Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Quote:
Haha...ok...I just googled it...and that's what I grew up with. There's an old, old cemetary next to my parents place and in the back there was a big stand of trees it was filled with those plums. We would always pick them and the mulberries and would clean up the windfallen fruit to toss keep them from smelling too bad when they all started turning. They sure would draw all sorts of unwanted critters we didn't want wandering up for a side of 'meat' from our chicken pens. And you are right...they do make amazing jellies. Also...thanks for the tip on freezing them then canning in sept. Very good idea!!

That's one of the things I love about the Marans....their enthusiasm for their treats...they are different than any of my other birds and I love it! I probably spoil them rotten, but I'm ok with that

 

[Mountain Mel]

Quote:
We've started planting trees when we 1st moved out to our place 4 years ago- we have 2 cherry, 1 pear, 4 apple trees, plus blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and a type of blackberry that has a solid berry- the 2 cherry trees had 3 cherries on them last year. The kids enjoy watching and picking the fruit. We didn't have luck with the concord grape plant

We also tap our silver maple trees and make Maple syrup with the kids.

Last year my two sisters and I got together for a "sister's weekend." We made about 90 some jars of jelly of various kinds. We made a lot of sandplum jelly, which is one of my favorites. All the pulp from the fruit went to the chickens. They gobbled it up. My marans were only about 6 months old then. I had LOTS of sandplum seeds, which are about 3/8 inch in diameter. They ate a lot of them, but not all of them. I'm sure it was just too many. I'm hoping as my trees mature that any fruit deemed "non-human consumption' can be enjoyed by the chickens and the goats. I just pray my hubby's goats don't get out and eat my trees!

I read in last years' copy of Meyer Hatchery's catalog that feeding fruit to laying chickens will cause them to stop laying. Has anyone else ever heard of this?

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Last year my two sisters and I got together for a "sister's weekend." We made about 90 some jars of jelly of various kinds. We made a lot of sandplum jelly, which is one of my favorites. All the pulp from the fruit went to the chickens. They gobbled it up. My marans were only about 6 months old then. I had LOTS of sandplum seeds, which are about 3/8 inch in diameter. They ate a lot of them, but not all of them. I'm sure it was just too many. I'm hoping as my trees mature that any fruit deemed "non-human consumption' can be enjoyed by the chickens and the goats. I just pray my hubby's goats don't get out and eat my trees!

I read in last years' copy of Meyer Hatchery's catalog that feeding fruit to laying chickens will cause them to stop laying. Has anyone else ever heard of this?

Yeah...I've heard it a few times, but I have always given my birds of all different breeds things like watermelon, cantaloupe, etc and never noticed any slacking in the laying. I don't give them tons of it all the time, but just here and there. I wonder if it has to do with the amount they are given or what the reasoning is? Maybe someone else will know more specifics.

 

[math ace]

PINK - - your eggs have arrived . . .

This is what the box looked like when I went to the PO to pick them up.

I think somebody tried to play football with the box CLEARLY labeled - -FRAGILE HATCHING EGGS

 

[Ivywoods]

Math-Open it up! Open it up! Are the eggs okay? They must be pretty "shook up" even if they aren't broken. Someone said recently (this thread?) that they let them rest for over 24 hrs and then when start them in the incubator they don't turn them for a number of days so air sacs can settle. I wonder if you should consider that.

 

[poularde]

Oh no! How could they.

Are the eggs damaged? I hope they are OK.

 

[pinkchick]

 

[jennifersmith326]

Is this coloring okay on a Cuckoo Maran?

 

[math ace]

So at this point, I am wondering how scrambled they are. . . I got home with camera in hand and took the box outside to open it. Keep in mind that 19 days ago I had somebody ship me eggs. Two out of 9 were cracked AND the box was not damaged at all. . . . So, I was really holding my breath on pinks eggs.

I opened the box and saw this . ..

and the next layer looked like this

and the next layer looked like this. ..

Clearing away the packing peanuts I found these

Encase you can not tell what that is - - - It is 17 individual bubble wrapped eggs.

 

[poularde]

Pink does a great packing job!