Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

Oooo! On a Marans note; my Wheaten eggs go into lockdown tomorrow!!!!!

I can't wait to see little Wheaties!!!!!!!!!!

man! That time went reaaaally fast! Thanks for reminding me too...I gotta do some candling on eggs tonight for this next batch I've got cooking!

 

[Debbi]

That was my first instinct when I read Lenette's original post. I hate admitting it, but on and off throughout the years I've known lost of people that have had their farms robbed of top birds here in the midwest. In particular there is one guy we know that does it, but has never been actually caught in the act, hence the reason we have a big dog that's pretty intimidating for security and we are in close enough proximity to two houses that can see our pens and yard where I let birds out to roam that keep an eye on the place for me. For a while out in western NE there were people killing off cattle in fields and would bring enough guys to get them up and over a fence into a pickup....talk about premeditated. Also, not long ago there was an article in the paper about how semis hauling cattle are hiring armed guards when they are moving cattle to and from because there have been hold ups where entire rigs are stolen, same with pigs being stolen.

There you are! We've had cattle rustlers out here for years, but that seems to have calmed down now with survaillence cameras on the scenes. They would bring in stock trailers and load up the cattle on leased lands mostly, where there were no houses or close neighbors. Pretty darned brazen! A lot of the farmers out here will also put micro chips in some of the herd, and if they show up at an auction, well, it ain't pretty! There were a couple of rustlers that got caught in the act of selling one guy's cattle some years ago. Needless to say, before the law arrived, he had an accident. From what I heard, they beat the guy to a bloody pulp! Then he went to jail. People out here won't tolerate that crap!

 

[Debbi]

man! That time went reaaaally fast! Thanks for reminding me too...I gotta do some candling on eggs tonight for this next batch I've got cooking!

I know! Hardly had time to press my nose to the window! I'm sure I'll make up for that this weekend!! Keep your fingers crossed for me, those eggs are in a Little Giant! Sooo, what's in your next batch??

 

[DMRippy]

Oooo! On a Marans note; my Wheaten eggs go into lockdown tomorrow!!!!!

I can't wait to see little Wheaties!!!!!!!!!!

We are son the same hatching schedule yet again! LOL

 

[gilavina]

There you are! We've had cattle rustlers out here for years, but that seems to have calmed down now with survaillence cameras on the scenes. They would bring in stock trailers and load up the cattle on leased lands mostly, where there were no houses or close neighbors. Pretty darned brazen! A lot of the farmers out here will also put micro chips in some of the herd, and if they show up at an auction, well, it ain't pretty! There were a couple of rustlers that got caught in the act of selling one guy's cattle some years ago. Needless to say, before the law arrived, he had an accident. From what I heard, they beat the guy to a bloody pulp! Then he went to jail. People out here won't tolerate that crap!

yeah...things get bloody quick when it comes to animal thieves here too. I just don't really get stealing in general, maybe I'm out of a different cloth, but I just don't want what I didn't earn or build myself. I've always been that way. I just still am in shock every time I look at cattle prices lately...

 

[gilavina]

I know! Hardly had time to press my nose to the window! I'm sure I'll make up for that this weekend!! Keep your fingers crossed for me, those eggs are in a Little Giant! Sooo, what's in your next batch??

haha I expect updates on your hatch lady!! Did you just leave all your eggs in for lock down or did you candle and remove some? Just curious
In my next batch is some coronation sussex eggs...they haven't been fertile so far...I think the boy was not doing his job...he seems to fancy some of the girls in another pen by him....so I'm giving it another go to see.... this boy is just a beast and a half...he's bigger than my mini aussie by a long shot. I also have more eggs from the pen with my alternate BCM roo and my best black and blue coppers, some more birchens, and some from where Gigantor and Big Boy, and a few more cuckoos. I need to start collecting from some of my other pens here over the next week or two, but have been waiting for the girls to clear...so probably after this next batch will be b/b/s wyandottes from two pens, columbian large and bantam wyandottes, SLWs, silver penciled wyandottes, coronation, light, and lavender birchen sussex as well.

 

[gilavina]

Donna....did u wanna see a couple shots of my slw boys still? I am still waiting on getting some better young pullets from a lady I know, but do have three hens that are of ok background that I can get started with. I'll test mate them and see what I get while I'm waiting for the other girls. But my boys are just magnificent beasts!

 

[flgardengirl]

Yes, the two legged variety are the worst predators!! Who knows what they will come after next? I never let people come to my home when selling eggs or chicks, unless I know them. I meet them all in town in plain sight! Game Cams in the trees?? LOL! Hope you catch the turd!

I set the SG eggs just now, but won't get my hopes up too much. I let them rest overnight as some had loose air cells, one looked porous, and the rest looked ok from what I could see. I'll candle them on day 8 and see if anything is developing. I did write to the seller, and told her of the long, hard trip. She was so sorry, and offered me more eggs for the price of shipping if I don't see anything developing. I also told her about the hang-ups in the KC hub, and to make sure if she ships to the midwest in the future, that she ship them no later than Tuesday, with Monday being even better!! She was very cooperative, and grateful for the info. So, all is not lost. Who did you get your Paints from???? Bobbi? Bren?? I don't think I have the strength to deal with the Lavendars, I'm not impressed with the color too much, but the Paints I wouldn't mind having after awhile. You must show me some pics when they hatch!!! Good luck!

Most of my partridge and all my blues and splash, and my one little buff silkies came from eggs from Bobbi Porto. One of my partridges and the white roo came from another person on byc that I won't mention due to the major faults of both birds...lets just say those two are pets and not being bred LOL!
The paints and lavenders came from silkie_sue here on byc. That reminds me I need to candle them. I had an excellent shipping and buying experience with her. The photos of her birds look really good too so I have my fingers crossed She ships the priority boxes with a postal crate and that box does not move lol. Inside packaging is great too.

Vicki that is just crazy with the semi's getting jacked full of cattle. Wow

I don't really tell anyone around here what I have. Most of them wouldn't know the difference anyways. They say white chicken, or black chicken. One lady told me she has pure silkies and they have blue earlobes and lay a blue egg. I do most my selling at swaps or a neutral place. Last year dh did sell some car parts and people came over for those and some rabbits as well but they are in the front and you can't see the chicken pens from there except some free rangers who go to the front of the property. Our house sits @ 300 ft from the street. There is really only one way anyone could get onto our property without being severely maimed other than the driveway or going through one elderly neighbor's yard who is home all the time lol. That situation has been taken care of now.

I have been through this kind of thing before years ago with expensive plants being stolen. I swear, some people would take a piece of turd if they thought they could get some money for it. All that being said, don't discount people from forums putting 2 and 2 together and finding out where you live. With technology now days its not hard to do. I know several plant hybridizers who have had people steal from them who found them via forums. If you have a business thugs can find you, if you join a club people can find you, etc.
So best to use your best judgement in each situation and have the security measures in place and back it up.

 

[DMRippy]

Donna....did u wanna see a couple shots of my slw boys still? I am still waiting on getting some better young pullets from a lady I know, but do have three hens that are of ok background that I can get started with. I'll test mate them and see what I get while I'm waiting for the other girls. But my boys are just magnificent beasts!

Yes... send them to me!

 

[gilavina]

Yes... send them to me!

ok...I'll see what I can do for pics this week. I'm hoping to get quite a few update pics for my files now that things are sunny again! I was just trying to get a pic of one of my splash birchen cockerels, but he just has a mind of his own and was running off on his monster legs as fast as they would carry him...luckily he's pretty easy to catch. He's gonna be a giant! I'll have to try again for him too