Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Quote:
After you grieve a while you would be wise to go back out, do some detective work, and find out what happened. Chances are good that if you don't do something about it, it will happen again. I learned this the hard way after I lost my entire flock of Royal Palm Turkeys last year.

I too, am sorry to hear of your loss....I was really bummed to lose all my turkeys after all I had put into them.

That's one thing I love about my new coop/yard....I'm confident that it is 100% critter proof from all sides/top.

Thanks

I did move all of the birds out of that pen...it was the only one I couldn't finish upgrading last year before winter hit. We have a fresh blanket of snow down and so I did some walking around the pen and found some tracks. Looks like it was a possum. Critters come up off the creek and across a neighbor's field when food gets scarce for them. I'm going to be working on continuing my upgrades on my pens, but for now, they are all locked up safe and sound inside...I had slowly started moving them out into some of the pens with small huts/out buildings for breeding season...but this along with the snow has me holding off for a bit again.

 

[Ivywoods]

Gilavina- Sounds like it's possum plinkin' time. Those stinky little boogers.

I'm so sorry to hear you lost your breeder roos. Gosh. It is such a pain and sad thing to have to back all your plans up because of something like that.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
that's what I'm thinking too....haven't had any come this close in a long while...so I'll be keeping my eyes open for sure...especially where I'll have some young birds to go out soon....and some of these were from those two boys...

I'm just relieved it wasn't worse and that my birchens weren't touched...I would have been bawlin like a baby I think if that were the case... No letting birds out to wander on the lawn for a while I think....not that there is a whole lot for them to be munching on at the moment anyways...what with this fresh snow...
I just am ready for spring...

 

[seabreeze]

I'm so sorry Gilavina!! How depressing! I hope you are able to find out the critter(s) and fortify your coops!

We have critters too, notorious egg thieves and probably would grab a bird or two if not for my main livestock guardian, Mugzy!

I love the blues as well and now that I've learned about the blue birchen, I'm in love!!

 

[CANDLE98]

There is a hatchery here in Idaho that say they are breeding towards standard for BCM, well I saw one of their chicks the other day and they have slate legs but pink toes. I have never seen that before is that okay? I have yet to go see about egg color etc, but I would like to know how their stock looks.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Holy crap!! I'm in love with your pup!

Rott mix? I love the big dogs...they are indeed great for guarding the birds. This is the first trouble I've had in a long while and I blame myself for not being more careful.

Here's my guardian...His name is Goliath. He's a blue merle newfoundland/australian shepherd cross and was only 6 months old in this pic, but he's about twice this size now. The funny thing is that he loves my Marans and just wants to play with him. But my big old cuckoo that protects my laying girls really doesn't agree with his playfulness...and keeps him in check

I think he'll keep calming down as he grows out of the puppy phase.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Thought I'd add that I'm in love with the birchens too....silver penciled rank right up there in my favorite color patterns, but really...anything with blue turns my head like no other...

 

[seabreeze]

Gilavina, no, he's not a Rott mix, the Rott actually descends from this breed. He is a purebred Tibetan Mastiff (AKC champion too!) I've been in the breed since 1980 so a long time love affair!! My avatar is a pic of his son at 9 months.

Your boy is beautiful!! I love the fact he picked up the merle pattern from the Aussie side, beautiful! Is his Newf blood from a Landseer parent? Looks like your boy would do a GREAT job at protecting!

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Ahhh...I've never seen a pic of a tibetan mastiff...gorgeous!! I'm not sure whether the Newfoundland was from Landseer or not...I got him from a guy who needed to rehome him because he was having to move into the city. I could tell he was heartbroken giving him up, but I knew the second I saw a pic of him he was supposed to come home...and when I was walking up the driveway and saw the pup he just had this look that said..'you'll do just fine, now take me home." Funny thing is, there was no adjustment period with him at all...he was just 'home.' The guy had gotten him from a Newfoundland breeder that was working on developing the aussie coloring on the newfs...I adore him and my mini aussie...

Have you gotten any more feedback on your blue birchens that has been helpful in deciding what to do with them? Like I said...they always have a home here

edited for mistake

 

[math ace]

I am feeling like the minority here - - -

I just LOVE the BLACK COPPER. . . .

BLUE COPPERS are OK

I really am not CRAZY about splash at all!

I am just a plain BLACK COPPER MARAN FAN!

I love the emerald green sheen. I love a really good copper color.

I am feeling so WEIRD compare to everyone elses favorites . . .


I MUST ADMIT that the blue birchen did knock my socks off. . . . .