Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[stoopid]

Slick, earlier this year, Bev referred me to a gal that had her line, do you remember if her name is Phyllis?
I have mentally tallied all the prices on hatching eggs, shipping, and failures, and am wondering if $10. a chick is a deal. YES.
I think I will contact her.

 

[slick4591]

No, her name is Jenny and if remember correctly she is in Virginia. Since I don't have an incubator I needed live chicks. All the problems I've read about with shipped eggs kept me away buying an incubator and going that route. Live chicks with the shipping costs were more expensive, but I really felt like this route was the best for me while just starting out.

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I should have been more clear I guess about the bands.....I don't use the little tiny one for chicks, but the large plastic numbered bandettes for large fowl, I use #9's for pullets and identifying cockerels, only until a certain age....because they don't fit anymore and I generally don't grow out too many cockerels past that and if need be I have a #11 size for the big boys. Oh and I am not talking about the little spiral ones for chicks and such....I hate those. Hate them. They are horrible.

very much agreed....the hard plastic spirals suck! I do use the vet wrap you suggested...for some of my birds. believe it or not, I CANNOT keep it on the bantam wyandottes...they will not leave it alone...they pick and pick and pick until they get it off. its pretty funny to watch them tho...they will jump about and scurry around like they hope it will fall off. Pretty funny. So I use the flat rolly plastic bands for them...they work really well and last for a long while since their little legs are like toothpicks haha

evenin by the way

Haha I tried vet wrap (aka curlex or just cling gauze in the Medical field but much cheaper if you buy it as vet wrap lol) on some Marans and Key West chicks and the little terds would pull each other's off or one or two of them would grab the end and drag one chick around. It was a riot.
I like the soft little jelly/latex type closed bands for chicks or the zip ties. You do have to watch them though to make sure they don't outgrow them. I guess they all have thier drawbacks. A friend of mine gave me a bunch of assorted latex bands so that's convenient for me to use plus they are easy to snip off with a small pair of scissors.

I think $10 a chick is not a bad deal IF they are good chicks. By the time you buy eggs, pay shipping on eggs, incubate eggs, lose some eggs/ or chicks, you might as well just buy the chicks. One drawback is, sometimes those waiting lists can be lengthy. I think if I was starting over with Marans I might buy good chicks or even adult birds if I could find any vs doing the hatching thing.
I would still want to see the persons stock and what kind of eggs the stock has been laying even though they had a good referral source.

 

[slick4591]

I never thought of being able to see the lady's breeding stock and (at that time) if I had I probably wouldn't have known much of anything anyway. My thinking was Ms. Davis wouldn't have sent me to her unless the breeder represented her (Davis) well.

There was also a $45.00 shipping charge on top of the per chick price.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
I ABSOLUTELY am NOT HATCHING right now! These were old photos from earlier this year. LOL

I have actually postponed my next hatching date to February.
DH is working on my LAST coop this week.
I have two more brooders to build and a free range area to finish fencing in.
I, also, want to install some auto waterers.

I am NOT setting any more eggs until this work is done! This year has been crazy hard trying to hatch and build as I go. NEXT year, I want to be able to set back and hatch and enjoy my babies. I want TIME to do the photo studies that I did earlier this year on the marans. I learned so much about my flock while doing that photo study. I want to do the same thing in the new year with my SS and delawares. Plus, I will be hatching some F2's this year and I want to be able to compare their growth to the F1's that I did the photo study on.

It is MAJOR work and MAJOR time to do the photo studies, but Ooooh so worth it!

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
I should have been more clear I guess about the bands.....I don't use the little tiny one for chicks, but the large plastic numbered bandettes for large fowl, I use #9's for pullets and identifying cockerels, only until a certain age....because they don't fit anymore and I generally don't grow out too many cockerels past that and if need be I have a #11 size for the big boys. Oh and I am not talking about the little spiral ones for chicks and such....I hate those. Hate them. They are horrible.

very much agreed....the hard plastic spirals suck! I do use the vet wrap you suggested...for some of my birds. believe it or not, I CANNOT keep it on the bantam wyandottes...they will not leave it alone...they pick and pick and pick until they get it off. its pretty funny to watch them tho...they will jump about and scurry around like they hope it will fall off. Pretty funny. So I use the flat rolly plastic bands for them...they work really well and last for a long while since their little legs are like toothpicks haha

evenin by the way

Ha! That sounds like the Silkie chick I had to brace for splayed legs. She would flop over on her back, and try to peck and tear it off! Then get up and hop around like crazy, bumping into chicks and the sides of the brooder. After about 5 minutes she calmed down a bit, but everytime she went to take a step, she would first try to tear it off. She did manage to get 2 of them off until I really smushed the last one together really tightly. The brace did the trick too (thanks Pink!), she is normal today, for a Silkie! Silly birds...

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Good to know. These are "Bandette" brand and the box says size 11. Think I got them from Cutler Supply. No point in banding anyone at this time, as I don't intend on keeping many of them.

I should have been more clear I guess about the bands.....I don't use the little tiny one for chicks, but the large plastic numbered bandettes for large fowl, I use #9's for pullets and identifying cockerels, only until a certain age....because they don't fit anymore and I generally don't grow out too many cockerels past that and if need be I have a #11 size for the big boys. Oh and I am not talking about the little spiral ones for chicks and such....I hate those. Hate them. They are horrible.

Yes, me too. Still had to use 11s for the girls and 12s for the boys. Some broke off, and then I'd find others that looked like they pecked them off. A couple I had to take off as they had outgrown it. Those spirals will never be used here again!

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I ABSOLUTELY am NOT HATCHING right now! These were old photos from earlier this year. LOL

I have actually postponed my next hatching date to February.
DH is working on my LAST coop this week.
I have two more brooders to build and a free range area to finish fencing in.
I, also, want to install some auto waterers.

I am NOT setting any more eggs until this work is done! This year has been crazy hard trying to hatch and build as I go. NEXT year, I want to be able to set back and hatch and enjoy my babies. I want TIME to do the photo studies that I did earlier this year on the marans. I learned so much about my flock while doing that photo study. I want to do the same thing in the new year with my SS and delawares. Plus, I will be hatching some F2's this year and I want to be able to compare their growth to the F1's that I did the photo study on.

It is MAJOR work and MAJOR time to do the photo studies, but Ooooh so worth it!

I am in the same boat hatching and building. Our breeder coops are just about done except the roofing and paint. I am thinking of building one more thing....one of those tall multi-level brooders like someone on here posted. I think that would just about do it. I could put it either in the metal outbuilding that has electricity or in the summer just pull it out under the metal carport roofing portion. I had a nice extra rabbit hutch that I started using for a brooder and I have 3 key west juvies in now but I really want to use it for rabbits again LOL.

I have started using the Excel program for keeping track of my breeding programs with chickens and plants.

 

[slick4591]

I just went to my local hardware store and bought some colored plastic cable ties. Seems like I paid five bucks for a 150 and they have been great. Birds messed with them for a few minutes and then left them alone. It was funny seeing them pecking each others tie I as set them on the ground after finishing.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
That would be Phyllis Eide and she lives here in Washington State....I got my original birds from her.

I have been trying to get in touch with her since last year when Bev stated that she wasn't going to be selling eggs and chicks anymore, she was the first person I tried to contact, but I have yet to hear back from her.