Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Christie Rhae]

Splash roo.... sorry I don't have great pics. He is bigger now and is making me olive eggers.

lol I love your feeders!

 

[gilavina]

Thanks ladies! I'm gonna be working to get a head start on making improvements and updates for the club. I think if I can get the templates, paperwork, and website all set up way ahead of time I will be in good shape for when the chaos starts! Feels really good to be getting back into it all again!

 

[chickenlisa]

HI all,

I'm still reading this thread, and up to page 326 now...started late last week. Mostly just soaking up knowledge from you all. Not sure if what I want to know is somewhere in the between p. 329 and 2958, but if I buy eggs from a BYC member for pure Bev Davis BCM, and pure WadeJeane-C1 BCm, and then eggs from her BBS Maran pen, how is the best way to incubate them and keep them all separate if I have 2 Genesis 1588 Hovabators? What do you use to ID tiny chicks with? Where is a good source for leg bands for when they are older? I want to buy eggs in a few weeks, so I'm using the time til then to learn, and get the things I need ready for then. Thanks for any ideas you all have....
Lisa

 

[Hens and Roos]

We mark each egg with our code for each pen when collecting eggs- usually date it egg too. When we built our incubator- we made 3 shelves in it so when the marked eggs come out of the turner they can be separated out according to needs. With the breeds we are hatching we have 3 different pens of 1 breed and 2 different pens of a 2nd breed so we end using the 3 shelves. Hope this helps

HI all,

I'm still reading this thread, and up to page 326 now...started late last week. Mostly just soaking up knowledge from you all. Not sure if what I want to know is somewhere in the between p. 329 and 2958, but if I buy eggs from a BYC member for pure Bev Davis BCM, and pure WadeJeane-C1 BCm, and then eggs from her BBS Maran pen, how is the best way to incubate them and keep them all separate if I have 2 Genesis 1588 Hovabators? What do you use to ID tiny chicks with? Where is a good source for leg bands for when they are older? I want to buy eggs in a few weeks, so I'm using the time til then to learn, and get the things I need ready for then. Thanks for any ideas you all have....
Lisa

 

[chickenlisa]

The eggs I plan to buy are all marked like you said (per line/pen they came from.) Once I have them in my styrofoam incubators though and in lockdown, how should I keep them separate? If one line of BCM eggs are in 1 bator, and the other BCM are in the other bator with the BBS eggs, that could work if no BBS chicks look like BCM chicks (and vise versa.) Or can that happen?
Once hatched though and moved to a brooder, how do I mark their little legs to keep the 2 different BCM types ID-able? Do they make tiny legbands for chicks? If so, where would I go for something like that?

 

[Hens and Roos]

Can you make some baskets to fit in the incubators with a lid on them to keep the chicks inside, I know others have mentioned using the plastic craft canvas. To mark the legs we use different color small zip ties and change them out as the chicks get bigger- you would need to keep a chart of what color belongs to which line. you can get the small colored zip ties are Home Depot, Menards, Lowes etc.

The eggs I plan to buy are all marked like you said (per line/pen they came from.) Once I have them in my styrofoam incubators though and in lockdown, how should I keep them separate? If one line of BCM eggs are in 1 bator, and the other BCM are in the other bator with the BBS eggs, that could work if no BBS chicks look like BCM chicks (and vise versa.) Or can that happen?
Once hatched though and moved to a brooder, how do I mark their little legs to keep the 2 different BCM types ID-able? Do they make tiny legbands for chicks? If so, where would I go for something like that?

 

[rsquared]

You could also use tiny pieces of Vet Wrap, many folks on this forum use them to help id and it comes in many colors. Useful for other aspects of chicken care also. Vet wrap is available at your local animal supply/TSC/Big R type of store.

 

[gilavina]

Anyone talk to debbi in the last couple of days?

 

[chickenlisa]

Thanks! Those are both great ideas...I've got purple and white Vet wrap already....l could maybe cut down those little plastic baskets kids use to keep toys organized or people use to keep things organized in and just make them as tall as the incubator so any chicks couldn't get out (the top of the bator would be right there... Tiny zip ties are good too- I've got them for my Mandarins (which ones hatch from which moms) as they grow. I'll welcome any ideas from all of you hatching pros. One question still though for Maran genetics and color experts- will ALL BBS Maran chicks look different at hatch than ALL BCM chicks? or can the Black (BBS) chicks be identical to the BCM chicks at hatch time?

 

[Debbi]

Anyone talk to debbi in the last couple of days?

I'm still here lady, thanks for asking. Been a rough few days here, and hopefully got one part of it straightened out tonight! Now...to wait for the other shoe to drop.