Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

so far 35 are ready to go...have them in holding pens and will shift to boxes right before i leave. Still deciding if i will take some 2 week old chicks or if ill wait til next tuesday. Feels good!

 

[Debbi]

so far 35 are ready to go...have them in holding pens and will shift to boxes right before i leave. Still deciding if i will take some 2 week old chicks or if ill wait til next tuesday. Feels good!

Wish we had sales that took poultry around here. Good luck!!

 

[gilavina]

Wish we had sales that took poultry around here. Good luck!!

No joke...I wish you did too Debbi! That would help a ton! I think I should get some decent prices with the way I've penned them up and the varieties I have, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My uncle made good money last week at the sale, so its hopeful! Regardless...it frees up space and lowers the feed bill at the same time. Just what I need!

 

[tuthillny]

Is there any way you can pin point the pic you want us to see?? I'm on dial-up, and running through albums is a real pain!

Splash birds should have light grey (slate) leg color.  Is your cockerel a true rumpless? Can you feel a tail bone there or no? If the bone is there, he is not rumpless. More than likely he had his feathers pulled out by another. That said, the rumpless do show up from time to time in this breed, sooooo??? If he is rumpless, I would not use him for breeding, JMO.

I am still trying to figure out the whole photo thing. Anyway, the photo is the second to last. The other cockerel is standing in the pie pan and the cockerel in question is to the left. I went out and checked him against the other one and it sure does feel like he is missing something - it felt like he was coming up short. Bummer

 

[slick4591]

I had some bad luck last week as the door to the brooder room accidentally got closed and we lost all 12 of the chicks to the excessive heat. That mistake won't happen again I assure you. Had just put another tray of eggs in the incubator when this happened, so we're trying it again. Maybe I'll get a better hatch rate being that I know how to regulate the incubator better.

Did find four 2 day old Ameraucanas on Craigslist close by, so I bought them. Looks like three lavender and one black. I know the feather sexing is probably not a good indicator on these birds, but it looks they are all pullets by that method. I'm really hoping for a good black cockerel. I also sold three of the BCM hens and culled the worst white feather offender of the BCM roos, and a Barred Rock roo. They were aggressive with me and kept forgetting they were always on the losing end of a fight, so they had to go. Hadn't let them breed anything so I'm not passing that behavior forward.

Hate reading of the other problems folks have been having, but hoping things get better for all of us. Congrats! to those having the better luck.

 

[Hens and Roos]

I had some bad luck last week as the door to the brooder room accidentally got closed and we lost all 12 of the chicks to the excessive heat. That mistake won't happen again I assure you. Had just put another tray of eggs in the incubator when this happened, so we're trying it again. Maybe I'll get a better hatch rate being that I know how to regulate the incubator better.
Did find four 2 day old Ameraucanas on Craigslist close by, so I bought them. Looks like three lavender and one black. I know the feather sexing is probably not a good indicator on these birds, but it looks they are all pullets by that method. I'm really hoping for a good black cockerel. I also sold three of the BCM hens and culled the worst white feather offender of the BCM roos, and a Barred Rock roo. They were aggressive with me and kept forgetting they were always on the losing end of a fight, so they had to go. Hadn't let them breed anything so I'm not passing that behavior forward.
Hate reading of the other problems folks have been having, but hoping things get better for all of us. Congrats! to those having the better luck.

Sorry to hear about the loss of chicks

and good luck for the next hatch

 

[slick4591]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

 

[stoopid]

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Today is day 21 for the SG and Silkies. So far, only 2 are pip & zip, and both are Silkie eggs. I sure hope at least one of the SG hatch! Got awakened by a new crow this morning. Yup, 4+ week old Silkie who is still in the house! That the youngest ever for a Silkie to start, and he must've been practicing, because it didn't sound like the usual cat-strangling noise most newbies produce!

You've obviously been letting him read BYC and he is now aware that Silkies CAN man-up early!!

Good luck with those SGs. Hopefully, at least a couple will hatch for you!

Good luck with ALL of them!!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Sharing some egg colour with y'all today. Pullet eggs. 25 weeks old. BCM on top, left. She's been working on her's for about 10 days now. First egg from my Blue Ameraucana below it. Some of my hens' eggs on the right (Blue Copper Marans and Red Star) to compare. I truly couldn't be more thrilled!