Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Here is another shot of the thumbprint....well a shot of the dip that it makes in this side of his comb anyway.

 

[Debbi]

I'll take a thumbprint, dip, or twist ANY DAY over those darned Carnations!!!!

 

[annabell254]

I forget who said it, but do cuckoo marans really lay less eggs on average than the other colors????

 

[DMRippy]

I forget who said it, but do cuckoo marans really lay less eggs on average than the other colors????

Mine lay better and bigger eggs

 

[gilavina]

Oh and Vicki.....no Ma'am I do not have a Black Copper male......except that one that is very young and is showing no copper what so ever. I don't think that he will amount to what I need him to be in the copper dept., but time will tell as 2 of his older male siblings are now 6 mos. and just starting to get some lovely copper in the hackle, but it is not much. They are grand-offspring of Bill, Sr. so it could still be a long while before I know exactly how much they will get......if I keep them long enough to see it. Those boys are living the free life with my Bill Sr. out on the pasture with the goaties. The little Blue Copper boy that I posted photos of that looked barred (and still looks barred at 6 mos.)....is the friendliest little monster out there, he takes after his grand-daddy Bill. Yesterday, as I was shoveling manure for the garden from the mondo manure pile my dad brought me, that little Blue was underfoot, just as Bill was. They were picking out the yummy bugs that I was revealing after each scoop. Funny birds. The rest of the boys that are with Bill could have cared less about the goodies they were gobbling up. Wish the little Splash boy that I like so well was as friendly as the Blue.

well shoot lady, we'll have to get you set up proper like with all three so you can work to your hearts content on the blues!

 

[gilavina]

I'll take a thumbprint, dip, or twist ANY DAY over those darned Carnations!!!!

amen Debbi! And happy birthday lady!

 

[3riverschick]

HI,
Of all the Marans I had in different varieties I didn't have a problem with them laying thru the season.
Perhaps it's a familial thing? I honestly don't know.
I do practice preventative care of my girl's ability to lay. Just before laying season starts, they get sprouted oats. Forage oats, not feed oats. I use Plotspike Forage Oats I get at Tractor Supply. Feed oats are coated with an anti-fungicide which can cause the seeds to mold instead of sprout. Histoically, sprouted oats have been lauded as the very best sprouted seed to use for poultry. I don't use any other kind of seed as studies have proved that sprouted oats are the very best for this purpose. I checked with Louisana State University where Plotspike Forage Oats were developed and they are not GMO, but specially linebred. Sprouts 1-3 days old can be fed as "grain feed", as part of the daily ration . Because of a nutritional change which takes place within the sprouts at the beginning of the 4th day, sprouts 4 days and older are fed as "green feed" to bring the girls into lay and to condition the cocks for breeding season so their sperm will result in more robust chicks. Feed 1 sq. inch of sprouted oats per bird per day. If you feed more and the bowel gets loose, just scale back a bit until bowels firm up again, no problem. I never had a problem with that, but the old books advise this, so I will mention it.
I also give my birds 1 cup of unshelled black oil sunflower seeds per 8 birds a day. This is especially good for the condition of their feathers.
Personally, I believe in plenty of space inside and out for my birds to lessen any "property pressure" on them. I personally think a bird with plenty of personal space is a contented bird and a contented bird lays better. JMHO. So each bird gets 4 sq. ft. flat floor space per bird inside the coop. I don't count roost or nestbox footage. Outside, each bird gets 10 sq. ft. of flat earth. I raise my coops 2 ft. in the air so I can count the space beneath them in the yard which makes for a smaller overall footprint for the yard.
In winter, I keep my birds under lights 24/7 to help keep the combs from freezing.
I use a 65 watt bulb for a 4'W x 8'L x 4'H ft. coop. My Marans laid straight thru the bitterest blizzards. I had to dug our the coop every morning and there were the eggs waiting for me.
Best,
Karen in western PA
P.S. Looking for a great design for a 4x8 raised coop/yard? This design is brilliant and solves the age-old problem of how to attach the coop to the yard. Chicken wire can be used instead of hardware cloth to lessen the expense. Note this structure can also be built with the foundation sitting on top the ground, instead of needing a dug foundation.... so technically, it would be a "temporary" structure, which may negate the need for building permits. Looks to me like the builder used Kreg products to pocket-hole join the side panels of the yard.
Me thinks the upright 2x4's could still be turned at 90 degrees to the horizontals and screwed in with regular screws and this design would still work.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-triple-c-the-crouches-chicken-coop

 

[Debbi]

amen Debbi! And happy birthday lady!

Amen, Amen! And thanks!

 

[annabell254]

thanks for the coop link it was great!

 

[qball53]

Qball~

I am not an expert in anyway and was stating what I though was correct information as I have read it in the past. I love this thread and the different opinions, advise and information that are brought to it. I never stop learning here and trust me......I learn something new here on this thread almost everyday. Very glad there are those that come along and correct me when I misunderstand or relay it incorrectly to others and offer their own advise and/or new insights.

No expert here either Pink ... it just didnt make sense to me based on other info I had and wanted to share.......everyone make up their own mind unless a genetics expert speaks up.