Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[steffkec]

Hi!
My boyfriend and I are in the process of building a backyard coop that will hold 6 hens. I want docile-ish diverse and colorful egg-layers. Ideally I will end up with a Jersey Giant, a Black Copper Marans, an Ameraucana, and maybe an Orpington and a Silkie or two.
That being said, the coop is almost done and I have a nice opportunity to obtain a Black Copper Marans pullet for $18 (hen is 10-12 weeks old). Is that a fair price? Also, the breeder said they can be flighty until they fill out and mature a bit- has anyone had this experience with them? The coop will not be done until a few days after I get the hen- and I am hoping to try to "make friends" with her by keeping her inside and trying to hand feed her a few treats until the coop is done. Then I hope to add the other hens as I get them to the coop.
Does anyone have any advice on this? Info appreciated!

 

[xlboergoats]

Hi!
My boyfriend and I are in the process of building a backyard coop that will hold 6 hens. I want docile-ish diverse and colorful egg-layers. Ideally I will end up with a Jersey Giant, a Black Copper Marans, an Ameraucana, and maybe an Orpington and a Silkie or two.
That being said, the coop is almost done and I have a nice opportunity to obtain a Black Copper Marans pullet for $18 (hen is 10-12 weeks old). Is that a fair price? Also, the breeder said they can be flighty until they fill out and mature a bit- has anyone had this experience with them? The coop will not be done until a few days after I get the hen- and I am hoping to try to "make friends" with her by keeping her inside and trying to hand feed her a few treats until the coop is done. Then I hope to add the other hens as I get them to the coop.
Does anyone have any advice on this? Info appreciated!

I personally don't think that 18.00 is too much to pay for a good pullet. I have paid more when it was a bird that I thought had something to add to our program. As far as introducing new birds, I would try to find a set of birds that were about the same size. I hate penning birds together before they are quarenteened. I don't want to bring anything in that is going to cause problems or health issues. Anytime that you introduce new birds of any age, they are going to establish a pecking order. I try not to move anything unless I am planning to be around to watch them. Squabling does not bother me, but if one bird is being injured I will remove it until another time.

My chickens can be raised together as a flock with no issues. Take some out and go to a show for a weekend, and it is like putting strangers in the pen when we put them back in the same pen that they have always lived in. Who knows what chickens are thinking????

JMO,
Ernie Haire
Arp, Texas
www.Marans2XL.com

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
What an ordeal you went through!

 

[Zanna]

I have 6, 15 week old or so BCM cockerals growing out from a single mating last fall. Two of them have 1 full white feather coming off of the outside toe mixed in with lovely black feathers. Wait longer before culling and how long or cull now? I do not need them as I have two nice breeder roos for the season but would also hate to cull a promising roo prematurely............

 

[desertmarcy]

Hippie chicks have some pretty good looking breeding stock; I'm growing out a batch of chicks I bought from them now, don't know how they will all look yet tho. https://www.facebook.com/HippieChicksEggs?ref=ts&fref=ts

I haven't seen their birds, it would be good to look at their breeding stock. I followed this link and the first photo of a cockerel in the string of photos sure looks like he has a side sprig on his comb. Of course, hard to tell from pics, that's why it would be good to see the birds.

 

[desertmarcy]

Mary, have to agree I looked at the adult BC Marans on the site and they look real good to me. You should have some good young BC Marans from your chicks.

Hippie chicks have some pretty good looking breeding stock; I'm growing out a batch of chicks I bought from them now, don't know how they will all look yet tho. https://www.facebook.com/HippieChicksEggs?ref=ts&fref=ts

I haven't seen their birds, it would be good to look at their breeding stock. I followed this link and the first photo of a cockerel in the string of photos sure looks like he has a side sprig on his comb. Of course, hard to tell from pics, that's why it would be good to see the birds.

Hi Don, did that first male in the string of photos look like he had a side sprig on the back right side of his comb to you or am I just imagining things?

 

[Raven1]

Yes I am glad you see something too. I am not sure what but his and her combs look funfy. Beautiful birds though.

 

[desertmarcy]

We put locking caps on all vehicles...even got one for my riding mower at the John Deere place...man you should have seen dudes face when I asked if he could get me a locking gas cap for my rider.

Anyway, they got so bold and brazen that they just would pop the locking cap....heck they left greasy hand prints all over the side of our work van. Can we say....DUH????? The Sheriff's Deputy got a laugh out of that. They even started stealing our dogfood that was in the shop behind locked doors, 100 lbs of goat feed and they were working on my chicken feed, we had to lock everything up!!!
I painted a huge sign that says " Dear Gas Thieves, Remember 1 small thing..........I get EVEN!!" and screwed it up to the opening on my big red cedar fence where they could see it and left them a 2 gallon gas can full of gas with special additives

We've not had any issues since the sign went up and the little gas can came up missing. Wonder if I will ever see my little 2 gallon gas can again?
We filed theft charges and turned in the photos from the game camera, we are still waiting to see what will happen.
What gets me the most...is after they could no longer steal the dog food..... they started taking my chicken and goat feed and they don't have livestock.
Another neighbor (a good neighbor) whose front door looks directly onto the front porch of the stealing neighbors house said that he saw the "stealer" mixing all stock and chicken feed together one day in a huge bin with water and fed it to his dogs. The "stealers" dogs must have been starving because my dogs would never even dream of eating all stock and chicken feed. No matter what I put into to entice them.

These thieving neighbor stories are amazing. I sure am glad I have good neighbors, the most I am bothered with is a high-pitched barking dog.

 

[snowbird]

I haven't seen their birds, it would be good to look at their breeding stock. I followed this link and the first photo of a cockerel in the string of photos sure looks like he has a side sprig on his comb. Of course, hard to tell from pics, that's why it would be good to see the birds.

Hi Don, did that first male in the string of photos look like he had a side sprig on the back right side of his comb to you or am I just imagining things?

Marcy, yes I agree with you the male does have a sprig. I thought the females looked pretty good.

 

[FeatherWait]

This is the sole survivor of a small incubator hatch of Blue Splash Marans eggs that I purchased from a hatchery. She is a sweetheart and has grown quite a lot since this picture was taken a month ago!