Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[VillageChicken]

Question for all my marans friends.
A few days ago, I found a big bloody, yolky splotch on the concrete just outside the coop where some of my hens freerange. No one's bum was bloody or even wet. Everyone was acting normal, except they were all pecking at that spot... ugh.

Since then they've all laid eggs, though one of my ISA's had what looks like a slightly thinner shell. But not like breaks when you pick it up thin.
So... what in the world was it? Darn thing stained the ground, glad it's warming up, so I can get the pressure sprayer out finally.

Oh, and I've got a broody marans hen sitting on some "junk" eggs... we'll see if she follows through when they they hatch. I've not heard of too many good Marans mommas on this thread.

 

[loprettaerin]

I have been reading for days know and learning allot from you all. I love marans and Im in the process of switching my flock of chickens over to only marans and EE. Im getting over excited Im getting ready to drive across the river to IL to pick up 4 dz marans hatching eggs from a local breeder. Cant wait to see there flock and pick up the eggs. I have seen there pictures but not the same as seeing for yourself. I have bought eggs from ebay before but have always had really bad luck with them. So found some one close to home this time we will see what happens. I have been hatching my rouen duck eggs for a while know with really good luck and my own chicken eggs.

I had to build my own home made incubator this year so I could have enough room to hatch more then just ducks. lol That was a job in it self. I will definatly do a few things diffrent next time but it is good for chicken eggs.

Any Suggestion on sexing young marans chicks, I will have blues, splash, black copper, wheaton, and only couple cuckoos in this eggs batch. Went with less cuckoos just becuase I already have a few but always looking to improve. I excited to get them in the incubator today.

my figures for good fertility.

 

[Ivywoods]

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Best wishes for a good hatch on your marans.

 

[Debbi]

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Hi VC!

Could it be that one of your girls was egg-bound? I had one that when she first came into lay, produced a huge double yolker egg that she had a hard time passing. If she were straining and running around trying to expel the egg, that may explain the blood and why it was outside of the coop. Just a thought.

 

[Debbi]

loprettaerin

Across the river?? Sounds like you may be from Missouri!??

Good luck on your journey and your hatch!

Of course you know, if you've been lurking in here, we all need to see pictures, right??

 

[Debbi]

Mornin' Susie

Did you get some snow too??

 

[flgardengirl]

VC,
I think maybe it was a soft shelled large egg that broke when it hit and there was some blood from passing it. They probably ate up the shell before you found it. I have had some really gross wierd ones. It didn't affect thier laying in the future. It seems to happen more with newer layers.

Here is one that had a gelatinous outer layer and then a harder shell inside Like an egg in an egg. I originally found it out in the coop on the floor with some blood around it. One chicken ran up after I took these pictures and gobbled up the gelatinous part before I could grab her LOL. It was gross but she enjoyed it

Someone on byc asked me to cut the outer part off and post the photo lol. This inner shell was so thin it crumbled after the hen grabbed the outer part.

I have had some good marans mommas. I think alot of new mothers (no matter what the breed) don't know what they are doing the first time out. I hope your girl stays sitting for you.

 

[Ivywoods]

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No snow last night, but got some the night before. Just enough to gather around the edges of the buildings. It was mostly little sleet balls.

The weather is supposed to turn bad with a vengence tomorrow.

I hope the predictions are wrong, or I hope it misses us!

 

[jlgoinggreen]

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You mean in roos, right? What color comb will the pullets have? And don't they also have wattles? Is it that it doesn't show up till they are older?

 

[gilavina]

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No snow last night, but got some the night before. Just enough to gather around the edges of the buildings. It was mostly little sleet balls.

The weather is supposed to turn bad with a vengence tomorrow.

I hope the predictions are wrong, or I hope it misses us!

Eek! I sure hope not!! Maybe it will peter out instead and get back to nice spring weather.

We've had snow off and on for the last three days, luckily most of it has melted, but it sure is muddy now.