Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[jeremy]

Pink, any updated pictures of Lil' Bill?

 

[chevgrl]

Thought I'd pop in and say goodnight y'all... I've got a debilatating migraine

 

[Lotsapaints]

chevgrl I hope that migrain goes away for you and Debbie I sure hope they get your heater delivered I waited today for the Fed Ex truck it was a Ryder rental and he was honking his horn must be afraid of my dogs I never seen this guy before but I have my feed for the breeding season. I use Resolutions feed and have to order it....I'm going to try his chick feed it looks good. His feed is sold as Farmer's Helper and I use it and I use Mazuri's gamebird for the turkeys and mix it into my feed for the growing birds. I have someone picking up my cull roosters this weekend 7.50 per bird they are 4, 5 and 6 months old though there are a couple who are older they are all over 5lbs and of course some of them are crowing now non stop they gotta go.....close to 30 of those guys and I have pullets laying though only about 3 so far several who squat anytime I get close. I have some young pullets (3) who are about 11 months old who really haven't been laying very often or even very dark eggs considering they came from some nice eggs I was going to just sell them and now that we've had a little cooler weather their eggs are getting nice and dark and they are laying everyday so I guess I need to look them over and decide if I want to keep any. My first babies from my Mr Splish are getting reddish combs and going in the lay box they were hatched in May and June I can't wait to see those eggs their moms are still laying nice dark eggs and they just did a partial molt so I hope they keep it up all winter. I think I have one thinking about setting.......I just wormed one pen and if that's what she's wanting to do I think I'll let her set on some pullet eggs....that's how you get them to start laying just worm them. I too can't wait to finish my culling every time I go get feed it seems to go up.......I have a customer who wants 24 dark egg layers but I don't have that many but that will help me cut back to the best ones then whatever I don't get sold before Thanksgiving is going to the sale. Just raise turkeys if you want to go through the feed 2 more weeks and they'll be in the freezer I'm hoping to have a much lower feed bill until this spring.

Now I'm really considering getting this for my early hatching....I have a standing order for all the turkeys I can hatch this winter (Jan thru April) and I can sell chicks too I'm planning on sex linked New Hampshire rooster x Delaware hens this is a great cross so I need a better system.

http://dblrsupply.pinnaclecart.com/products/GQF_Start_Grow_Brooder_set_up-481-0.html

Next year I'll be hatching my Delawares and I can't sex them for at least a month so this might help. As broody as my Marans were I'm considering just letting them hatch their own they did a great job with the ones I let them have and they look good I have a couple I'm going to try and condition to show....having chickens makes for never ending projects

 

[Mountain Mel 22]

Good Morning, Everyone!

Boy, have we had some gorgeous weather out here in the beautiful Pacific Nortwest lately!

We have to enjoy it when we have it because once the fall rains start they last until next June and they are supposed to start om Friday.

My dang birds have almost totally quit laying. I'm getting 2 eggs per day out of 11 hens.

The eggs that I do get are a solid #7 on the Marans color chart and I am very happy with that color.

(Hoping to hear from Susie soon.)

Well, nobody is here yet so I'm going to crawl back in the sack & watch the local news.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Morning

Just finished reading the posts and trying to get 3 kids ready for school! They have a short day today and off tomorrow and friday- they will be coming to work with me for a couple of days.

Our Blue Copper Marans pullet laid us a nice ruby colored egg yesterday! Maybe a 6 or 7 on the chart

Have a good one! Off to finish chores and get ready to head to work myself.

 

[gilavina]

Mornin' Everyone

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Good Morning!! I just got in from feeding all the bird kids. A little chilly out there this morning but the birds seem to love it.

I moved my marans chicks in to a big plastic tub with pine shaving this morning. I have had them seperated in two pens due to one, that I have named Hannibal, pecking on some of their feet and bottoms. Now they are busy digging and eating and running around so hopefully they will forget the bad stuff -- plus I got my "Pick No More" in the mail yesterday so I am set.

Off to take care of my human child!! Have a great day everyone!

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Quote:
Chevgrl--Hope you are feeling better this morning!! I use to get really bad migraines and they were no fun!

 

[Raven1]

Tracking says my Birchen Marans eggs are out for delivery!!!!!!!!!!

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
haha i can just picture that! I might have to get some the next time I head to lincoln. I can't get bigger size containers here in my small town. I gotta make a run to lincoln to get feeds and grains and etc to get myself ready for winter mashes and etc too...Man..what we won't do for our birds eh?

What kind of hatching eggs are ya gettin?

Hopefully, Cuckoo Marans, BCMs, and B/B Ameraucanas. That's the plan at this point, at any rate!

I just love my Blue Ameraucanans they don't like the summer heat here and are stingy layers sometimes but both the males and females are the friendliest birds I have. They truly were little lap dogs in another life. If they can't get on my lap they fly up on my shoulders. The girls have a really raucous voice and will whine really loudly if they think they've been wronged or they want something LOL! I'm fixing to hatch some more real soon because I only have 2 girls and 4 roos LOL!

Where did you get your cuckoo eggs? Are they silver cuckoo?