Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Does anyone in here also raise LF Dark Brahmas?

I don't, but that's my favorite color pattern after the birchens! I'd try over on the brahma thread tho to see if there might be someone close to you if you are looking to get some stock for yourself.

 

[Christie Rhae]

Well Rod's being super about it and he'll ship eggs to me again when things cool down a bit for the cost of the shipping. I can't even tell you how much of a relief it is to know I can try again here in a couple of months if the weather behaves

That is what I have learned about hatching shipped eggs. Ya gotta just keep on trying. Don't give up. At one point I had a batch due to hatch every 2 weeks just so I wouldn't get so bummed when I got a dud hatch.
If it helps at all... I had Tom Roebuck send me Blue Andalusian eggs in a live chick box. He labeled them live chicks, we got live chick import papers and attached them to the box. The eggs were of course all bundled up inside. I hatched 7 chicks. 15 developed and were moving when I put them into lockdown so I think I did something goofy to them. Not sure. But the point is... if the post office thinks they are live chicks they will get handled much differently.

 

[gilavina]

That is what I have learned about hatching shipped eggs. Ya gotta just keep on trying. Don't give up. At one point I had a batch due to hatch every 2 weeks just so I wouldn't get so bummed when I got a dud hatch.
If it helps at all... I had Tom Roebuck send me Blue Andalusian eggs in a live chick box. He labeled them live chicks, we got live chick import papers and attached them to the box. The eggs were of course all bundled up inside. I hatched 7 chicks. 15 developed and were moving when I put them into lockdown so I think I did something goofy to them. Not sure. But the point is... if the post office thinks they are live chicks they will get handled much differently.

good idea. I haven't had anyone do that yet when I've ordered shipped eggs. I had a bad feeling when I found busted eggs when I opened the box...so I've kind of been preparing myself all along.

 

[Debbi]

Yes Christie, I'll bet the PO did handle them differently, they probably thought all the chicks were dead, and were trying to get them quickly out of their system!

I don't think that idea should be considered, it could be construed as mail fraud. Having the Postal Inspectors show up at your home would be about as inviting as the IRS showing up, those folks mean business!

 

[Debbi]

good idea. I haven't had anyone do that yet when I've ordered shipped eggs. I had a bad feeling when I found busted eggs when I opened the box...so I've kind of been preparing myself all along.

Yes, I'd say the combo of the busted eggs oozing and the heat didn't make for a great start. Glad Ron is being so nice about it.

 

[Cadeau]

Katelyn, I think Don and Donna replied a few pages back? As for me, I really dislike the dark eyes, that is just a major pet peeve of mine. There seem to be some combs issues in there too, some look to have sprigs, all look to have wrinkles. Out of all of them, I like the free range boy the best as far as the body goes, but if he were here he would go too, if for no other reason than the dark eyes. JMO for what it's worth. Some would think my reasoning silly, but we all have to choose what we like to look at, and bad combs and dark eyes are right there at the top of the list for me. Pick and choose your battles...

Thanks - I'll go back and look again!
checked - only a reply from Pink and Marcy...
can't blame a girl for trying to learn from more learned people...

Again - NO sprigs.
I did ask what the "wrinkles" meant....they're def not a twist or a wave, so is it just aesthetic or a problem?

Free ranger doesn't have dark eyes - #2s eyes are changing and #3 is still young - hoping his change yet!!

I AM trying for good combs, but, for me, it seems to be a challenge to find a perfect comb....sigh

Pink - i'll get more pics of #1 - have to get the other guy, too!

 

[Cadeau]

Well Rod's being super about it and he'll ship eggs to me again when things cool down a bit for the cost of the shipping. I can't even tell you how much of a relief it is to know I can try again here in a couple of months if the weather behaves

Wow! What a great guy!

 

[SarniaTricia]

I use a light from Brinsea that is made for eggs. It is crazy bright but still the best I hope for when candling marans eggs is to see a dark blob.

So I must tell someone... I butchered 4 cockerels yesterday. I did it totally myself.... I had never killed something like that before.
Last time we butchered cockerels my husband did the actual deed and I processed. This time he literally could not do it. He hated doing it before and got all upset yesterday because he didn't want to kill a chicken, he said it was my project so I should do it. lol.. poor guy. He had nightmares over it last time. You would think by looking at him that he is a big tough guy who could handle it but nope...a softie.

My heart was racing... I had the bird hanging upside down with a bucket under him and holding onto his head kinda stretching his neck to show the skin.... I stood there with the knife...... and stood there....talking to myself "you can do this you can do this" finally I just did it...made that slice and held onto that poor bird while he flapped. Whew....that was very intense.

These 4 boys were a lot harder to pluck than the older birds I did the first time. I guess cuz they had so many new feathers coming it. I had to get small pliers to pull some of the short pin feathers. But they are soaking in salt water in the fridge now. I am going to let them cure for a few days and maybe this time I can actually eat one. We tried to eat one the same day we butchered last time. The carnage was just too fresh in my mind and I had not let the meat cure... I couldn't eat it.

My husband can't understand why I don't just let them loose. I have released some older hens on a piece of property we own a few miles away. I have so many breeding plans I cannot just let all those culls loose. I feel like if I am going to seriously breed chickens I have to be able to process my culls. I do plan to try to sell or give away extras but roosters are not easy to find homes for.

I know you all can understand...thanks for listening. I am afraid to tell most people I know, they will think I have lost my mind totally.

We will be doing our own "table roos" too soon.. I totally feel the same way about my bird.. if I hatch them and raise them I should take the responsibility of processing them.
Thanks for posting this. I was concerned that I would.. hmmmm... Chicken out?
I'm not worried about eating them, I've done that before. We drove a long way to get 5 old laying hens processed... (they were so tough, they were only good for soup! Mighty expensive soup by the time you factor in the cost of fuel!)

 

[LaLobaBlanca]

Hi everyone,
I'm in NH and I'm wondering if anyone in NH or VT breeds French Black Copper Marans and/or French Blue Copper Marans?

 

[Christie Rhae]

Yes Christie, I'll bet the PO did handle them differently, they probably thought all the chicks were dead, and were trying to get them quickly out of their system!

I don't think that idea should be considered, it could be construed as mail fraud. Having the Postal Inspectors show up at your home would be about as inviting as the IRS showing up, those folks mean business!

Really you think so?? I paid extra for shipping like I would for live chicks. They were live chick embryos

To get a permit to ship chicks here you have to tell the dept of ag exactly what is in the box and we told them that it was eggs. Gosh I hope there was nothing illegal about that. I thought I had found the perfect solution. lol!