Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

LOL - I have a 5 week old sitting down there, crowing his little "Tweedle - Do" heart out!

I swear the other chicks are rolling their eyes!!

But a WEEK old - your chicks better not tell my chicks about that trick!
My HUGE blue one is a boy...and I have 4-5 huge BCM kids.
That salmon girl is also one of the biggest chicks!

I have a whining, homesick, new puppy, I do NOT need more crowing chicks!! LOL

this is exactly why I'm wondering if i'm going crazy. its a very distinct sound tho...just without the last finish note of it. I should get some pics of the growth on some of them. I'll have to find something to scale them against tho.
Got any update shots of your youngsters?
Poor pup still unhappy about missing his mates?

 

[Cadeau]

New pics, hopefully tomorrow!!
Can't wait to hear what you think, especially about the boys!

Puppy (Quinn) is lonely, but coping with the help of my older dog....now to get him convinced to urinate OUTside, rather than IN (he grew up in a cow stall!!)

On a positive note, he's decided people are GREAT!! and is turning into a "normal" cheerful, waggy puppy in short order!

 

[gilavina]

here's a quick shot of one of the middle sized chicks...even at that, for a week old, they have grown really fast!

 

[stoopid]

I have had a 10 day old crow like he was born with it. UGH
Of course, when I tried to video it, he shut up.
I gave up after about a week, but that little turd is no longer with us.
Ahh, learning how to cull. One of the pleasures of chicken keeping I would rather not have to do.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Ok.....all of you on here that have talked about early crowers....what's the soonest you've heard chicks crow? I'm sittin here and listening to this chick repeatedly make what sounds like a little crow, but they are only just a week old!!!?!

I swear that's what it is tho. I do have to add, these chicks are massive, so maybe that's affecting things?

That or else I'm going crazy.

5 weeks is the earliest I've noticed it. My first BCM.

Speaking of crowing - Black Ameraucana hen crowed for me yesterday - 3 times!! First time, I wasn't sure what I was hearing but by the second and third, she was crowing. Even doing the full upright posture that the boys do and the ruffled neck feathers. Oddest thing! And she's the friendliest bird in the coop. Excellent layer. I've even hatched one of her eggs. She's always been a talker but this is the first time I've heard a girl truly crow.

 

[berkeleysprings]

hey thanks for the heads up
i didnt know about that. iv had my flock closed for so long i would noy want to ad anythimg new . i crossed the lines davis / budy henery five years ago and been breeding them 5 years now.im afraid to mix anythimg i am starting to get great egg colpr in my in my newest. after many generations . finaly getting some were. i have 2 hens doing well . one hen has black feathers in wings like most every wheaten and one with no black in wing feathers. i dont know what that means but il start incubator in a few weeks the 2 hens lay dark and i put my most hopeful roo from last years hatching. and cant wait to see offspring

 

[berkeleysprings]

I have had a 10 day old crow like he was born with it. UGH
Of course, when I tried to video it, he shut up.
I gave up after about a week, but that little turd is no longer with us.
Ahh, learning how to cull. One of the pleasures of chicken keeping I would rather not have to do.

i was ready to cull 6 yesterday they are 1 year old roos .had the ax out and a log to do it on but my sister said wait. it didnt take much convincing. lol. the outher post i just dod was addresed to u also. i forgot to hit quote button .. i hate not haveing internet on my home computer. all i have is a semi smart phone amd my spelling is awful lol

 

[pinkchick]

Hello Everyone!

Been missing the Marans thread but have been busy buttoning up some loose ends getting ready to close our construction and remodeling business of 30+ years due to the economy and getting ready to re-enter the work force and work for the man. I am going to go back to work doing Nursing Administration for my former employer of almost 20 years. Oh how I can't wait for the bustle of and headache..but hey a job is a job. We think that DH is going to go do an apprenticeship at the local electrician hall...keep your fingers crossed.

Anyway.....enough of that....let's talk Marans. I sold my boy G2 the other day to a lovely young gal that is going to keep him with her flock of Barred Rocks. He is sorely missed already as he was a very sweet boy, but I know he is being well cared for and having the time of his life with his new girls, plus he doesn't have Bill Sr, knocking him around anymore so that makes me feel tons better. No matter what I did, I couldn't keep those 2 away from each other and from playing mirror mirror through the fence. Geesh they would get soooooo beat up through the fence....dummies! You would think that after living next door to each other for almost a year they would get over it already....NOT!!!!

Lil' Bill is doing great and so are all the ladies that are in with him. I continue to fill the 'bator with every available acceptable egg from his coop as I am trying to keep up with the demand for chicks.

Bill Sr. is now the king of the layer flock and loving life as a free ranger 24/7.

My Splash Copper boy is looking great at 4+ mos. old and so is the blue copper pullet that hatched from the same clutch, though she is not showing any signs of copper, but I surely do love her type and personality.

I lost the one and only Silver Birchen pullet that was actually showing silver and not yellow or gold.

I don't know what happened....they were out free ranging in the commons area one day and when I came home she was laying outside the coop door dead. No injuries that I could see anywhere on her. I am thinking heart attack possible induced by the hawks that have been visiting frequently of late. Now I only have 2 females, one that shows gold and the other is all black. I am very happy with the male that I kept that is showing silver and has fabulously feathered shanks and he is a chunk monster. He is a little skiddish so I have been working with him on that and he is doing pretty good.


Oh and STOO!!!!!!! I am such a goob....all this time I thought my little chickadee, your namesake was a male...but boy o boy was I ever wrong, LOL! She is turning into a very lovely and very large pullet.

 

[gilavina]

Hello Everyone!

Been missing the Marans thread but have been busy buttoning up some loose ends getting ready to close our construction and remodeling business of 30+ years due to the economy and getting ready to re-enter the work force and work for the man. I am going to go back to work doing Nursing Administration for my former employer of almost 20 years. Oh how I can't wait for the bustle of and headache..but hey a job is a job. We think that DH is going to go do an apprenticeship at the local electrician hall...keep your fingers crossed.

Anyway.....enough of that....let's talk Marans. I sold my boy G2 the other day to a lovely young gal that is going to keep him with her flock of Barred Rocks. He is sorely missed already as he was a very sweet boy, but I know he is being well cared for and having the time of his life with his new girls, plus he doesn't have Bill Sr, knocking him around anymore so that makes me feel tons better. No matter what I did, I couldn't keep those 2 away from each other and from playing mirror mirror through the fence. Geesh they would get soooooo beat up through the fence....dummies! You would think that after living next door to each other for almost a year they would get over it already....NOT!!!!

Lil' Bill is doing great and so are all the ladies that are in with him. I continue to fill the 'bator with every available acceptable egg from his coop as I am trying to keep up with the demand for chicks.

Bill Sr. is now the king of the layer flock and loving life as a free ranger 24/7.

My Splash Copper boy is looking great at 4+ mos. old and so is the blue copper pullet that hatched from the same clutch, though she is not showing any signs of copper, but I surely do love her type and personality.

I lost the one and only Silver Birchen pullet that was actually showing silver and not yellow or gold.

I don't know what happened....they were out free ranging in the commons area one day and when I came home she was laying outside the coop door dead. No injuries that I could see anywhere on her. I am thinking heart attack possible induced by the hawks that have been visiting frequently of late. Now I only have 2 females, one that shows gold and the other is all black. I am very happy with the male that I kept that is showing silver and has fabulously feathered shanks and he is a chunk monster. He is a little skiddish so I have been working with him on that and he is doing pretty good.


Oh and STOO!!!!!!! I am such a goob....all this time I thought my little chickadee, your namesake was a male...but boy o boy was I ever wrong, LOL! She is turning into a very lovely and very large pullet.

Oh Kim...I'm sorry to hear about closing up your business. That couldn't have been an easy decision at all. I really hope that you guys both are able to enjoy your jobs! I know its probably not the same as working for yourself, but never know what the future holds

Sorry about losing that birchen girl...I hate when that happens! Especially when there is no explanation for the loss. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for the ones you still do have and for the chicks coming.

Today I'm hoping to get some birds moved around...hopefully they will cooperate with the process...and not be to crabby about the change. Getting my blue copper girls ready to go in with Gigantor and see what the produce!

 

[DMRippy]

I would hate to have to go back to work for "the man" again. Hard enough working at the farm with hubby and I knida like him

Sorry about that girl! I hope you have something to work with in the others or can get some more. I have a little Rock roo that has some silver in his hackles, I don't like him, he is kinda mean, but I am thinking of hatching some with my Dark Brahma pullet just to see what we get. Might be pretty.

I need to move some birds today. I am getting a lot of interest in my AM/Leghorn crosses so I need to put a couple of new layers in there too. I also have some Rocks that need to get moved now that they are old enough. Those two moves will give me two more empty pens... now what to move..... I would like to make some olive eggers with my extra blue Marans roo, but I don't really have any pullets for him... need to find some. OH, I have a Lavender AM pullet! I don't like to breed her to her brother. I have a little Lavender roo growing that she will live with, but for now....

I have 12 Marans chicks (if they hatch) sold! Love that! A FBCM little roo sold too! It is so quite in my shop with the 13 little roos GONE! I need to plan some moving.... and cleaning