Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Keara]

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Pink,

My boss says I have a lot of "native inteligance". I have a BS and work in medical research with M.D./Ph.D's so I am the simple minded one! But I tell you... sometime the less you know.... the better you think. Thanks for the complement.

I hatched a few weeks ago and got 14 chicks out of 16 eggs it was amazing, most of the eggs were shipped. I had some pitures back at post #13751. They are growing fast. I am getting ready to set a few dozen of my own eggs this weeknd, plus I have a broody speckled sussex who has one lonly BCM egg under her ready to hatch any day now. I wish I had gotten more eggs under her, it is so much easier to let the hens raise the babies themselves!

-Keara

 

[loprettaerin]

I broke down yesterday and ordered some more maran eggs. Still looking for atleast one more place for some blues and 2 more places for wheatens. I should have the black coppers covered with what I have already ordered. I new I was going to take the plunge and buy more since I want to make sure there is no inbreeding going on from the start and to give me a better selection when it comes time to cull as they get older.

This is a new learning experience for me, have never breed for breed specifics before. I just want to keep learning and learning and improving the breed. Luckly my husband is starting to understand that and ever night asks how things are going and has to check in on the chicks.lol

I have my chicks Im keeping so far from this hatch all banded with vetwrap that stuff is very easy to use. Thanks to everyone that talked about useing it, Way less expencive to start with until I figure who is staying. When the weather figures out what it wants to do I will start building a few A frame tractors for seperating some of the marans that I already have to do some more test breeding with them. A frames were my hubby's Idea I wanted another design but got to let him have his way to keep him intrested and willing to put up with it. lol

 

[poularde]

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I use the hen saddles. I got them from lovemychix right here on BYC. They seem to stay on just fine. I have not tried the wing protectors yet. Her saddles are great because of the snaps!

So much easier to put on. The standard size fits Marans quite well.

 

[rsquared]

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Alllllright, lovin the preview and wishing those little ones safe "wings" to Indiana

 

[FireTigeris]

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Dh wants to know how many birds you have that need to be vaccinated and how old are they ?

If we do all the adults there are 23, and 2 fully feathered chicks over 5 weeks for chickens- I need to go out again and do another count, just go back from vaccation and hope the number's the same as when I left..

 

[Germaine_11.20]

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Depending on the size and age of the chicks. Right after hatch I just set a small waterer on paper towel. After a day or so I use 12x12" pavers. I set one down on the shavings and put the waterer on that.

At about a week or when they are starting to stir things up alot-- I add another paver to the first one (put the waterer on that) and then put another 12x12 paver right next to the two stacked together. They then use the single paver as a "step up" to the waterer. I do the same with the feed--otherwise they manage to fill everything with shavings

 

[VillageChicken]

Thanks for all the ideas for elevating. I've got different brooders for different ages, the hardest is the first 10 days or so. They seem to get poop all over anything that doesn't have shavings on it, and though I've elevated waterers, I have never gotten them high enough to do any real good. One exuberant digger can fill the waterer in a matter of minutes. After they can fly a bit, I get the waterer up about 6 inches and it seems to fare better.

 

[Hens and Roos]

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For the 1st week of so, we keep the babies on paper towel, that we change often to keep clean. The waterer is set right down on the paper towel. The chicks do manage to put food into it however!

 

[enggass]

When do signs of copper start showing up? At what age?

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
I use the hen saddles. I got them from lovemychix right here on BYC. They seem to stay on just fine. I have not tried the wing protectors yet. Her saddles are great because of the snaps!

So much easier to put on. The standard size fits Marans quite well.

Thanks Poularde! I've been looking at those