Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[DMRippy]

With growing out so many yes i think as your breeding skills improve your birds improve and your culling will be less and less each generation. You will still cull hard maybe harder but the dqs and faults will be fewer every year.

 

[Irishgirl]

I've noticed that quite a few maran chicks have "specs" around their eyes, for instance- 3 of 4 of my M chicks have specs, only one doesn't and she's a blue hen. Is that a mark of quality or something?

 

[desertmarcy]

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.

Thank you, the only saving grace was they were hatchery birds. I had just started to raise Standard Breed chickens, and fortunately, nothing had or has taken any of those.

 

[heath_elisha]

You all are going to give me hatching fever

 

[DMRippy]

Look what I found in my Marans pen today..... I didn't have this variety yesterday LOL




I clearly have a nervous Nellie I need to do something about. That was the oddest thing to see in my pen. I know the pullet doing it and I will put some pinless peepers on her tomorrow. I think she got some tail feathers too.... poor girl.

 

[Ray from PA]

Vicki, Kim, and all. Finally filled up the Sportsman today so will have a few chicks in three weeks I hope. The fertility will be a little lower with the low temps. we have had,

Thanks for posting your egg photos Don,,,, just waiting on a few hen and roo photos please !

haha, I won't say how many usually get hatched here in a season...

Well,,, when you get over-run and run out of space, just send the extras my way, especially your Luella clones, I'd be more than happy to help you out....lol.....

You all are going to give me hatching fever

'Tis the season......

 

[chickenlisa]

You all are going to give me hatching fever

Me too- I'm going to set a few of the darkest eggs my Marans are laying (they hatched last Spring and just started laying a month ago!) in a day or two, they look pretty dark to me- I need to get an egg color chart to see how dark they are. I have 6 eggs from my Sebastopols too, so I may start them out together...I have to go read up on the best settings for incubating Maran eggs. I dry hatch the Goose eggs, and take them out for daily cooling and misting. I hope to get by with 1 incubator for the first 2 1/2 weeks, then move the Maran eggs to a different one for hatching. Anyone think that could work ok?

 

[snowbird]

Look what I found in my Marans pen today..... I didn't have this variety yesterday LOL




I clearly have a nervous Nellie I need to do something about. That was the oddest thing to see in my pen. I know the pullet doing it and I will put some pinless peepers on her tomorrow. I think she got some tail feathers too.... poor girl.

Donna, Add some Meat Scraps to their ration and they will stop feather picking.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: It really is just one girl. They are on 22% with pork as the protein. I moved some birds and I think it was the last straw for her.... she just snapped.

I will see what I can do to keep her entertained for a few days maybe she will be less stressed now.

 

[ellymayRans]

It really is just one girl.  They are on 22% with pork as the protein.  I moved some birds and I think it was the last straw for her.... she just snapped.    I will see what I can do to keep her entertained for a few days maybe she will be less stressed now.

Gosh, how I would've bet that was a NN! Never would have guessed!