Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Peach2u]

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Hard to see that second comb, but it looks nothing like my Carnation combs. Looks more like a Pea Comb type of comb?? Can you get a better pic?

Yeah- I would have guessed him to be an Olive Egger with a comb like that.

You wouldnt happen to have any extra Black copper Blue copper or cuckoo hen/pullet would yea? I don't live too far from yea. I'm in Harrison Bay, TN

 

[snowbird]

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Walt, just posted the toe punch method of marking your chicks couple of days ago. I have always used this method and there is an extended method used by Gamefowl people called Punch and slit with a lot more markings. For large fowl I use a leather punch as it has several sizes of hole punches. There is a chick punch sold by Supply co. but I think on the large fowl it is kinda small so do not use except on bantams. Toe punch the babys and wing band soon as they a large enough. The wing band will be the individual id. for each chick, the punch will be the pen Id. so you will end up with a double id.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

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Walt, just posted the toe punch method of marking your chicks couple of days ago. I have always used this method and there is an extended method used by Gamefowl people called Punch and slit with a lot more markings. For large fowl I use a leather punch as it has several sizes of hole punches. There is a chick punch sold by Supply co. but I think on the large fowl it is kinda small so do not use except on bantams. Toe punch the babys and wing band soon as they a large enough. The wing band will be the individual id. for each chick, the punch will be the pen Id. so you will end up with a double id.

Don,

Thanks for the advice. I have a leather punch as I had horses my entire life growing up so will ask my dad if I can get ahold of it again. He uses it for his hunting gear. We use wing bands on hubby's Mandarin ducks so will order extra to use on the Marans, great idea for double ID.

 

[pinkchick]

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You are an AWESOME Mom!

Thanks for the name on the Birchens....is she a member here on BYC? How does a person contact her?

Birchens are a brand new project for me and I would seriously like to add some Blues as my hatch of current babies is all Black. I am such a dorf....I thought I was purchasing Black and Blue Birchen eggs and they are only Black so my blue addiction has not been fed yet. Must feed the blues monster....must feed the blues monster.

 

[gilavina]

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You are an AWESOME Mom!

Thanks for the name on the Birchens....is she a member here on BYC? How does a person contact her?

Birchens are a brand new project for me and I would seriously like to add some Blues as my hatch of current babies is all Black. I am such a dorf....I thought I was purchasing Black and Blue Birchen eggs and they are only Black so my blue addiction has not been fed yet. Must feed the blues monster....must feed the blues monster.

haha...that's what that is....a blues monster...now I understand haha

I'm getting really excited for hatching next spring. I've got a few birds that are looking really good in the youngest pen and am thinking it could be a good year for improvements!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

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You are an AWESOME Mom!

Thanks for the name on the Birchens....is she a member here on BYC? How does a person contact her?

Birchens are a brand new project for me and I would seriously like to add some Blues as my hatch of current babies is all Black. I am such a dorf....I thought I was purchasing Black and Blue Birchen eggs and they are only Black so my blue addiction has not been fed yet. Must feed the blues monster....must feed the blues monster.

She is, let me dig for her ID. These chicks ate HUGE, even hubby commented on how large they are. Thanks on the compliment, when he has an interest I tend to support 100%. He also never likes one thing one month and something new the next. This is his third year doing science research projects with the chickens as well. I have 3 call duck drakes that free range and follow me around. Will keep those as pets to feed my love of calls.

 

[pinkchick]

Somebody asked me about the bands or tags on my chicks legs...that is Vetwrap like Wynette and Math Ace said. I love Vetwrap! Inexpensive and works great. I use it for identification purposes on the chicks because it is, IMO, the best thing on the market to use for banding young chicks if you don't want to toe punch or use other banding methods. Once it is put on and pressed together firmly it stays put and will expand and stretch with the chick as he grows for a couple weeks until a new one can be put on. I use the Vetwrap until they are large enough to wear a #9 bandette and it stays on.

 

[flgardengirl]

Okay I have a question now. I have a golden cuckoo rooster that has always been clean shanked. I hatched him and his siblings from eggs and believe me I have checked his shanks well since he was a chick. He is about a year and a half old now. Today I picked him up and thought I saw some fuzz on his shank. Thought okay, 'he has something stuck to him' but noooo, it is actual feather stubs with fuzz!!! Other leg is the same way.
So has anyone noticed thier birds actually getting feathering when there was none after thier birds are mature? He did just go through a molt and is getting new feathering throughout his body but he has never had the shank feathering and now its showing up! It is on the outer legs and a little spot above the outer toe. I have heard of birds losing feathering on thier legs/feet from running around and rubbing them off...but not of growing them! Crazy~

Additional info: His sister (my darker gcm hen) has feather stubs on her outer legs but she has always had them, so he must have a gene in there somewhere.

 

[Debbi]

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Thank you for saying that! I'm dyslexic, and had to re-read it three times!!!

 

[Debbi]

Lynette,

I've never seen that happen here yet. I have had them be nicely and correctly feathered as chicks, only to grow up with clean shaven legs!

Count yourself lucky lady!