Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[jlgoinggreen]

Bravo,
I'm so sorry. That's horrible. The only one I have that even comes close to fitting the bill (have to check though as I think he has Davis lines) is a meanie. If I can't breed him, dh is thinking of keeping it as his personal pet though. They've become close friends.

 

[Debbi]

Oh Bravo, so sorry to hear that!

Sounds like some electric fencing is needed out there? In the mean time, I think I'd be setting some traps, those critters will be back since they've already had a chicken buffet. Hope you find a nice boy.

 

[Bravo]

Thanks guys.

Debbi, the electric fence is being installed this weekend. I have their pens set up so that it is the coop (which is secured every night), a smaller, covered pen that connects to the coop and then it opens into a larger exerciser pen that is chainlink (about 25 X 50, 6' tall). The exercise pen is skirted too but the bobcat took the up and over route.

Now everyone is locked in the smaller run that is covered and they apparently arent happy about it. I think they are also still stressed out about yesterday's events too. Poor birds.

We are going to rework that larger pen to see if we can make it smaller to get a roof over it. I only have 6 breeding birds so they don't need that much room.

jlgoinggreen--my cockerel was like that too. Meaner than a snake with everyone else but had a great deal of respect for me because he knew if he acted the fool with me I'd cuddle, baby talk and annoy the heck out of him for the rest of the day LOL.

 

[Raven1]

Bravo- Check bird netting on Ebay you should find just the size you need and not have to rework the space.

 

[jlgoinggreen]

Quote:

Mine is the sweetest thing in front of my husband. Even puts his head down so he will pet it. It's just the rest of us he's mean to.

And I don't blame your babies for being freaked out. I would be too. That is scary.

 

[Davlyn]

Quote:
I understand the Tractor supply sells netting that works well to cover pens. My chick yard is to lg 2 try 2 cover, I do have electric poultry fencing.

; we fenced in the very lg chain link dog kennel with this as well, so the chcikens have more room even. I will B getting the netting 4 that. A friend swears by it.

 

[berkeleysprings]

sorry about your loss , the poor chickens can sometimes be stressed /depressed for many months about 5 or 6 years ago we lost 4 to a coon attack the survivors were messed up in the head for a long time .... now im killing as many coons as i can trap
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[Debbi]

Used to be, out here that coon pelts brought about 50 bucks a piece. Those days are gone, so the coons have re-populated with gusto. My neighbor boys have coon dogs and had started training them, but as with boys that age, they kind of lost interest. The morning I found the coon in my trap got them interested again, so they are now out there running their pups. Their farm surrounds mine, so it's all on both of our properties, so they can hunt whenever they want to. I told them, while they are out there, to pluck off that ^$($#(&%! Woodchuck if they see it, and also any possums or skunks. I set my trap again the next night, and caught....a HUGE Box Turtle!

He was one mad turtle when I got to let him out, I didn't know turtles had tudes!

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Bravo - -I'll second the sympathies.

Sorry, dear about the two losses.

Jlgoinggreem, here is a suggestion for Dh's fav meanie roo.....

Separate him from the flock and give him a few women of his own. I find that the hormones are worse when there is competition involved. A nasty roo with other roos - - - well you would be nasty if someone was always trying to pull things ( feathers in this case) out of your rump

Separate him from the other males and give him a few females. See if he doesn't settle down once he has an outlet for the hormones and is not being threaten by others.....

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
They are looking nice.