Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[poularde]

How old are those birds in the pics? Did you say they are four weeks?

Mine are eight weeks and not even that size.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Oh sure they are Poularde! Lisa just has a better camera than we do!

I think from now on I'm going to include a can in with the pics of the chicks so people can get an idea of the size. I don't DO soda, so upfront, pardon my beer can!

 

[delila]

I have 2 Black Copper Maran hens that are about 9 months old. One of them has started laying. She onlys lays about once a week and her eggs are extremely small. I have only gotten about 4 eggs from her. The other hen has not started laying. Is this normal? This is my first year having black copper marans or any chickens.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
delila

It really varies as to when they start laying and the amount they produce. With my very limited experience with this breed, I only have 5 pullets, I was lucky. My first three pullets started laying around 5 months; the last of the three taking the longest, about 3 weeks after the first two. My second clutch of pullets started laying recently. One at about 5+ months, the other just here about a week ago at almost 7 months. The first 3 pullets started laying in the winter, so egg production was sparse and sporadic. I've seen some people post that at almost 10 months their birds had yet to lay at all! And I thought 5 months was a long wait!

Do you know what lines your girls are from? What are you feeding them? Is there a rooster in with them? I ask the last question because I think the roo may just get their motors running a bit quicker? I may be wrong here, but that's the way it seems to me. Hopefully, my next set of pullets will start laying at around 5 months as well. Seems this should be something to breed towards...it's soooo hard to wait for that first egg!!
Got any pics of your girls?? We LOVE pics here!

Forgot to add: Spring is coming, so the egg production will go up. Out of 5 pullets, I got 4 eggs today, and have for the last week or so. One is a late-in-the-day layer, and that's the one that just started! The Marans don't have the laying power of say, Leghorns, but they seem to be decent layers.

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
I had the same problem when I first started out with BCM's. I read on here that because BCM's are larger birds, they require more protein than the typical 16% layer feed offers. I've started mixing in 1 part Turkey Grower (24%) to every 2 parts layer crumble and now I get about 5 eggs per bird, per week. I cant help you out on the egg size though. The majority of my flock has taken months to get to a normal size.

Hopefully someone else can chime in with different methods of increasing protein.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Oh sure they are Poularde! Lisa just has a better camera than we do!

I think from now on I'm going to include a can in with the pics of the chicks so people can get an idea of the size. I don't DO soda, so upfront, pardon my beer can!

TOO FUNNY DEBBI!

Seriously, a can ( soda or beer) would help us judge size. Mine were 8 weeks old a few weeks ago and the biggest one was 47 ounces. .. . I know because I was looking at weights to make sure there weren't any runts hiding in my "FINAL" cut for survivors island at my place.

I do like using the camera to evaluate my birds. The ZOOM feature on the camera allows you to get to see the birds up close and then the ENLARGE feature on the computer makes it bigger than life.. . .. So, faults and features are magnified.

 

[Debbi]

Hi Bravo,

I just started to feed Game Bird Starter/Grower (non medicated), at 22% protein, and have already noticed a difference. I also feed BOS/Safflower seeds, and meal worms. Yes, these birds DO need a higher protein content in their food, and they eat like freaking horses!!

Aslo, some of these girls started with huge eggs, while others started with medium sized eggs. No ryhme or reason, but all that are laying now are either large or jumbo eggs! Hard to shut the lid on some in a large egg carton! As for egg color, mine all started light, to the point of I was DISGUSTED! But all but the slacker, the last one to start laying, are laying at least a 5 or 6 on the egg color scale. I can improve through breeding from there.

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
Seriously!! I have 10, 8-week olds and I swear their bodies are completely hollow! It's pretty amazing how much food these birds go through!

My adult flock has gotten better but they still eat way more than my EE's do.

I think I need to start growing my own mealworms because I'm spending a small fortune on them LOL

awwww....to live the life of a spoiled chicken at our houses LOL

 

[delila]

I hatched these birds late summer last year from eggs that I bought. I think they were Wade Jean lines. I hatched only 3....2 hens and a rooster. The rooster died when he was about 4 months old. No idea what happened to him. The hens are in same pen with my other chickens right now. I have some RIR, Dominickers, Light Sussex. I have 2 Light Sussex roosters in the pen with the hens. The Sussex hens are not laying either. THey were also hatched late in the season last year. I have hatched some more black copper marans. They range from 2weeks old to 3 days old. I have another batch due to hatch Friday. I love the egg color. I just want some hens that will lay nice eggs like the ones I purchased. I will have to try feeding a higher protein food. Not sure I can handle those meal worms. Long story behind those little worms. Where do you buy meal worms? Thanks for the replies and help.

 

[Debbi]

Here's a link to a meal worm starter kit, ya I'm lazy!

They also sell dried meal worms and other stuff too. My chickens would KILL for their meal worms, and at Orshclen's they are just too darned expensive to feed on a regular basis! I fed some of the dried ones, broken up into littler pieces, to my little 2 week old babies last night, and they dove on those things like white on rice! Great source of protein and fun for the chooks!

http://tastyworms.com/products/insect-supplies/complete-mealworm-breeding-kit