Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[qball53]

Boer goats do not do well in wet humid climates ..... to much of a parasite load. Lots and lots of worming and hoove trimming. If you are in a dry climate Boer is the way for sure. Otherwise you would be better off with Kiko.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Congrats on the hatchies Hens! What was the final count?

Well they aren't done yet, 10 babies out, 1 egg still in progress and 2 eggs I can't tell what is happening

!

So far we have what looks to be 8 blues and 2 splashes.........

 

[hipeatall]

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica]I spent $60 on my fancy "Super Bright 360 Lumens Cree LED Flashlight[/FONT]" and I can barely see a thing... eek!

Has anyone ever figured out how many lumens you need to candle the really dark eggs???

I thought I was OK with 104, but my young girls are laying dark (yay!) and I can't see inside@

 

[Cadeau]

Oh my! for a flashlight?!

Oh well...I guess it will just be a surprise!! (AND I'll have to use my nose, in case of stinkers....)

My stepDD found a hidden nest and, as she was taking the eggs to the pigs, one exploded on her

 

[Cadeau]

Hmmm - QBall - you might be right on the feet - we trim ours 2-3 times a year, just to keep them nice.

We have a wet, woodland property, but not super high humidity (PA)

What do you think about the Spanish Meat Goat crossed on Boer??
From what I understant, the SMG are very parasite resistant, so we were hoping the cross would be more hardy.

 

[hipeatall]

Okay, well it's not that bad... I mean I can see the dark blob and the air cell and occasionally movement... oh, and I do love this flashlight alot for camping... but, $60 is alot!

Oh my! for a flashlight?!

Oh well...I guess it will just be a surprise!! (AND I'll have to use my nose, in case of stinkers....)

My stepDD found a hidden nest and, as she was taking the eggs to the pigs, one exploded on her

 

[Elliemae 77]

Sounds like a tough crowd over here judging by the first few posts......closed down and restarted for bickering? So at the risk of being tar and feathered, I have a newbie question. I'm very new to FCBMs and I had one lonely chick hatch this first time around. He is now almost 5 weeks old and his comb and wattles are developing so I'm sure its a roo. I was wondering, at what age do they get their beautiful rooster feathering? He's at that gauky age right now and is mostly black with a little bit of copper on the feather tips. His head is just starting to feather out.

 

[gilavina]

Boer goats do not do well in wet humid climates ..... to much of a parasite load. Lots and lots of worming and hoove trimming. If you are in a dry climate Boer is the way for sure. Otherwise you would be better off with Kiko.

x2 on the Kikos. Love them!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Sounds like a tough crowd over here judging by the first few posts......closed down and restarted for bickering? So at the risk of being tar and feathered, I have a newbie question. I'm very new to FCBMs and I had one lonely chick hatch this first time around. He is now almost 5 weeks old and his comb and wattles are developing so I'm sure its a roo. I was wondering, at what age do they get their beautiful rooster feathering? He's at that gauky age right now and is mostly black with a little bit of copper on the feather tips. His head is just starting to feather out.

Some start getting them in around 4 months and it can take up to a year for them to fully mature, I'm sure that others see different time frames with individuals.

We aren't so bad here, just passionate people about their chickens

 

[Elliemae 77]

H&R,
Thank-you. They are breeding age around 16-20 weeks? I'm having a dilemma....Back in January I bought 1 hen, 2 pullets and the lady gave me a 3year old roo. He was just running around outside with no shelter..basicly coyote bait. Not a good option up here in Michigan. When I got him home he was very under weight, lethargic, his comb and wattles were frostbitten. I was able to nurse him back to health and he is now thriving. My little hen was bred by the ladies show bird, one she kept in the house. This chick is out of the show roo. So now what....keep the old boy who I gave a second chance or keep the young one that has been hand raised. How long will my old.boy remain fertile?