Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[GA_in_GA]

well....its still like popcorn in there...mostly blues are still hatching out!

I am not able to count as easily as I was before since they are all clumping up in a big fuzz pile...but looks like I might be about 25 or so...and have 2 zipped most of the way and several pipped. I can't wait to get them out of there!!!!

Always so exciting! Congrats!

 

[kathyinmo]

Just thought I would stop by to tell you all a little about the annual Mahonri Easter Hatch, and give you a little sample of the fun there. There are TONS of contests and prizes in the works. Some contests have actually already started, and MANY more are coming. (I always like the "caption this," contest.

). To let you in on a little secret..... some of the prizes are gonna be VERY valuable! Many contests have not even been announced yet. So, if you are interested, check it out here.

Mahonri's 3rd Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long Contests​

1. Best Hatch Rate
For this contest during this hatch, participants will need to be setting a minimum of 24 eggs, with confirmation picture posted to this thread on set day. These can be under a couple of broodies or in your incubators. Tell us how many you will have cooking and then don't go back and edit your post where you tell us how many eggs you start with. We'll need that info by Monday the 19th of March at latest to be included in the contest. When the hatch is over, you'll take a pic and post it to show us how many you actually got...the picture must be of sufficient quality to count all the chicks.
In the event of a tie, the one who hatches the most chicks wins.

2. Cutest

Chick Picture
For this contest, the chick hatched must be from Mahonri's 3rd Annual BYC Easter Hatch. The picture will need to be taken and posted by or before 11:59PM on April 15th, 2012... We'll be asking folks in the hatch as well as some moderators to help judge if they are willing. There will be 1st and 2nd place awards given.

3.

Best Overall Hatch Participant

At the end of the hatch, PM your choice for best hatch participant to Mahonri. This should be someone who you thought was supportive, helpful, funny, encouraging... The person with the most votes wins! Votes will start on April 10th and end on April 12th, 2012.

4. How Many Chicks

Will Mahonri Hatch?
Your guess needs to be made before 11:59:59PM on March 24th, 2012. The guesses will be posted above somewhere beside the hatch participant's name.
In order to help break a tie, You'll need to guess the breeds of the first three chicks out. If you want to know what breeds are in Mahonri's bators read the thread! Laree will be putting up a spreadsheet for the # of guesses and the first three breeds.

5. CayuseRanch's Total Number of Eggs Set Contest
This contest is open to all participants to guess the total number of eggs that will be set by all participants in Mahonri's 3rd Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long! Each participant is to fill out the spreadsheet with their guess as to the total number of eggs that participants will be placing in their incubators for this hatch. All "guesses" must be submitted no later than Midnight EST, Sunday March 11th. Please submit your total number of eggs set to the spreadsheet by Midnight EST Tuesday, March 20th so we can tally up what was set and declare a winner. The person who comes closest to guessing the total number without going over will win a beautiful rooster egg basket.
Go here to submit your guess for the number of eggs set:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dE5FSUpmRmdCWXJZV1BlampFOUxCSkE6MQ#gid=0
Prize:
6. Kathyinmo's

Calendar Photo Contest
The goal is to make a poultry and holiday themed calendar. Submit your poultry related holiday pictures - all ranges of poultry age accepted. You will need to submit your photos on this thread as well as PM them to kathyinmo. Submission of your picture(s) to this thread and to kathyinmo means that you are giving permission to use their photo in a calendar printing. Open now, this contest runs until Easter.
Limit of 3 entries per person.

7. Notafarm's

An Opportune Time Award
Three random post numbers have been chosen (known only to NotAFarm and SCG). The person who posts at that "opportune time" gets the award. You need not be a hatch participant to win this.
Prizes: Each post winner will receive a 6 mo GFM

8. ChestnutRidge's

Most Ingenious Chicken Design Contest
During whatever week it is assigned, post a picture and brief explanation of your cool brooder / feeder / waterer / saddle / whatever that you created for your fowl. Once the contest ends they'll be put on a BYC poll for the kind folk of BYC to vote for a winner.
Prize: A copy of Gail Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook, which he/she will surely appreciate being such a witty chicken-fancier.

9. ChooksChick

Flapper Contest

Post a picture of your fowl flapping in action!

10. Thebirdguy's Cutest Baby Picture Contest - Week Two Contest
Pictures can be of a baby of any breed or species but the picture must be taken by the entrant. Limit 3 entries per person.
Prize: 12 raffle tickets for the Rocky Mountain Chickenstock on May 5th where Greenfire Eggs and much much more can be won.
FMI: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/623487/raffle-tickets-greenfire-eggs-brinsea-incubator-31-prizes-so-far

 

[Debbi]

My husband got those one year. You are not kidding about the suicide headache part. He would start pacing and swearing and want to bash his head against the wall. They would come on all of the sudden and last for up to a hour. It was very scary. The dr. did give him a pain med that was a little slip you put under your tongue and melted quickly to get to your system fast. Any kind of a pill took way too long. You would have committed suicide before the pill form worked. Not really but it was frightening. Thank god he only got them that one fall years ago and they have not come back.

Wow, never heard of that, but the sublingual does work much faster, that's why I hold some of the NOS under my tongue. My Dad started getting them in his mid 40s, and he died having them at 81. I wish I had found out about this drink a long time before he passed, it would've saved him so much pain. I have the seasonal variety, usually at the end of January and in October. The rest of the year I am fine. Last year was only a one season episode (Jan-Feb), but it lasted for just about a whole month! After the one that lasted for 4 hours, I knew I had to find something!! So far this year, I have only had 3, and I squelched them all as they first got started. They always seem to start on the side of my nose, kind of like the burn you can get before a big sneeze. Then it travels up to the eyebrow, and if I let it get to that point, I am in trouble! Then it drops down behind the eye and the pain begins. Mine first started in my early 40s, then stopped for probably 6 years or so, then came on again in my later 50s. Don't let your hubby get complasent about them, they can and often do come back, and with a vengence! Mine always come at night, usually can tell the time by when they come, around 1:30am; and they always go to my left eye. Luckily, mine are of the eposodic variety, there are some people that have them all year long and almost daily!! I pray for them, I don't know how they can stand it...

 

[prarychick]

I am east of Colorado Springs, CO. I think roosters are gorgeous, but our neighborhood is too small for the great noise they make. Thanks for the answer.

 

[gilavina]

Just removed 25 rowdy chicks from the incubator and there are a few surprises in there.... I left one to finish drying off and there are two more pipped and 12 that have done nothing yet, so we'll see how it goes. I'm hopin they will hatch, just never know really.

I'll see if I can get some pics later on when they get settled in and have had some food and a nap. There are absolute beasts in there! and I think only 3 or so of those are clean legged!!

 

[Christie Rhae]

Quote:
He has not had one in 6 years, thank god! His would affect the left side, you could see his eye kind of droop and tear a little and then I could just see the pure agony overcome him. The doctor told him they could come and go around the same time of the year but they never returned. He was under a greater than usual amount of stress when they were happening. We don't know if it was stress related or not. They lasted for about 3 months, average 3 or 4 a week. At the worst he would get them almost every day. Then they tapered off and have not returned. Hopefully never again. It was scary to see him in that much pain. I read they are 100 times more painful than a migraine.

edit: you know I am not even sure if that was a pain med dissolvable thing they gave him. I guess I just assumed it was for the pain. Maybe it was some other medication similar to the ingredients you have found that helps you.

 

[Christie Rhae]

OMG OMG! My very first marans egg ever! This girl is only 22 weeks old so I was not expecting her to lay yet. I have read about them taking a lot longer to start laying. I guess spring is in the air!
I also have a naked neck turkan green egger that laid today too for the first time.
These are all my pullet eggs so far. So cute. (barred rock hen egg for comparison)

I think it is between 4 and 5 on my egg color chart.

 

[gilavina]

OMG OMG! My very first marans egg ever! This girl is only 22 weeks old so I was not expecting her to lay yet. I have read about them taking a lot longer to start laying. I guess spring is in the air!
I also have a naked neck turkan green egger that laid today too for the first time.
These are all my pullet eggs so far. So cute. (barred rock hen egg for comparison)

I think it is between 4 and 5 on my egg color chart.

congrats!!! That's a lovely mix of eggs you have going there!

 

[stoopid]

beautiful eggie!

 

[Debbi]

Yeah!! Nice eggs! My first girl to lay was 20 weeks old to the day. Since her, I've had pullets lay anywhere from 22 weeks to 26 weeks. Give her a few more days and her eggs may get darker!

That strip your hubby took sounds like a Vitamin B complex I used to take that way. Would be nice if pain meds worked that way too. Just keep in mind, I too had a 6 year break in between the first bout and the next. When my "season" hits, I can expect at least one per night, and some nights I've had as many as three! If I can get past this month without any more, I should be good until next fall or winter! The first one I had with the second round, I thought my eye was bleeding. I looked in the mirror, and it looked literally like someone had punched me in the eye! Swollen, blue/purple coloring, and weepy. The second round was much worse than the first round in my 40s. Just make him aware that they can come back, and usually do. Stock up on those strips or NOS! I hope for his sake and yours, they do not return!!