Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Keara]

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This is great news Keara! You are a super chickie Mamma!!!!!

I have at least become a super chickie personal chef! I think I have done more food prep for these 4 birds this week than for my son and husband.

 

[pinkchick]

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Do you have a way make seperate quarters for her where she is sitting? To keep others away from her? I wouldn't suggest moving her so close to hatch as it may make her upset and we can't have her off those eggs. Provided she stays on those eggs and sees this through those babies should be just fine under Mamma.

eta: when I have a broody, I always turn on an incubator when it gets close just in case it is needed. I had a broody bantam EE that lost interest as soon as the eggs pipped. 2 died before I could get them and the 3rd was left peeping and cold, I brought it in and stuffed it in the bator....Priscilla is her name and she now lives at my bestfriends house.

I can move the nest boxes she's sitting in to a pen by herself right next to where she is now. Do you think that would upset her too much?

I think she will be fine as long as you can do it without moving her off of her eggs and keep her in that box whilst moving it. She should be just fine, she may try getting up and looking around a bit. If I move a broody, I use a cat carrier and put her in the broody brooder I made and leave the door shut for a while so she is sorta forced to keep interest in those eggs. Later after I know she is content I will open the door so she can access food and water. I leave the eggs right there in the carrier and let her hatch them in there. After they have hatched I remove them from the carrier and put them in a broody box I made, mamma's are usually all over their babies the first couple of days so she will cover them anywhere at this point. I tried just moving a broody once from the nest box where she was sitting with the carrier and just transferring eggs and mamma to the wooden broody box but I think the last transfer from the carrier to the box upset mamma so much that she lost interest. I had better luck just leaving them in the carrier.

 

[bikechick]

My 3yo son is holding the chick... she does look huge.
Soooo, when will I be able to tell the sex of the chicks?
Thanx for the props everyone! I'm so excited about my chicks.

Keara- glad the situation is turning out

 

[cherylcohen]

The beginnings of my Wheaten breeding stock. They are in the ugly stage

but I love them

2 1/2 & 4 1/2 weeks old

 

[Debbi]

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Phew! I was going to say, that's one big HONKIN' chick!

 

[flgardengirl]

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I haven't noticed much difference in most of mine : blue vs black, black copper etc. Most of them screamed when they were born lol. My blue girls do seem pretty mellow now.

My BHB BCM hatch was the best one I have ever had though. I mean those babies all hatched out fast and nice and clean. I was asleep for a few hours and there was no pipping when I went to sleep. I woke up to 8 out of 10 eggs hatched (shipped from CA to FL) and cheeping happy babies all running around playing and content with life. They were dried off and ready to go in the brooder. It was amazing. I will see what thier babies do this spring......

 

[math ace]

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x 2 - - - it was horrid. My dad had a doctors appt

I could not believe the traffic. We were gonna run some basic errands, but the traffic slowed up down so much that I had to go out this morning ( Christmas Eve day ) and finish the errands

 

[math ace]

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The one on the left is Huge! What are you feeding it = = Steriods ? ?

 

[geebs]

shipped eggs came today... I will call them the post office omlette... DRAT!!! Oh well... I will get some more shipped eggs in a bit... no biggy.

 

[Ivywoods]

Geebs-How disappointing on the eggs. Sometimes they aren't very careful with them. I had a postman one time hand me a box and said, "These are marked 'eggs' but I'm sure that's not what they are." When I informed him they really were eggs he had no reply.

My girls are giving me a variety of eggs. I'm getting a few lighter colored ones, some speckled ones, and some really nice dark ones. I think they like their new house. These eggs are nice and big, too. I love them. If they keep this up, I'm going to have some really nice ones to hatch this spring.