Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[DMRippy]

Donna~ Got your PM and thank you!

Waiting for a response back from that gentleman and will email you later with specifics on both subjects.

I think I already got a response from him....... he didn't mention any names so maybe it was someone else.

 

[gilavina]

I think I already got a response from him....... he didn't mention any names so maybe it was someone else.

ooohhhh....how very cryptic .

 

[gilavina]

These are some of what I have in the incubator.

nice, cant wait to see what you hatch

 

[snowbird]

nice, cant wait to see what you hatch

Vicki, will have some eggs coming from my friend in Wisc. little later on when they start laying

 

[DMRippy]

In regard to the chicks and predators. I have not had any major issues with predators. I lost one pullet to a snake but that is it. My breeders are all in covered and enclosed runs. My chicks and juvies stay in my 4000 sq ft metal barn (that is where the pullet was when she was killed) A huge number of the chicks I grow out are for sale. Chickens just became legal in Nashville a year ago so they are becoming quite popular. My biggest number of Breeders are Marans but they are not my best selling birds. I have wait lists for some of my chicks. I only hatch for me certain times of the year. I keep everything I hatch for me till they are old enough to cull. I have a roo guy that takes all my young roos so I don't have to grow out unneeded roos. I do grow out replacement roos, just not many make the cut.... same with pullets very few get to stick around for breeding.

When I lost pink's roo I hatched every egg out of his pen for 2-3 weeks I am KEEPING ALL OF THEM till they grow out fully. I would love to get a nice replacement roo from him. I have about 3 young roos (2 blue 1 black) but I don't think the black is going to make the cut and will be eaten or sent to the roo guy. Funny the only nice roos I am growing out seem to be blue for some odd reason. Maybe this year I can get a few nice black roos.

With the amount of culling you have to do in the Marans you almost HAVE to hatch hundreds to get improvement in your flock. If only 1 in 10 is of good quality it takes a lot of chicks to get a few keepers.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:

 

[gilavina]

Vicki, will have some eggs coming from my friend in Wisc. little later on when they start laying

good deal. My birds are starting to pick up now. I'm hoping with the weather being a bit warmer this week I'll be able to get the last of the pens rearranged for breeding. Been slow going with the cold. I also want to get going on some more building as well. I need pens!

 

[desertmarcy]

In regard to the chicks and predators. I have not had any major issues with predators. I lost one pullet to a snake but that is it. My breeders are all in covered and enclosed runs. My chicks and juvies stay in my 4000 sq ft metal barn (that is where the pullet was when she was killed) A huge number of the chicks I grow out are for sale. Chickens just became legal in Nashville a year ago so they are becoming quite popular. My biggest number of Breeders are Marans but they are not my best selling birds. I have wait lists for some of my chicks. I only hatch for me certain times of the year. I keep everything I hatch for me till they are old enough to cull. I have a roo guy that takes all my young roos so I don't have to grow out unneeded roos. I do grow out replacement roos, just not many make the cut.... same with pullets very few get to stick around for breeding.

When I lost pink's roo I hatched every egg out of his pen for 2-3 weeks I am KEEPING ALL OF THEM till they grow out fully. I would love to get a nice replacement roo from him. I have about 3 young roos (2 blue 1 black) but I don't think the black is going to make the cut and will be eaten or sent to the roo guy. Funny the only nice roos I am growing out seem to be blue for some odd reason. Maybe this year I can get a few nice black roos.

With the amount of culling you have to do in the Marans you almost HAVE to hatch hundreds to get improvement in your flock. If only 1 in 10 is of good quality it takes a lot of chicks to get a few keepers.

You are lucky there with no major predators. I wish I could say the same. Before I got my pens fixed up with welded wire, I had 3 separate bobcat attacks, from 3 separate male bobcats. The first got 3 turkeys on 3 different nights. That was before I knew I had so many bobcats around here. The third turkey was his last--I bought a bobcat trap and got him, baited with the remains.
Then I had a small grow out pen, all welded wire, with 40+ pullets. A bobcat dug under---I didn't know they would dig---and made off with 17. Took him 4 or 5 days to come back, but when he did, there was a trap over the entrance hole. Got that one. In the meantime, I moved the remainer of these pullets--they were 4-1/2 month olds, hatchery stock, they would be laying soon---into one pen in the middle of my as yet not completed new poultry house area. As I remember there were 24 or 25 birds. The third night they were in there, I came out the next morning and all were dead. Only one eaten. That is typical of bobcat attacks, they kill everything in an enclosed space. That cat had to go out of its way to get to those birds---over one fence, under another, then up and over two other fences to get to the pen the pullets were in. It took me 5 minutes just to figure out how the cat got in. He squeezed under one chain link fence, a very small hole. I set the trap right there and had him that night. It is just disheartening to loose that many birds at once. I have no intention of trying to eradicate all the bobcats around here---which would be impossible anyway, more just move in. I actually like the bobcats. BUT once they get a taste for poultry, they will always be back. I just do my best to make predator proof pens

On the topic of growing out hundreds of chicks to get good Marans, I wonder, those of you who have been breeding them for years, are you still finding you have to do that after generations? And how many generations (assuming the breeder is good at choosing the best for breeding stock) would one expect to have to still hatch out that many to get a few good ones?

 

[little feather]

Marans
I have Cuckoo Marans, they are the sweetest birds, very gentle, very thrifty birds! I am very happy with everything about them! Their color, temperment, size, egg color, make them one of my favorite breeds. I'm not into showing, yet, but as far as I'm concerned they are a top backyard.chicken! As far as I'm concerned this is is a site dedicated to raising backyard chickens, not show birds! Here is where I come to read about people who have various breeds of chickens, raised for hobby, love of birds, and, share information about their birds, pros, cans, and just plain good sense info! Little Feather

 

[DMRippy]

Don't get me wrong we have lots of predators. We have bobcats racoons possum snakes wessiles minks hawks..... you name it we have it in our 68 acres. We have a neighbor that hunts so he trys to keep the predators at bay here. Lots of hunters and trappers so that helps. I am sure i will not escape a predator attach just has not happened yet and it will only get one chance when it does. I have wire inside and outside my runs to help stop a digging predator.

I am sorry you have had so many problems i know that can be a real set back.