Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[flgardengirl]

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Lucky you!! You are a self proclaimed plant freak, how about developing a cold hardy avacado tree for me??

Got to say, that is the one thing I miss from CA, all that glorious produce!! My sister-in-law had a Qumquat (sp?) tree in her back yard. I was pregnant at the time, and I swear, I ate everyone of them off that tree! Wow they were good!!

x2... i soooo wish i could grow some of the stuff you can Lenette!

Yeah but then you can grow stuff that I can't like cherry trees, lilacs, and roses without a mess of fungal problems/blackspot LOL! Most of the stone type fruits do better for you than me! THeres a few that will make it okay but cherries are one thing I miss they don't do really great here like they do in the midwest. We have tropical cherry called cherry of the rio grande or the barbados cherry but they are half as good and they need winter protection here

Debbie I wish I could develop a cold hardy avocado but all avocado trees hate me for some reason lol. I can do really well with alot of things but the avocados didn't even like me when I lived in So Cal or in Phoenix AZ.

 

[gilavina]

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haha awesome!! i'm doin faux wood tile....its in a basement so real wood and laminates arent the best idea....looks like they should go down simply enough! i'd love to see some of the work you guys do...sounds like you do it all! i'm gonna try to get some update photos on a few birds today too if the sun holds out. its been a while and they're growin like weeds!

Someday soon I will send you some photos....or the link to my hubbies website. We do everything....if we specialized I don't think we would still be in business to be very honest with you.

I suppose that would be really true with the specializing versus diversity. I'm a big believer in diversity when it comes to skills

 

[Mountain Mel 22]

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I'll be having my adulterated grape juice

Cheers!!!!!

Not me...Washington State Patrol is having DUI "Saturation Patrols" from now until New Years. They were all over I-5 yesterday. You know what their motto is...

"Drive Hammered, Get Nailed"

Besides, who wants "just one"?

Remember, Moderation Is For Monks!

 

[slick4591]

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

[Hens and Roos]

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you too lady!

Happy Turkey Day, Debbi!

Happy Turkey Day, Miss Vicki!

The rest of you...GET OUTTA BED & GET THOSE BIRDS A COOKIN"

GO DETROIT LIONS!!!! BEAT GREEN BAY!!!!

My eyes must be messed up this am! I think you have it backwards GO PACK GO!!!!!!!!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I hope y'all don't mind me bringing the mood down here for just a minute. I cracked open the 10 remaining eggs from my hatch and found 6 fully formed chicks (not alive.) I'm just crushed.

1 Ameraucana was clearly shrink wrapped. 1 BCM had its head up in pipping position, good air cell. 2 BCMs were fully formed, good air cells but heads were still tucked, as was one of the Cuckoos. 1 of the Cuckoos still had a lot of unabsorbed "stuff" at the bottom of the egg so may have been a late quitter.

I started out with a Hovabator and automatic turner. Eggs were set at 7 AM on October 31. Makes November 1 - day 1. Easy! Temp was steady at around 99.6 throughout. Humidity on the high side, around 55%. I moved the good eggs to a Brinsea octagon with humidity pump on day 12 (November 12th). Temp steady at 99.6. I set the humidity at 40 percent. I locked it down on November 18th at 7 AM which I was considering day 18. Jacked humidity up to 65%. Hatch started early morning November 20 which by my calculation would be day 20 but I'm wondering if it was really day 21. Last live one came out early morning on the 22nd. One of the Ameraucanas that hatched looked like it may have been quite sticky. (It still has a mark on it's head.) I had NOT disturbed the incubator since lockdown. Humidity did hold steady at 65%.

So is my math wrong? Did I lockdown (and jack up the humidity) too late? These were such precious eggs to me. This is only my second hatch so I'm still learning my way around incubators. I'm just so bummed that I lost 6 so close to the end. (At least I know my candling skills are spot on at this point!!!!

)

And Happy Thanksgiving!! I do intend to enjoy the 11 that I do have but I hope to learn from this experience so I can try to prevent it in the future.

 

[stoopid]

I'm sorry about the hatch. I think that is why we sometimes go overboard on the whole eggy thing.
To be sure we get more. And more.

 

[gilavina]

Ok....I just HAVE to share for any caramel lovers out there....if you've tried making caramel, I think its safe to say its a crap shoot if you can get it to turn out. I have the BEST and SIMPLEST way to make it you will ever find!! I'm in LOVE!

Buy a can of sweetened condensed milk, take the label off, put the whole can unopened into a crockpot fill crock pot with water to completely submerge can and put on low and let cook for 8 hours. Then let cool at room temp for a couple of hours. Thats IT! It is seriously some of the best caramel I've ever had! Set the can in last night at 11:30 and took out this morning at 7:30, let it cool for a while and just now opened the can...amazing!

 

[flgardengirl]

We can probably not ever really know why some just quit. I have read that it usually is due to lack of oxygenation but who knows? I have had some that quit late and I really thought I had enough air going through the bator.

 

[gilavina]

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Awww Barb! I'm sorry! I've been in that boat too...its almost harder sometimes for me to check the eggs that didn't hatch...I've found too many like that from shipped eggs. I think its due to humidity..I still haven't perfected it yet, and I remember reading somewhere that higher humidities make the chicks a bit bigger in the shell and sometimes makes it hard for them to maneuver...I'm not sure, but it sounds like it might be plausible? I'm still thrilled with the ones you got! Especially after all that travel!