Did you get to do any fishing the other day...or was it weekend? Wish we had Salmon here, I'd be all over them!

 

[jeremy]

Debi, I LOVE your new avatar!

 

[Debbi]

Thanks Jeremy! They have changed sooo much since I took that pic...last week!