Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Ivywoods]

Get 'em Vicki! I despise possums. I hate to say that about any animal, but possums really turn me off.

I just checked under my broody BCM hen. I had 6 eggs under there. I now have 3 eggs and 3 CUTE LITTLE FUZZYBUTTS!

I wan't planning to hatch this fall, but someone emailed me and wanted some. Since this hen was broody I went ahead and stuck the eggs back under her. She has been such a good broody gal, I hate to take her babies away, but that's what I have to do. When I would check her eggs she would puff up and roar at me, but she never pecked me, so I consider that good behavior.

She has spent this whole broody time in the large feed pan I have underneath the self feeder in my layer coop. It catches all the powdery stuff the others waste, so I throw egg shells and oyster shell in it and they get in and gobble it all up. I've had no waste with it. Since this gal was trying to brood in there I went ahead and gave her some hay to make her nest, which she promptly did. That way the eggs weren't right down in the powder. The level in the pan has gone UP since she has been in there. I think she is keeping a lot of the other hens out of there while she tends to business.

 

[gilavina]

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I can't agree with you more about possums...I've always thought they were hideous and a Pita...but I wasn't expecting to wage war on three of them. Well...I should say at least three of them...and hopefully now two...I sincerely hope there is not more hanging out in this pack.

YAY!!! Fuzzy butts!!! So exciting, even if they are moving on to someone else's place.

Sorry I couldn't make Sedalia...that weekend ended up being a big mess...did you take any pics while you were there?

 

[Debbi]

Yeah Vicki! One less rotten possum in the world, keep that gun loaded girl! I hate those things!!!!

Oh Barn Goddess, you must take pics of the stupid combs! I just knew this is a real problem in the Marans world, and more folks have it than will tell!

For all of you folks in Florida, that may have been missing some chooks; take a look at this!

And we think possums are bad??

http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-deer-ea...e-florida-everglades-20111028,0,7027917.story

 

[gilavina]

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Yikes and HOLY FREAKIN CRAP!!!

I'd rather deal with a possum

I'm gonna get the rest of those possoms if its the last thing I do. I tricked half of Gigantor's flock into the barn and shut them in....Their pen is one I'm still working on...I'm actually getting ready to dismantle it, so they get the nice main part of the barn to lounge in.... They are a mix of birds that will go to the breeding pens in the stalls...once I get the rest of the breeders in there sorted from last year. Also got all four cats in at the same time too....its shocking...they are little hooligans and love running outside, but can't bait the traps til they are out of the picture. I have a handful of birds to pick up and toss in the barn still, and to shut up the two houses down south the possums hit. So, once they go in, they will get shut up and those traps will be locked and loaded, just like the gun

what have you been up to?

I'm gonna put up a list of treats that people have suggested for the home made flock blocks I'm workin on...and will see if people can add to it. I'll wait til after I do my second round of shuttin up birds tho.

 

[flgardengirl]

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Aww I think you should let her keep at least 1 chick

 

[flgardengirl]

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Geez I would hate to find something like that in my coop. The largest snake I have found in the big coop was a 6ft black snake. It didn't seem real aggressive- it was fat and full of eggs and just wanted to get out and get away. I've found some other smaller ones too but the big one kinda freaked me out.

 

[Debbi]

About 5 years ago, I saw a HUGE snake crossing my driveway. My gravel drive is 8' wide, with at least 3' of grass on either side. I'm thinking after seeing the pic of the python, that's what this guy was. I never did see his head or end of tail! His body was about as big around as my thigh, and he was a dark gray color. I live about 20 miles from Ft. Wood where lots of folks keep exotic pets, then when they have to PCS, they tend to drop them off "in the woods" for them to fend for themselves. Talk about needing to change the undies!!

Thankfully, and I sure HOPE, they don't make it through our winters here...

 

[Ivywoods]

I went out and looked the chicks over. The buyer had wanted to know if they all have feathered legs and yes, they do. So far all the marans I have hatched have had feathered legs.

I'm in the process of rebuilding runs in the barn.

This is a temporary thing since I intend to get a poultry barn built next year. While moving stuff around, I found a leghorn hen sitting on a clutch of about a bazillion eggs.

I thought maybe she was just laying another egg, but in checking much later, she is still sitting and acting like a broody!

What gives? I didn't think leghorns were supposed to go broody!

 

[Debbi]

HEY GEEBS!!!

Long time, no see!

 

[Debbi]

Hey Susie!

Hope you had a great time with the Sisters and Sedalia!