Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Ivywoods]

Great pictures! I should get a few more taken. Right now my marans look hideous. They have so many pecked feathers. Some of them are starting to look like naked neck turkens. Hopefully tomorrow I will get them separated so they can all grow some feathers back before winter!

 

[flgardengirl]

Ivy I know what you mean! I have a little blue marans hen who is a year old, she is so small she almost looks bantam. I took some pics of her yesterday because she was running around with this group of freeranging juvenile chicks and she was either the same size or actually smaller than some. I was like wow!
But now am reluctant to post them because of how horrid her head looks. One of the freeranging roos grabs the hens feathers on the back of the head to hang on when he does his thing and now she is part bald. She needs a bonnet or something lol.

 

[Ivywoods]

Quote:
I wonder if they make bridles for hens. I know they make saddles. That way the rooster could grab hold of the reins and YEEEHAAA!

 

[Mountain Mel]

Quote:
I wonder if they make bridles for hens. I know they make saddles. That way the rooster could grab hold of the reins and YEEEHAAA!

Ivy, check your PM's.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
Ok...the girl hanging out with the turkeys is just too funny...makes me wonder what she'll be like when she gets older

Great pics of the birchens. That boy of yours is coloring up nicely indeed. I have had problems from time to time as well with a bit of mossiness on some of the birchens. It has disappeared on a couple girls I kept behind, but I have them banded so I can find them easily. I haven't test hatched from them to see what they throw yet as I had lost my boy this spring before they were ready to lay since they were from a fall hatch. I know more than likely I will not be happy with them, but, I'll give it a shot one of these days when my birchen boy prospects get older. If they don't pass the test, they'll head to my layer pen.

I was out looking at my oldest hatches today while doing chores and I can't help but smile...I'm still culling as they are growing out, but I'm pleased with what I'm seeing.

 

[Debbi]

Hey! The Birchens are looking good! Is it as hard getting the silver to come through as it is the copper? And then there is the lacing, how far down the breast is it supposed to go? Just what I don't need, another project!

I'll sit back and watch you guys!

Only three little chicks in the house now!!

Cleaned out the coop and pen for the 7 weekers, and moved them in. The older chicklets meshed in with the big birds, and all went amazingly well. They were not happy to see the young ones in THEIR pen! Come bedtime, they were throwing themselves at the netting that extends to the roof of the run, above the 4' fence. They wanted to roost on their coop top, but eventually gave up the fight, and ended up roosting on top of the external nest boxes. The little chicks wanted nothing to do with the coop, even though they had been in and out of it all day long. I even carried them into the coop, but they'd come right back out again. I put a little solar light in there too, but it didn't help. Last I saw, they were in a pile in the grass in the corner of the pen. May have to shut them in there tonight if it's not too hot. More storms coming in today, so it should be cool tonight. Crazy birds...but what does that make me for having them??

 

[pinkchick]

Hi Everyone! Hope you are all doing great! Busy busy here....summer (well if you can call it summer....what I wouldn't give for more than 2 consecutive days of sunshine without rain) is our busiest season and I am thankful that we have work for the next couple months.

flgarden~ Lovin' the Birchen babies!

Zanna~ I hope you are able to detour your visiting egg bandit. They are sneaky and pretty smart aren't they. Rascals.

Debbi~ Pip sounds like he is being a good boy, my Bill boy is that way with chicks and juvies. Wish the broody Delaware I have right now was that nice to chicks, she won't have anything to do with a chick, but boy howdy....don't even think of touching the golf ball she is sitting on. She's downright onery. If I try to intro a chick, she takes the chicks out and flings them across the brooder by their foot. Mean broody.

I am growing very tired of broodies...I now have my 8th broody hen. This time it is another Black Copper and she is vicious. She will jump up, literally jump up to peck your hand if you get to close to her and her eggs. Joke was on her last night though, I took the eggs and gave her a golf ball and moved her into a broody box, we will see how she likes her new digs this morning. I am hoping to give her some of the chicks that hatched on June 4th to raise if she settles down. Talk about NASTY. Geesh!

On a good note....my Lil' Bill boy is looking great! Copper is really filling in fast and I am in love with him. The older gals in that coop have plucked his nice longer sickle feathers out so now he kinda looks hen-ish, but they will come back. This weekend Gnarles gets moved out of the breeding pen and Lil' Bill moves in.

 

[Debbi]

Hey Pink

Wondered where you've been lately, glad to see you back! We need pics of Lil Bill. I need to get pics of all my chooks. Yours are growing like weeds! Out of the 5, 3 of them are cockerels. The two pullets, Olvia the black gal, and Charlotte are both looking great! Both are going to be real plus sized gals I believe.

 

[flgardengirl]

Thanks!! I'm really liking the birchens they all have great personalities. Even the naughty older girl is sweet to people just not other birds or animals who aren't in 'her flock'. The other day she was chasing a nieghbor's tom cat that was large enough to do her in if it wasn't so suprised. She acts exactly like a turkey, she thinks she is thier size. I'd hate to see her as a broody...no one is gonna be able to touch her eggs lol. I am gonna have to get those little birchen roos in with her pretty soon to get them used to each other more because she hates them both on sight lol. I tried to put the little blue one next to her to take a pic and she jumped on him and started pecking. Maybe I shouldn't let her hang out with turkeys..

Debbi: I think the birchen are supposed to look just like the black coppers..just the copper is replaced with silver. They should not have that lacing they should have a black breast although the silver comes around the front of thier neck just like the coppers but the actual breast should be black (or blue in the blue birchen), I believe. I am just learning about them too

Hope your baby chicks settle down and like thier coop. Its a hard adjustment for them all of a sudden being thrown outside in the dark at night lol.

Pink I know what you mean about broodies this year. Its horrible! They ruined my plans this year and I have so many unplanned chicks haha! I'm about done with chicks until fall and then I am gonna be ready!!


Edited because my fingers are dyslexic today and I need some coffee..

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks Debbi. Graduation and things have kept me very busy for several days and I will tell you what...nobody prepared me for when they leave home and I want them back RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Took one of the twins to the airport day before yesterday and she is now living in Arizona, two days after graduation was just too soon for the mamma.

Talk about an adjustment.
The other is getting in gear to start George Fox in August. Parents Day on Saturday .........I don't think they should call it Parents Day though.....I think it should be called "Build a Shopping List and Get Your Checkbook Out Day." LOL! Know what I mean?

It will be fun. I should be able to snap a couple quick photos of Lil' Bill for you tomorrow or Sunday morning before the masses of family show up for Father's Day and eats. He really is turning into a nice bird complete with his Dad's sweet disposition.

Ivy~LOVE THE PLANTER!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want one like that in my front yard.