Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Cadeau]

Nice job, Christie!



Well....I'm totally beat, but we did it!
I officially only have DAY-OLD chicks in the house (basement)!!!!

 

[DMRippy]

Anyone have a good plan/pics for a row house of coops with yards?? (must be for cold weather)



I'm hoping to do a row house (or double row), rather than have my "shanty town" of single coops and yards.


I think I know what I want but I need plans or pics to explain to SO...

Look at my breeding pens in my siggy.... 10 all in a row with runs. I thought about making them 5 on each side with an isle down the middle. In a way that may have been better, but they are fine in a row.

 

[DMRippy]

I did it.



We did all 3 cockerels. Even the younger splash one. My hands were shaking. I was so nervous. I had everything all set up, 150degree pot of water, tub of cold water. I had 3 ropes hanging from the rafters. We have a covered outdoor area with a 2 compartment stainless steel sinks that my husband uses to clean fish. It worked out perfect. The rest of the chickens could not see. I could not watch when my husband made the kill cuts. It was so awful. I was close to tears. We had our teenager boys help with that part. My 3 year old daughter was pleading to not kill her favorite one. I had to make our 6 year old boy and 3 year old girl go in the house. I just didn't want them to see that yet.
But once that part was over...things went pretty smooth. I dunked them and plucked them. The first one that I eviscerated took me probably 40 minutes. Reaching up in there (even with gloves) and feeling all the organs was creepy at first. But by the third one I don't think it took me more than 10 minutes to process. That guy is in the crock pot right now cooking up to feed the dogs. We are going to eat one of the bigger guys for dinner tonight.

That was quite an experience. I have never even seen an animal killed before, not counting fish. I feel a sense of accomplishment. Now I know we can do it. So it is not so scary. And a little more quite! lol. I only have 2 adult cockerels now. Of course I have at least 15 little marans cockerels growing up so it will get noisy again. lol

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Cadeau: I was going to suggest that you look at Donna's breeding pens. Absolutely amazing.

*Too funny about the Shanty Town Comment.... I feel your pain there.

I culled my first bird today. A sick Marans pullet. NYD hatch, she just wasn't getting better. DH offered to do it for me but I thought it was best if I did it myself. Now I feel like crud.

Pink, thanks for checking out my boys, I'm glad they don't have sprigs.... yet. Can't wait to get some dark eggs.

 

[Lark Rise]

I did it.



We did all 3 cockerels. Even the younger splash one. My hands were shaking. I was so nervous. I had everything all set up, 150degree pot of water, tub of cold water. I had 3 ropes hanging from the rafters. We have a covered outdoor area with a 2 compartment stainless steel sinks that my husband uses to clean fish. It worked out perfect. The rest of the chickens could not see. I could not watch when my husband made the kill cuts. It was so awful. I was close to tears. We had our teenager boys help with that part. My 3 year old daughter was pleading to not kill her favorite one. I had to make our 6 year old boy and 3 year old girl go in the house. I just didn't want them to see that yet.
But once that part was over...things went pretty smooth. I dunked them and plucked them. The first one that I eviscerated took me probably 40 minutes. Reaching up in there (even with gloves) and feeling all the organs was creepy at first. But by the third one I don't think it took me more than 10 minutes to process. That guy is in the crock pot right now cooking up to feed the dogs. We are going to eat one of the bigger guys for dinner tonight.

That was quite an experience. I have never even seen an animal killed before, not counting fish. I feel a sense of accomplishment. Now I know we can do it. So it is not so scary. And a little more quiet! lol. I only have 2 adult cockerels now. Of course I have at least 15 little marans cockerels growing up so it will get noisy again. lol


Edit: "quiet" not "quite"... those Q words are always tricky. lol

40 minutes for the first one. ....that's really good time. It took DH and me 2 hours to process our first one. We have done a few more since. I don't gut them anymore. I decided I could not do it again. So, I just cut-up the chicken, that is, take off the wings, legs and breast, then throw away the rest (compost actually). That way I don't have to feel through the guts part.

We don't eat whole chicken anyway.

 

[Cadeau]

Thanks - I just showed them to SO!
That is almost exactly what I'm thinking of building, except, perhaps, a double row (back to back) and open fencing

Did I see anywhere in there about the measurements? (except that the bottom is a regular pallet??


He's not sure that he wants to do all the work to take apart the pallets....

He also wanted to know if the rough cut lumber is too hard to paint?


My shanty town is in good repair and painted nicely, however, the different sizes and color houses are starting to look ridiculous!

Plus, I think it would be a MUCH better use of materials with the shared walls and the fencing!!

 

[DMRippy]

Cadeau: I was going to suggest that you look at Donna's breeding pens. Absolutely amazing.

*Too funny about the Shanty Town Comment.... I feel your pain there.

I culled my first bird today. A sick Marans pullet. NYD hatch, she just wasn't getting better. DH offered to do it for me but I thought it was best if I did it myself. Now I feel like crud.

Pink, thanks for checking out my boys, I'm glad they don't have sprigs.... yet. Can't wait to get some dark eggs.

Thanks

 

[DMRippy]

Thanks - I just showed them to SO!
That is almost exactly what I'm thinking of building, except, perhaps, a double row (back to back) and open fencing

Did I see anywhere in there about the measurements? (except that the bottom is a regular pallet??


He's not sure that he wants to do all the work to take apart the pallets....

He also wanted to know if the rough cut lumber is too hard to paint?


My shanty town is in good repair and painted nicely, however, the different sizes and color houses are starting to look ridiculous!

Plus, I think it would be a MUCH better use of materials with the shared walls and the fencing!!

Make your life easy if you are going to buy wood. Make the coop 4 x 4 and the runs 8 or 10' long. I have not painted them yet... my guess it will SUCK up the paint. I may stain them.


Maybe I should have said 4 x 4 x 4 on the coop. To get the angled roof you can just cut 1 sheet in 1/2 but at an angle so you have both sides at one time.

 

[Christie Rhae]

40 minutes for the first one. ....that's really good time. It took DH and me 2 hours to process our first one. We have done a few more since. I don't gut them anymore. I decided I could not do it again. So, I just cut-up the chicken, that is, take off the wings, legs and breast, then throw away the rest (compost actually). That way I don't have to feel through the guts part.

We don't eat whole chicken anyway.

Well maybe I should have clarified. After the chicken was totally plucked.. it took me 40 minutes to get the crop and guts out and cut off legs. lol..

 

[Cadeau]

Yes - our paddock fence is rough cut lumber and it took THREE times the estimation on the can to cover them nicely...
(I think that's what has him leery....though pallets are easily available to us....)

I guess measurements were where we weren't smart last time!
We have a 6x8 for the BCM, a 4x4' for my pets and the younger girls coming up, and an 8x12' laying house.

We have a bunch of different "proto-types" and I really like the raised house idea - I have a bunny hutch as a growout pen that I love - easy to use, easy to clean, and you don't have to worry about tracking germs around.

Anyone use raised pens for breeders???