Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Christie Rhae]

I just posted a question on the ameraucana thread. It seems like it kinda goes along with the last few posts.
What do you do with all these batches of chicks? So far I have kept each hatch (or groups of hatches no more than a week apart) housed together waiting for them to grow up. Right now I have 4 pens of chicks at different ages from 5 months old on down. Now I just hatched a little batch of marans so am gonna need another grow up pen. I have day old chicks arriving sometime in the next month or so...so another grow up pen. I obviously cannot house them together. Do people have lots of grow up pens all over the place while they wait for chicks to get big enough to be culled or kept? I am just trying to figure out if there is an easier way that has just not occurred to me yet. They way I figure it I cannot put my young birds with the older ones till they are close to a year old? What does everyone else do?

 

[CayuseRanch]

Happy New Year everyone! So I have been lurking for a few days in between family stuff and I am jealous of all the dark maran eggs I see. I was wondering if anyone here would be willing to sell me some of their eggs? I am in Oklahoma, never done shipped eggs before, but I would think you would need to be somewhat near here. Not really a breeder, more of a hobbyist, but would really like some dark eggs. Please PM me if you do.

 

[3riverschick]

3riverschick]Hi,
It is difficult on this thread to see if the discussion is about the lady on Craigslist offering eggs or about Brenda Little.
===================================
Just wanted to take a moment here and say that I have never heard anything negative at all about Brenda Little and her birds. I think she has done a great job and her birds are lovely!
Bethel Farms also has some very very nice birds and stock and also doing a great job with the birds.....I would love to have some Blue Coppers from her someday!

======
Hi,
I know you weren't negative. I was addressing the confusing array in which the thread was progressing. Hard to tell who was saying what about whom. This is a nice thread and I know no one was speaking ill. The thread jsut got a little convoluted there for a while. , smile.
Happy New year,
Karen

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
x2 I am going to try to remember how to make spreadsheets again.... it has been years since I made/modified the more complex one... Oh I hope I can find some help for those chart and calculations

I need a page for egg production by pen
Egg sales, Hatching eggs, chicks chickens
Matings and banding info
feed costs/Chicken/egg purchases (expenses)
oh might as well have one for hatching rates by breed/pen too all in I guess..... did I miss something? No not start up costs.... that would crash the computer and cause my husband to have a heart attach when he does the taxes

 

[3riverschick]

The Black Copper Marans is technically a brown-red, right? Does it have flames in the hackle?
Is it considered a "penciled breed? if, not penciled, does it have penciling anywhere on it?
If so, how much contrast is there in any penciling with the ground color of the bird in male or female?
Thanks so much,
Karen

 

[JazminesZoo]

I guess you all are being polite, & I do not have any chick worth keeping??

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
sorry, i had missed your post i was in a flurry of Pms, off site emails and reminscing thru old photos of my stock.... i might be a tad ADD tonight

 

[3riverschick]

Quote:
----
So many folks asking about their birds. where did you ask? ( I am embarrassed to say)
Thanks,
Karen

 

[Cadeau]

Hi Karen!
Mine are from Saturday afternoon 3 posts in a row with pullets in the first 2 and a cockerel I need opinions on in the third!
Easier to find the day than try to find a number, but it will be a huge hunk of photos bc 2orhers posted their birds, too!
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated (and,yes,he does have a tail! Or a tailbone-it's just naked right now!
Thanks!
~K

 

[Zanna]

Quote:
I have a fairly large tractor type main layer coop. I have it set up inside with heavy bird netting so the back corner can be partitioned off. Whenever I have a new batch of chicks, usually 4-6 weeks old when they are completely feathered and have been off the heat lamp in the brooder for a week I move them outside into the main coop. I leave them separated in the corner for 2 - 3 weeks, long enough that if they are going to get cocci, it usually shows up by then and I will be able to treat. When that period is over, I open a small hole in the netting so that they can come out if they like but also run back in and the bigger birds can not follow through the hole. It usually takes about another week or two and they are co-mingling fine, then I open the back corner up fully. My main flock free-ranges all daylight hours so I think that also helps with less confrontations. When the babies venture out of their corner there are usually not too many other adult birds in the coop. Usually takes another week, then the babies venture out to free range as well. Right now, I have many generations of birds all in the coop together ranging from 9 week olds to 3 year olds. I am constantly incorporating new babies and all the chickens seem pretty used to it. This is my method and it has worked well for me. Never had a roo or hen harm a youngster, they may give one a pretty hard peck at times but the babies learn the pecking order pretty quickly and stay out of the way of the biggies