Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pusskatkins]

The breeder's website email address is a dead one and my mail was returned several times.
I haven't called because more Orp's or Wheatens or whatever these yellow chicks are, have hatched and quite frankly, I am too disgusted.
Thank you again everyone for your help.

 

[math ace]

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That does not look good. . . . . Don't give up yet. . . .
Try the phone number

I'll keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[math ace]

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When they are laying well - - I get 5 eggs a week per BCM hen.

 

[sewandgrow]

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So sorry for you bad experience. Don't give up..........I know how discouraging it can be. I had a bad time with shipped eggs last years & was so disappointed that I thought of giving up but I got a renewed enthusiasm this year & tried my own eggs with much better success. Hope you can regroup & get going with something better. I have found there to be alot of really nice, knowledgable & helpful people on this forum.
Karen in Turlock California

 

[Criskin]

I'm a Marans owner now! Well, sort of. As I posted awhile back, I'd ordered a dozen BCM eggs from Ebay. The sellers claimed they were a mixture of Jean/Presley/Grisham lines but we all know how that goes! I bought them before I knew anything about Marans other than that I wanted some of those dark eggs in the laying flock I'm building so I was expecting pet quality, especially at the price I paid. I think I'm only going to get one chick out of the dozen but it is has a shortening of the outer toe (as you can see in the pictures). As I understand it is somehow genetically linked to the shank feathering and definitely makes it a cull...or, in my case, my newest favorite pet! For now, the little fellow has a few BO chicks to keep it company AND best of all DH has agreed that I can order chicks from the breeder of my choice this Spring. (We liked to clear the bigger purchases with one another and it took me awhile to convince him that a chicken is not just a chicken!

) Anyway, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures, faults and all. I have to say it is a friendly and apparently clever little thing. If I put a hand in the brooder it runs over, hops on, snuggles up, and refuses to be moved!

 

[bigspringshatchery]

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When they are laying well - - I get 5 eggs a week per BCM hen.

Thanks. That's not bad. I was told they only lay one egg every 2-3 days.

 

[pinkchick]

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Don't have my numbers for the previous year but last year hatched 189 (my hatching season runs Sept/Oct thru March/April)

Originally kept 2 cockerels and 5 pullets...that number has been narrowed down to 3 girls and ZERO boys. Most of the cockerels were given away, others were grown out for approx. 5-6 mos. then sent to the freezer because they weren't going to make the breeding pen. Pullets are usually tossed into the laying flock if I don't like them for breeding, or when I have too many birds, I will either sell the pullets and/or give some away and this (the giving away or selling) does not happen very often. I know this sounds cold but I would rather see a larger percentage of them in my freezer then out there where they can get into hands looking to make a quick buck off of them and the breed then gets all messed up.

edited to say: I'm not saying everyone is out to make a quick buck, but there are many. One happens to live VERY VERY VERY VERY EXTREMELY close to me.....like on the street just before mine!!!!!!!!!! I have stopped selling or giving away birds to anyone with in the town and closely surrounding towns in which I live because of this person. I also grew and still grow very tired of getting calls from people (when I do advertise birds or eggs) who mistake me for said individual and are all sorts of bent out of shape for the JUNK they purchased from the other person.

 

[pinkchick]

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CUTE!!!!

 

[math ace]

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Good selection of books in the background. . .She is a cute little one. I don't think the BCM should have white feathering down the legs. I am pretty sure that my girls had black leg feathering from the very beginning. . . That was a long time ago - - -

Will someone with some baby chicks RIGHT NOW confirm if it is ok or not for them to have white feathering on the legs when young ? ?? ?

 

[flgardengirl]

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If you have them freeze them up in portion size bags... Real fish does not contain the preservatives found in fish meal...

ON

Thanks for your reply ON! Are the bones okay to feed in raw fish (like other raw meats) or do I need to fillet it out. From my understanding the bones become brittle and will harm animals only in cooked meat/bones. Is it the same with chickens?