Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Thanks Debbi!
A Sportsman will get a person in to trouble.............Sportsman = lots o' chicks!

 

[Christie Rhae]

Quote Thank you for the tip. I wondered about that. I kept checking the straw under the light to feel if it was getting hot. The chicks are right under the beam of the light so I guess it can't be that hot. Is there another bulb that would be safer to use outdoors?

I am thinking these chicks have k,kk and L feather genes. Kidding. Still lots of down at 4 weeks.

 

[ruth]

Christie - I looked at your pictures of your new coop and I'm so impressed. It's great. I may have to borrow your idea and plans for building a new one around here. I also love the idea of the little brooder box inside the coop where small ones can escape and feel safe.

I'm not sure if you said somewhere that it is a 250 watt bulb or if Debbie is just saying "if" but I totally agree with her. That's way too hot. Notice in the pic how none of them are laying directly under the light but off to the side. That's what I use as an indication. Whatever wattage it is, it is too hot or too close but if I'm using a heat lamp I never use a bulb over 100 - an that's regular household bulbs - those heat bulbs are even hotter (I use as low a wattage of those that I can find). As Debbi pointed out, they are a fire hazzard. The hay under it will dry out and start to smolder very quickly (I've had it happen here which is how I learned). I have an old thead on BYC called Journey Through a Different Way which orignally started with me posting about how I turn chicks loose at just a week or two old depending on temps with no heat or coop and how all the ages an sizes of different birds all get along here. At four weeks they are fine with night temps in 50s as long as they have that nice little place to cuddle under. If I were you, I'd just put a regular 65 watt household bulb in there and only turn it on at night for the next week or two so that they learn to come under there at night and it will provide the extra warmth they might enjoy.

Again, beautiful coop and I'll be watching to see how it turns out.

 

[flgardengirl]

Hey Debbie! I have a broody keywest hen who is sitting on 5 SILKIE eggs

I love when the broodies do all the work lol. I took out 11 kw eggs from under her last night and slipped in the silkie eggs and there is still some other kw eggs under there. I don't know how such a little hen can cover all those eggs but she does! They are almost as small as bantams. Its been so long since I had babies around here..I can't wait!

 

[Debbi]

Thank you for the tip. I wondered about that. I kept checking the straw under the light to feel if it was getting hot. The chicks are right under the beam of the light so I guess it can't be that hot. Is there another bulb that would be safer to use outdoors?

I am thinking these chicks have k,kk and L feather genes. Kidding. Still lots of down at 4 weeks.

Well, I brood in the house, actually a shop room that I can close off from the heat, and I use a 100watt bulb for the first 2-3 weeks, depending on how cold it gets in the room. The temps in the room can get down to 40*, but the temp under the light stay around 94-99*. The chicks never lie directly under the light, even from the start. I need to find a red 100 watt bulb online somewhere, I hate using the bright light for them to brood under, it does stress them. As soon as the light goes off, they all calm down. I used to use those red 250watt bulbs in my well house to keep it from freezing. The electric meter spun like a fan when I used it, and I also had several of them explode! I suppose it was from the humidity, but chicks put off humidity too, soooo... Don't mean to panic you, but just something you may want to watch. I've known others who never had a lick of problems with them.

 

[Debbi]

Hey Debbie! I have a broody keywest hen who is sitting on 5 SILKIE eggs

I love when the broodies do all the work lol. I took out 11 kw eggs from under her last night and slipped in the silkie eggs and there is still some other kw eggs under there. I don't know how such a little hen can cover all those eggs but she does! They are almost as small as bantams. Its been so long since I had babies around here..I can't wait!

Ooooo! I so wish I had at least one broody!! Here's a question for you, being as you also have Silkies. Do they tend to try to bury their eggs?? Could that be an indication that they want to start brooding, as in hiding them from me?? I find some every day in the nests under at least 2" of straw. I've never had a broody hen (not one that stayed in the coop any way), so I'm not sure what the clues may be. I've not seen any of them trying to set yet, but they are getting curious now when I pick up the eggs, and will go around to their 4 nesting spots to look for them. Any idea, or do I just have crazy(er) Silkies??

 

[kathyinmo]

Ooooo! I so wish I had at least one broody!! Here's a question for you, being as you also have Silkies. Do they tend to try to bury their eggs?? Could that be an indication that they want to start brooding, as in hiding them from me?? I find some every day in the nests under at least 2" of straw. I've never had a broody hen (not one that stayed in the coop any way), so I'm not sure what the clues may be. I've not seen any of them trying to set yet, but they are getting curious now when I pick up the eggs, and will go around to their 4 nesting spots to look for them. Any idea, or do I just have crazy(er) Silkies??

Mark my words, Miss Debbi..... you are gonna be sorry for saying that (wish for a broody).

No, they don't bury their eggs. Anyway, mine never did. All my Silkies have been great layers (except when they are broody, of course). Good luck with them!

 

[Debbi]

Thanks Kathy! Guess mine are just fitting in with the rest of the "crazies" around here!

They go out of their way to bury them with straw, and then lay more eggs on top of that. I collect eggs twice a day, and can always expect that "second layer" under the top one. They are putting my slacker Marans ladies to shame! ETA: Yes, I probably will eat my wish words come springtime!

 

[kathyinmo]

Thanks Kathy! Guess mine are just fitting in with the rest of the "crazies" around here!

They go out of their way to bury them with straw, and then lay more eggs on top of that. I collect eggs twice a day, and can always expect that "second layer" under the top one. They are putting my slacker Marans ladies to shame! ETA: Yes, I probably will eat my wish words come springtime!

I had so many dang broodies last spring...... I was in tears trying to fix them all up in nice broody apartments.

Then I came to my senses and broke every broody I had! 10 to a pen. Concrete floor, no nest, no bedding. I broke every one of those darn girls!

No more broodies, I sang...... No more broodies, PLEASE ! ! !

 

[flgardengirl]

I have never had my silkies bury eggs BUT last spring, the Key West hens were burying eggs in the corner of their coop because I kept taking them from the nest boxes. OMG those girls will do anything to hide their eggs. They are the broodiest things on earth! I had two chicks hatch that I didn't even know about.
I have two broody kw hens right now and just finally broke broody a buff orp, BCM, and Olive Egger. They are already starting up over here. Silly me buying that wine cooler for an incubator...what was I thinking?

LOL