Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Lifesong Farm]

From a breeder recommended by Bev.

 

[xyresicchick]

in a few months I am going to need a Marans hen that lays very dark eggs. I don't care what color. I will need this hen for my bantam Marans Project I need to improve egg color. Anyone with a VERY dark egg laying flock feel free to contact me. I would be willing to pay +shipping for a laying hen who lays very dark. Thanks for any advice/info I am new to Marans but so far my bantams are very promising. I don't have room for a lg marans flock I only want one hen.

 

[seabreeze]

I took some new pics of the mystery blue/birchen? Marans roosters I acquired from a local lady who hatched them from Ebay eggs (born Nov. 4, 2010)/5+ months old. I wondered about the spangled chested one, it appears to be a hen to me but I sent the pics to Illia privately who thought that one is also a rooster. So I am posting the pics here. I like the looks of the two (dark blue and light one) but not too keen on the spangled hen looking roo

 

[AyeUpChuck]

Quote:
Beautiful Seabreeze! I'm no expert by any means but I think you're Roo in the first pic is really handsome. I'll PM you in the morning about how many chicks I can bring you on the 23rd!

 

[sewandgrow]

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So sorry for your poor hatches. I really do feel for you. I get so bummed trying to get better stock & buying eggs & having poor hatch rates even though I hatch my own with good success. I had high hopes that my new "great" incubator would be the answer for me but alas............I have had mixed results at best. I have been wondering if I should seek out breeders that send chicks & go from there til I get some "good" stock of my own. I am going to the Stevensen Washington show this week end maybe I can find something or someone there. What a bummer.............

 

[sewandgrow]

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Congratulations.....Those first hatches are soooooooooo exciting.!!!!!
Good luck for many more.

 

[pinkchick]

AyeUpChuck~

Sorry for the delay in response....just re-reading the last couple pages of the thread and noticed that I missed your post. Girl it was great meeting you too and your son! What a cutie! I love how he calls the chicks..."EGGS"....OMGosh....TOOOOOOO CUTE! I loved it soooooo much I shared with my hubby and now he is using the same terminology when I show him a chick...err-uh should I say when I show him an "EGG".

I hope the chicks are all doing great and you can just tell your DH that I don't know how to count and its all my fault that you have that many chicks.

Hope you and your friend love love love them as much as I do!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Congratulations.....Those first hatches are soooooooooo exciting.!!!!!
Good luck for many more.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! And chicks from Garry Farms to boot!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sewandgrow]

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How long can they stay in those brooders and how many do you put in each ?

Lisa, I run about 30 of the baby chicks in each brooder. Soon as they are growing good I move them to the larger 8'x 10 stalls with a heat light.

I have had the brooder box in 4' x 8' but like the 2' x 4' much better with smaller groups. Don

How funny Don, I PM you a page or 2 earlier & here you are with some of the answers to my question & a picture too. That's great.. I tend to respond as I read so that can happen....LOL My incubator setup is 2' by 4' also & I can run 30 or so in one without any problems. I then divide them up & move them as they grow. Are the electrical cords in your picture to the GQC heaters you spoke of earlier? Your setup is much more user friendly than mine since I have to bend over into my 4' by 4' peach bin set up. I have hanging lights in them now but could easily convert to the heaters I think.

 

[sewandgrow]

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Mine are mixed Davis/Presley/Jeane & took from 22 to 29 weeks to lay.