Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Marcy,

I agree with Wynette, that's a low protein problem. Mine all just got done molting, and my pen looks like a pillow fight ensued. I have one snippy hen in my flock that will go after every girl in there from time to time, and pull a feather or two, but have never had a picking problem. I feed mine a mixture of Chick Grower 22% (non-medicated), mixed with Layer Crumbles 18%, and this time of year I throw in some wild bird seed mix with BOSS. Mine also get fed some high protein dog food 28% once or twice a week, mixed right in with their feed or fed as a treat. Pumpkins, bread, free range, oats sometimes, and I also throw in a bale of straw. I don't distribute it, I just toss whole bales, or sometimes whole flakes in there and let them sort it out and distribute it. Keeps them busy for hours! I think they really enjoy the whole bales the best. It makes them think they are doing something naughty, and they climb on it and peck at it and scratch at it until it all breaks down. I "scold" them when I come back into the run, and they all get this evil little twinkle in their eyes, like heheheheh, we did it! They get the benefit of the seeds and the exercise that goes with it. I think you are wise to cull out the perpetual pickers. Maybe up the protein first and see if that doesn't cure them, but if not, OI would cull them out too.

 

[Wynette]

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They are over colored birchen marans and there are a couple of cross breeds in there as well. One has the most beautiful penciling but is a fawn kind of color.

Ah, I see! They're pretty. The fawn kind of color with penciling sounds lovely as well!

Super good point! Straw is great to use, too. Don't use hay, though - they can get cropbound from eating it. They won't eat straw (though they will eat the seed heads, which is fine).
I'll try the 22%. I feed organic and can't find anything higher in organic feed. I do have some packrats in the frig, I cut those up into chicken bite-sized pieces (yeah I know, but you get used to it) and give to them and the Marans always lick the bowl clean. Guess I better put out some more packrat traps--no lack of them here.
I disagree that they won't eat straw. I can't keep anything in the nest box in the Black Copper Marans pen. I have tried straw and wood shavings/sawdust and in a week or so it is gone. Not kicked out, just gone. And when I used to put straw in with my turkeys, they would eat it. That's why I don't like to use straw, they do eat it and it has no food value. I shred my yard prunings and have a pile of that right now. I will wheelbarrow that over to the pens and spread it out for them, that may help. But hearing from a few of you, this does sound like a breed issue. I certainly don't have to keep my other birds entertained with all this stuff to keep them from picking each other. And I have a lot of other breeds--see my signature line!

They definitely do eat the seed heads of straw, though I've never seen fowl of any kind eat the straw shafts, that's interesting! I have heard some folks say that the Marans breed does need higher protein, and I've always thought that was just nuts, but I suppose that could be true? In any event, it sure sounds like you've got a good handle on it!!!

 

[Wynette]

Marcy,

I agree with Wynette, that's a low protein problem. Mine all just got done molting, and my pen looks like a pillow fight ensued. I have one snippy hen in my flock that will go after every girl in there from time to time, and pull a feather or two, but have never had a picking problem. I feed mine a mixture of Chick Grower 22% (non-medicated), mixed with Layer Crumbles 18%, and this time of year I throw in some wild bird seed mix with BOSS. Mine also get fed some high protein dog food 28% once or twice a week, mixed right in with their feed or fed as a treat. Pumpkins, bread, free range, oats sometimes, and I also throw in a bale of straw. I don't distribute it, I just toss whole bales, or sometimes whole flakes in there and let them sort it out and distribute it. Keeps them busy for hours! I think they really enjoy the whole bales the best. It makes them think they are doing something naughty, and they climb on it and peck at it and scratch at it until it all breaks down. I "scold" them when I come back into the run, and they all get this evil little twinkle in their eyes, like heheheheh, we did it! They get the benefit of the seeds and the exercise that goes with it. I think you are wise to cull out the perpetual pickers. Maybe up the protein first and see if that doesn't cure them, but if not, OI would cull them out too.

OH, you put in whole straw bales? Gosh I've never thought of that! I assume you take the twine out, or no? I'm definitely going to do with when I put my back-up Giant cock bird back in the layer pen!

 

[Debbi]

I am very new to this chicken thing but absolutely loving it. I have acquired 6 Giant Black Jerseys, one Ameraucana, and was given a beautiful Wyandotte rooster and a rooster I was told was a Rock. That's all they said about the rooster. And I didn't know enough to ask questions. This is my "Rock". Now, please, someone tell me, is he a sex link, a Plymouth Rock, or what????????

Annie,

With his white legs, he looks like, to me, that he could be a Cuckoo Marans. Looks like he has gold leakage too. So he may have come out of a BCM cross? Sorry, I don't have Cuckoos, but maybe someone else will chime in that does. Barred Rocks, should have yellow legs, and the barring would be more crisp.

 

[Debbi]

OH, you put in whole straw bales? Gosh I've never thought of that! I assume you take the twine out, or no? I'm definitely going to do with when I put my back-up Giant cock bird back in the layer pen!

Yes, they love it! Best to find baled with wire so they can't get tangled in the twine. Otherwise, I'll push one end of the bale up against the fence, and cut the twine out. Still stands, and they still feel naughty. I would up the protein first for a few days to a week before you put the straw in. They may be trying to fill up on the straw for the lack of protein?? I've never had any of my birds here eat the shafts either. Are you maybe having the packrats steal the straw??

 

[Debbi]

Wynette! What is that in your avatar?????

 

[unkadan]

Wynette! What is that in your avatar?????

hahahaha,,,,I've seen ppl ask that question on at least 3 different threads now!

 

[gilavina]

Ah, I see! They're pretty. The fawn kind of color with penciling sounds lovely as well!


They definitely do eat the seed heads of straw, though I've never seen fowl of any kind eat the straw shafts, that's interesting! I have heard some folks say that the Marans breed does need higher protein, and I've always thought that was just nuts, but I suppose that could be true? In any event, it sure sounds like you've got a good handle on it!!!

I'll try to get a close up pic of her, she is gorgeous. I call her Old Lace cause she reminds me of that darker ivory lace from the 1800s

 

[desertmarcy]

Now that the Tucson poultry show is over, I feel like I can breathe a little. I went out and took pics of my 3 Blue Copper Marans cockerels, hoping for feedback. These were the best ones, believe me I culled a lot of them early on, mostly for excess copper on their breast. There are good and bad things about each of them. Trying to decide if I should cull any of them. I want to keep at least one!
Here is No. 1. He is the oldest, probably around 7 or 8 months. He has the best eye color. His tail is weird. Can anybody tell if a couple of those feathers are twisted? Two of them come out sideways instead of flat, is that a twisted feather? He feels pretty beefy and weighed 7.5 pounds recently. He has a lot of middle toe feathers. I have a blue hen with none I could breed him to. I don't particularly like the lightness of his hackle feathers. What I like about him is his size and his eye color and so far he is not aggressive, but he has never been in with any hens.

 

[Debbi]

hahahaha,,,,I've seen ppl ask that question on at least 3 different threads now!

So, what was the answer?? NEVER MIND!! I just saw it!