Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[geebs]

They dont like to lay thier eggs with the others... Annebelle would lay when she was with another hen or two...but she was antisocial and didn't like everyone... Should would go "off" the egg eating if she had access to only one or two buddies and a dark nest box... I just got rid of her last month.... Tired of having to separate the egg eater clan.... I used to have a rooster I would put them in with that taught a good lesson... they didn't have a chance to lay an egg.... (horndog!!!)

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Sorry but this is the only cure I have found that works 100% of the time.

I will say that as soon as I notice an egg eater........she or he is gone, removed from the rest of the flock, others can and will learn this nasty habit from them and are generally not afraid to join in egg eating party.

 

[geebs]

Yep.... I agree with pink!!! Eat em back!!! LOL

Skinny chicken? May be a health issue... Do you have her on tumeric and seeds or just layer pellet??? I use a combination and does she have access to pasture? Check for parasites... One chicken can get parasites while the other remain free of them... Give her a good going over... She may be too depleted to lay... Cranberries and pumpkin and some vinegar in the water can perk up a hen.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
You should be very excited about that egg! It's beautiful! So are the rest of them.....but I love all Marans eggs, dark, speckled, blotchy and even the lighter ones.

 

[pinkchick]

Do you think the roo can tell she isn't RIGHT ? ? ??

Lisa~ They are smarter than they are given credit for.........I believe they can tell, just like when they know something like a hawk is overhead or something they don't like is creeping in the brush. So IMO it is very likely that he knows something, think about it, why would they waste their time when they have their favorites that will help get the job done quick fast and in a hurry for them.

eta: Sitting here thinking about it brings to mind last week before my oldest Black Copper hen died from being egg bound.......Bill must have known something was up with her because he left her completely alone and went after the other girls in with him and the oldest BC hen has never been with any other rooster since Bill came along, she was his steady, but yet he left her alone.​

 

[pinkchick]

geebs~

Are you and your birdies ready just in case for the up coming expected weather coming our way? Could be a good one! We are going to town today after Mr. Mountain Mel comes over and stocking up on feed, people food, sundries and gas, when weather stuff like this is expected we can expect to be stuck on the hill for days and days before we can even try to venture out of our drive. Makes my DH stir crazy but I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[geebs]

Been ready.... Always ready... What's coming??? I am not worried Pink... Truley it is weird to get bad weather where I live...Everyone else will get it... I do get the rain.... I just dont have the fatalistic vision in me this year... I swear I can feel spring!!! I know... that sounds so bizarre but I can smell it through the cold....I think we will have an early one this year.

 

[geebs]

hey pink... did you see the article about the horses in my town... (pats self on the back) I finally won that round... My marans are my entertainment to drag me out of the grim realities that surround me... That was a battle uphill... I am not done with them yet... Those are some bad men... They fight chickens too.... It was 3 years to get those horses out of the hands of those men permanently...The rodeo they talk about... It is cruel beyond your wildest vision.

 

[pinkchick]

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Good deal!

Expected heavy snowfall but they don't know exactly when or where it will hit........cold coming in from the north and a front coming in from the south........assumed affected areas are from North of Seattle to Southern Oregon. Living in the foots of the St. Helen's at the 800-1000 ft elevation where I am.....we usually get it. If it were to happen to day I would be set for neccessities for about a week and a half but I don't like cutting it that close. I normally keep approx. 700 lbs of feed and rations on hand at a time but I have been too tired to make the stops last weekend as I should have....my bad. Guess I just have to buck up and face the Friday masses in town today. Yippee! Can you feel my excitement?

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
No Jan I didn't see it. Where can I find it?