Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[geebs]

and for me

 

[pinkchick]

boy-O-boy.....we're a lively group this weekend, aren't we?

I got 1 stinkin egg yesterday out of a total of 110 birds that should be laying, but at least it was a Marans egg. I'll tell ya the last weeks egg production has been stinky, just stinky!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Wow, are they on strike!

Was busy making cookies with my kids while DH went out to snow plow(he loves this time of year), but our test hatch due tomorrow has 1 pipped!

 

[pinkchick]

I think they are and it is all of a sudden too. I started noticing a drop off last week, I also noticed that some of the 11 mos. old gals' egg color looks as though it is lightening up too. Hoping those kiddos from GFF don't board the wait train, they better get their groove on and start working off their feed bill.

 

[Debbi]

Well then, I don't feel too bad with only one egg from one or two pullets this week! Pink, you need to go out and have a serious, finger shaking talk to those girls!

Had a lively night here last night entertaining the Fire Dept. Had a real good flue fire, with 4' flames shooting out the chimney!

Shut down the furnace, but with the wind blowing the sparks all over the roof, I started getting a tad nervous and so dialed 911. Of course, I had just loaded up the furnace about 2 hours before, so it was burning hot. Ended up with 5 trucks of fire responders in my yard till about midnight. Gotta love the volunteer fire depts. Although they are local, if it had been a real blaze, I'd be homeless this morning. They had trouble finding me, except for the two guys that live at the end of my road. Of course, they weren't in fire trucks, and their radios didn't work in my "hollar", so they couldn't give the trucks directions. Then two of the trucks ended up in my neighbors cow pasture instead of coming down my little private road to the driveway.

I made sure they all knew my name so if there's a next time, we won't have that problem. Said the chimney was gummed up pretty bad. Yes, probably is. Been waiting on the builders to redo the whole thing, but it got so cold, I needed the heat...just not THAT much. My Son is usually my chimney sweep, but since he's in Iraq till February, well, that isn't going to happen. One of the neighbors offered to come down today to do it. So, guess I'll be spending the day cleaning out the furnace tunnels and the flue pipe that leads to the chimney till he gets here...if he remembers. It's so hard to get anyone to help these days, even when they are offered money! In the meantime, my little oil filled radiator is keeping it semi-warm in here. In the words of a former co-worker, "it could've been worser!"

Also told the fire guys and gals, next time I'll have some Bourban egg-nogg for them while they are freezing their butts off! They assured me that would improve response time!

 

[pinkchick]

Debbi~

Soooooooooo glad that everything is okay. Wheeeew!!!!! Yes ma'am gotta love our firefighters! They are the bestest!

 

[sewandgrow]

Quote:
I am busy decorating all the blown out eggs I collected in the spring/summer for my Christmas ornament presents to my family. I should have started way earlier & usually do but this year I have been way more busy with "Chicken" stuff than usual...LOL

 

[sewandgrow]

Quote:
So sorry for your scare. I know how that feels. We stood & watched our 150 foot shop burn to the ground 6 years ago & it was a numbing experience. I also know what it means to not get all the help you want even if you are willing to pay for it. Everyone is so busy these days..Me too of course...LOL So glad all turned out okay & hope your neighbor shows up to help you out.

 

[pinkchick]

Sew~

Are there Marans eggs in them there egg decorations and ornaments????????? If so, finished product photos are a MUST!

 

[geebs]

Debbi: good call on that fire department thing... I am celebrating (not) the 13th Christmas to the Day today... that my house burned to the ground and I lost everything I owned including my animals and almost my daughter... She is almost 15 now. Fire is seriously over-rated... This time of year is still disturbing even so many years later...

Pink I was disenchanted because I was getting only 4 eggs a day from one group of ten... I guess I won't complain and 3-5 from a group of 8. I forgot to turn on thier light last night... probably won't get any eggs today as a reward for my forgetfulness... I figured out why not much eggs in Wonka.. I leave a light on but only a few hens choose to sleep inside as I have nice roosts all over the aviary and I went out last night to find only a few of them sleep inside and get the light benefit... Go figure.... Oh and pink... that is a LOT of chickens...

Sewandgrow: Please share a picture of these ornaments...I did blow out a few eggs but I am not sure what to do next..I think my family will disown me if I decorate our tree with eggs!!! LOL