Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Wynette]

Don, where do I find Malathion? So - you sort of use this as a preventative? I wonder if it works all over the body for northern red fowl mites? I have a problem with them once every few years; I store hay right beside one of my pens, and the hay is separated by hardware cloth. I THINK what happens is that the hay, which, before I pick up the hay wagon from the farmer, is stored in a shed with an open front - there are always tons of birds flying in & out, and there's always bird poop (not a lot, but enough to make it noticeable) on the top bales. The wild birds around here are loaded with northern red fowl mites, so I suspect what happens is that they are tracked to my barn along with the hay. I'm going to put up a tarp between the hay and the chicken pen next year to see if that will help.

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[shelleyb1969]

Wynette...TSC or your local grain elevator should have it. At least they do up here in the Thumb.

OOOPPPS...sorry to intrude. I just saw your question was directed to Don.

 

[Wynette]

Michelle, does it go by a brand name? Is it a liquid? (is it CHEAP?)

 

[shelleyb1969]

Yes it is a liquid, and that is the name you would ask for. It's not outrageously pricey...pretty reasonably priced if my memory serves me correctly.

 

[snowbird]

Ruth, There are not a lot of difference in the two standards. The APA will have the final say on what is in the standard and what is not in it. Anyone can email the standards committee with recommendations for the Standard.

I myself believe the sponsoring Group that Bev is the leader of should have most of the say in the APA Standard since they are the people that have done the leg work and spent the money to make it happen. I have to say there are things in it I do not like , but believe they should have final say in what is in the Standard.

I breed to the French Standard but do not think this will be against my fowl since they are judged by the comparison method at most if not all shows in the USA.

At the shows I have attended I have not saw a Marans win that was according to either Standard. I think the main thing is breed what you would like just as you would any other breed of chicken and just enjoy them for what they are.

 

[Wynette]

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YES! I completely agree!

Don, sounds like you've been to a few shows with Marans...did you happen to get any pics of the winners? Has anyone else? It would probably be VERY useful to the rest of us if anyone has pics of winner right at a show!!

 

[snowbird]

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Wynette, TSC, Lowe'e and most store that have a garden section. You can also put it on the roost and spray the inside on the buildings . When you spray the roost poles it will kill most mites that are on the chicken when they get on them, the fumes I believe. I put a light mist on the tail about once a month. I spray the roost and floor everytime I clean the pen. For three gallon of water put one cup of 50 % Malathion and one cup of dish soap as this will make it stick to the feathers and the wood or concrete. I use a garden sprinkler can for the cages . or you can use a garden sprayer. Much quicker with the sprinkler can though.

 

[snowbird]

Molting leg feathers, I just noticed a couple of days that some of my cock birds were clean legged, I almost had a heart attack. I had never noticed before that they will completely shed their leg feathers. I caught one of them out of his pen and could see a new growth of pen feathers starting to grow on the legs. I wonder if this is normal for them to do this, It is only my third year with the Marans and never noticed this before.

 

[Wynette]

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That's interesting - I can't say I've ever noticed this, but I guess it makes sense! I've probably just never looked for it.

 

[shelleyb1969]

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Maybe that's why my one BCM rooster keeps chasing his leg feathers.

He spins in circles until he gets dizzy and then he quits for a while. He doesn't have any parasites at all. Must be those itchy molted leg feathers growing back in.