Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Cadeau]

Shot you one back, Vicki!

 

[Buckhunter76]

So the blue marans are more rare than the black? And how are the eggs, are they different in color? Just wondering, lol.

 

[slick4591]

Need advice and opinions on a low pressure watering system.

I'm working up plans for a row house (or double row) and thinking I'll do chicken nipples b/c I love the 5 gallon buckets I have...or not, if someone has a better plan!

Anyone have one they love?



Also looking for advice on making this drip system work in the WINTER (down to -15 at night)
I have a frost free faucet to start with, but need to get the water down the PEX tubing and into the waterers without freezing up.

I use bird bath heaters in my 5 gal chicken nipple waterers...but how do I keep the water from freezing between here and there?

heat tape?

Was also hoping to keep the electric bill in control - so tips for heat/flowing water without breaking the bank would be awesome, too!


I'm hoping to plan this house out so that all needs are met - water, food, flooring/bedding/cleanliness - ease of use!
Would love to get opinions or anecdotal stories!

I've just ordered some nipples and I think I'm going to put them in 1" PVC. I won't have the same degree of freezing temps as you, but we can go for several days and not be above 32F. I've thought of the heat tape, but realistically running around thirty feet of it and then the water tank probably won't work. Guess I could use a tank heater then the tape, but then I would worry about the nipple part of freezing. Hate to spend a bunch of money on an unproven idea, tho. If I come up with something better I'll let you know. May have to drain the system when freezing and tote water in.

On a different thought, I guess I've found another breed that I'm getting crazy over. Took delivery on 15 SLW's yesterday and they seem like really settled chicks. Most chicks start running for a way out when I reach into the brooder, but these don't give me much thought. Sure hoping they grow out as beautiful as the pictures we've been looking at.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Somebody wondered earlier about an easy, inexpensive way to anchor a pen to the ground. We put up a metal shed at our Montana cabin and used steel cable over the roof (2-3 lengths of it at several different places) and then anchored them with small boulders (certainly no shortage of THOSE!), but before we got the boulders rolled into place we attached the cables to those twisted tie-out stakes that you screw into the dirt. The cabin sits in a valley and regularly gets 60-70mph winds and it's held up just fine. The cable we used was I think called aircraft cable, multi-stranded. Just be sure you get the cable nice and tight. I think you might be able to buy it all as a hold-down kit for a metal shed, or probably cheaper to just buy the cable, turnbuckles and tie-outs separate. This is a link that at least gives you a general idea what it all looks like.
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-...edown-storage-shed-eye-anchor-kit-141041.html
and here's a general idea of how it works
http://www.ehow.com/how_6018294_tie-down-shed.html

 

[Cadeau]

Thanks, Slick!

We don't generally get over 32 for most of the winter - though we do have the odd day here and there
(can't depend on the weather from Nov to April)

I had very good luck with the 500watt birdbath heater for several 5 gallon pails

The pail that had the 250 watt heater did have the metal part of the nipple freeze over the really cold nights

Make is SOOOOO much easier not to have to break ice and carry tons of water in the winter - nevertheless worrying that everyone is okay and not getting dehydrated!

 

[slick4591]

I just now thought back to when I had hogs and used the nipple waterers with them. I had an underground water line to the pens and everywhere I had a nipple for them to access I built a box around it. Inside the box I put a sixty watt light bulb and never had freeze issues. Wished it was practical now as that would solve the problem.

 

[Nicole01]

I'm absolutely in love with my Maran! A very calm and sweet thing she is. I wish I'd had 2 in my flock instead of 1.

Luna 8 weeks old

 

[Debbi]

Vicki ~ Those Birchen babies are looking sooooo good!! Yes, you have definately made progress!

My Wheaties are here!! Gonna tryyyyyyyyyyy again!

Thanks Randy!!

 

[gilavina]

Vicki ~ Those Birchen babies are looking sooooo good!! Yes, you have definately made progress!

My Wheaties are here!! Gonna tryyyyyyyyyyy again!

Thanks Randy!!

Thanks Debbi! I know I still have quite a bit to do in terms of the tail and size of the birds. Eye color and egg color are also areas where I need more consistency, but I'm getting there. Its rewarding to see the dramatic difference from where I was a year ago! None of these chicks have come out of my best blue birchen yet either. I've been waiting til I had some of my extra birds sold off to rearrange pens again. I will do test mating with her to see what I end up with. I have a son of hers, so we'll see how it goes. My favorite part is that my birds were all clean legged a year ago, minus this blue girl I haven't used yet.

 

[DMRippy]

White earlobes.... we saw that at Newnan... remember.... it pops up...you are not the only one.

5 Gal wateres... love them, but they are very heavy and may need some support. I use the smaller ones in my breeding pens.... 3 gals I think.

Freezing... We used heat tape where we had electricity, the 55 gal barrel was out of the wind and never froze solid. The nipples did freeze on some and blow out the hole and leaked all the water out of the barrel. I have not found a GOOD way to keep them from freezing. We resorted to just removing the nipple wateres in the breeding pens at night and put in reg water... they can break that some and get some water. We would then replace them in the morning. That was easier than THAWING 10 Waterers with 3 Nipples each

Slick.... good luck with your SLW.... I only have a very few growing up and I just love them. My are hopefully going to be nice quality. I have a few in the bator now and maybe more coming in a few weeks... we will see..... Now I am on to BLRW too.... so pretty.