Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Barb, the chicks are looking great! Don't worry too much about the copper coming in....they can take their time but I suspect that you may be surprised come around 3-4 months of age or so. Keep your eyes peeled.

Or for that matter, even much later! Pink, you should see the color coming in on Billie! and they are 10 months old now!

 

[ginasmarans]

Well, I guess it's true that you can always find someone more unfortunate than you ar,lol. I'm sorry for you though.

 

[3riverschick]

You can feed them kale. That will darken the yolk and don't have to wait till spring. Maybe the grocery store has some older product they are ready to cull.
Best,
karen

Yep....freeranging makes a HUGE difference in the shell color and the yolk color.

 

[pinkchick]

Debbi~

I would love to see Billie.....Bill was still getting color in his wing bow when he turned a year and half old. I also have G2, who I hope to get a photo of today if the frozen rain lets up, he is going on about the same age as Billie (perhaps a month older or so..can't remember exactly, my bad) and he is slowly still coloring up. He has also become very friendly of late...I didn't handle him at all when he was growing out because I didn't intend to keep him and now he is almost as friendly as Bill. He answers to Buddy, not G2, silly me for even starting to call him Buddy.

 

[Debbi]

Don't think I've ever seen Kale in the grocery store here? May have to look. Even the stuff they throw away has a price tag on it, which I never understood...oh wait, it's GREED!!

The produce here is very poor quality, and expensive. Went to buy one Bell Pepper the other day, and they were priced at $1.69 each! Got to say, that is the one thing I do miss about California! Wonderful, fresh, and cheap produce year round!!

 

[Debbi]

Well, I guess it's true that you can always find someone more unfortunate than you ar,lol. I'm sorry for you though.

I don't consider myself unfortunate, tech challenged maybe, but look at all the money I save!

 

[pinkchick]

Don't think I've ever seen Kale in the grocery store here? May have to look. Even the stuff they throw away has a price tag on it, which I never understood...oh wait, it's GREED!!

The produce here is very poor quality, and expensive. Went to buy one Bell Pepper the other day, and they were priced at $1.69 each! Got to say, that is the one thing I do miss about California! Wonderful, fresh, and cheap produce year round!!

I'm here to tell ya.....that fresh California produce is not as cheap as it once was...nope..huh-uh! Our grocery stores around here will not let their expired produce go to anyone...they put it directly into the trash. WHAT A WASTE!!!!!!!! They could atleast get a huge composter going for it outside the back of the store and donate to the community gardens....but I am laughed at when I complain to the store managers about their stores wasteful behaviors. Funny they donate all of their day old bread products, cakes and pies to the community houses and Salvation Army, but the produce, which is better for everyone is just thrown away. Sad.

 

[ginasmarans]

I am most certainly technically challenged!

 

[Debbi]

Debbi~

I would love to see Billie.....Bill was still getting color in his wing bow when he turned a year and half old. I also have G2, who I hope to get a photo of today if the frozen rain lets up, he is going on about the same age as Billie (perhaps a month older or so..can't remember exactly, my bad) and he is slowly still coloring up. He has also become very friendly of late...I didn't handle him at all when he was growing out because I didn't intend to keep him and now he is almost as friendly as Bill. He answers to Buddy, not G2, silly me for even starting to call him Buddy.

I'll try to get a pic of him today, if the wind dies down. He eluded me this morning in the run, and when I let Clyde out of his night pen, of course there was a major scuffle going on as I closed the coop door and came around the corner!

Billie got the net, and got scooted out the gate. He has very dark mahogany hackles/saddles, and just a hint on his wing bows. Hard to get a good pic unless he is in a perfect light situation, but it's there where it wasn't before. Wish I'd had a video camera last night while putting them all up! Bad Olivia was the hold-out of the evening. I assumed she was hiding under the deck, and laughing at me under her breath. Looked again, and there she was sitting on the hand railing of the ramp on the deck. Being cold and lazy, and having a hard time walking with my boots on, I sent Otho "inside" instead. Inside to him means run up onto the deck. He nevers walks anywhere, he runs full bore! So here he comes, 90 to nothing, right up behind Olivia, who was too busy chuckling at me calling her. All of a sudden, there is this huge, black hairy thing behind her butt, close enough to eat if he had wanted! BAGAAAAWWWKKKKK!!!!!

She came flying to the run gate, I mean her feet never even hit the ground! That's a good 30 foot flight! She then ran into the run. Who's laughing now, Olivia???

I bet she goes in tonight with noooooo problem!

 

[Debbi]

I'm here to tell ya.....that fresh California produce is not as cheap as it once was...nope..huh-uh! Our grocery stores around here will not let their expired produce go to anyone...they put it directly into the trash. WHAT A WASTE!!!!!!!! They could atleast get a huge composter going for it outside the back of the store and donate to the community gardens....but I am laughed at when I complain to the store managers about their stores wasteful behaviors. Funny they donate all of their day old bread products, cakes and pies to the community houses and Salvation Army, but the produce, which is better for everyone is just thrown away. Sad.

That is sad!! I think the compost is a great idea! Our store here donates nothing! They just mark down the prices on the expired stuff, and I've seen stuff sit there till it has mold on it! Produce too, and I have called them on it a number of times. Me thinks the health inspector must be friends with the owner, because even with many reports being made, nothing is ever done! Makes me ill, but they are the only market for 30 miles in any direction, and they know it! If I were you, why not post the question of waste to your local TV station?? Maybe if more of the public was made aware of the compost idea, and the store was embarrassed by their wasteful ways, they may reconsider?? Then again, they'd probably charge you $50.00 per load of compost, I know these cheapskates would!