Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[desertmarcy]

Hmmm, all of my roos are gangsters when it comes to breeding, even the Silkies! I think it's just the nature of the beast. What would she have them do, take the girls out for dinner and a movie first??

Sheesh...

Well she read a book, for the life of me I cannot remember the name of it, even though she lent it to me and I read it

in which the author describes the mating dance of the rooster and claims through selective breeding we humans have created rapist roosters....It is quite a popular book, maybe someone else knows which one I'm talking about, it has a lot of animal behavior in it. She (the author) was no expert by any means--in one chapter she mentions white birds only lay white eggs

 

[desertmarcy]

On the other hand, the middle toe feathering would be a DQ, I believe? Maybe some show folks will chime in here for you, or better yet....Hey Waaaaallllltttt!!!!!

Hey I'm not Walt, but we discussed this earlier since I am getting many chicks with middle toe feathering and I was told it is a fault, not a DQ.

 

[desertmarcy]

Evenin'

Building is going well...didn't get as much done as I would have liked. Always seems like other things come up and get in the way. I'll be working a short shift tomorrow morning tho, so will hopefully get the rest of the framing done. I have the legs, and the base frame for the pen finished...so to me that's the hard part. Its plenty tall off the ground, but I like it so much better than having to stoop down for everything. Depending on how far I get tomorrow I might have pics of the progress. I'll definitely get a pic of it when I'm finished and its all painted up and etc. Its shocking how much time it takes sorting through the wood up in the haymount to find pieces that will work to cut down. I'm beat tonight.

Good news is that I have the materials to make an exact replica of the one I'm making now and when I'm not growing out chicks I can use them as individual test mating pens or have small flocks of bantams in them with plenty of room.

You are so lucky. If I tried to make anything out of wood here, unless it is TimberSIL or good termite treated wood--it will be eaten by termites. Termites are a horrible problem here. Wish there was a TimberSIL dealer in AZ--closest is in CA--that stuff is expensive but the termites won't touch it. Do a search if you aren't familiar with it--it is southern yellow pine infused with liquid glass--the termites just don't recognize it as edible. I have tested it...

 

[gilavina]

You are so lucky. If I tried to make anything out of wood here, unless it is TimberSIL or good termite treated wood--it will be eaten by termites. Termites are a horrible problem here. Wish there was a TimberSIL dealer in AZ--closest is in CA--that stuff is expensive but the termites won't touch it. Do a search if you aren't familiar with it--it is southern yellow pine infused with liquid glass--the termites just don't recognize it as edible. I have tested it...

That's totally crazy! I never thought of the fact that some people might have a rough go of using wood for that reason. wow! What do you use for your pens then? That TimberSIL stuff? I'd never heard of that either.

I think I'd go nuts if I couldn't just wake up one day and decide to work on a project. I love working with wood. Well...except today, because its raining right now.

 

[desertmarcy]

That's totally crazy! I never thought of the fact that some people might have a rough go of using wood for that reason. wow! What do you use for your pens then? That TimberSIL stuff? I'd never heard of that either.

I think I'd go nuts if I couldn't just wake up one day and decide to work on a project. I love working with wood. Well...except today, because its raining right now.

No, didn't use TimberSIL for the poultry house, but did use it for a small greenhouse frame. I had some scraps of TimberSIL left over, they were in a pile in the greenhouse (dirt floor), the pocket mice got in and semi-buried the pile and it was that way for months and months. I was so busy with poultry, the greenhouse kinda got neglected, went in one day and discovered the termites had tracked up two concrete blocks set on end, that is 32" I believe, that are holding up a large plywood table top to get at the table top, which was painted! And in 3 different places, 3 different sets of blocks, they tracked up with their little mud tubes and got into my plywood table top. At this same time, I unearthed the pile of TimberSIL and it was completely untouched by the termites!! So I am a believer....

Back to the what I use--I used treated lumber for the framing that is in contact with the ground, treated plywood for the inner walls of the hallway which only extend up 4' then it is wire, and regular pine 2X4s higher up. And hopefully the chickens scratching around will find and eat any termites that dare to go in there. Also, our climate is so mild in the winter, they don't need a fully enclosed barn or house like most people put up in colder climates, so they basically have chainlink fence runs, a portion of which is under roof so they can seek refuge from rain (whatever that is

) and wind. So the majority of it is metal.

 

[desertmarcy]

I went through all the pullets a few days ago and banded the ones I want to keep to watch with numbered bands and made notes. Then I banded all the ones to sell. I ended up with 13 to watch and 19 to sell. I think there are still a few "watch" to move to the "sell" list. Here are some of the ones with better copper hackles, one of the big things I am trying to improve in my stock. Is this about the right amount of copper? These girls are 2-3 months old. The ones that look like this are few and far between, most have not enough, are solid black, or are mossy.





And out of seven blues, only 2 are showing any copper. Same age range. Here is the best one:




Then I've got 6 pullets in the 6-8 week old range that are already showing some copper and don't look mossy, or have only 1 or 2 mossy feathers. Trying to decide if I should keep or sell these. If they are getting some nice color already, will they get more? It is a dilemma, I've worked so hard and spent so much money on feed trying to improve on what I have....I hate to sell anything decent at this point, but pen space is an issue and the feed costs (organic!) are killing me. Butchered 4 more cockerels yesterday...down now to about 25 Black Coppers and 5 Blues....good grief, the freezers are nearing capacity.

 

[DMRippy]

Donna, your boy is doing great! We named him Nash and we named Terry's Knox. Both boys are getting along fine. We put them together yesterday. By tonight he will be out in the yard with the others. I got a broody again Buffy my BO. She was a great mom. I been collecting green eggs for her. We are moving her over to the hutch. Not sharing a nest box with the other girls makes life better for her. We are moving the 3-4 week old babies in the room next to her. The 10 x 20 pen will be the baby pen. I will not be feeding the hawk anymore of my babies. No one leaves that pen till they are 4 months old.
I'll post pictures after my Canon recharges once I find the charger.

You are as creative as I am, Jumbo, Med and Little lavenders.... that is there names.....Funny.... I don't do name very well. We had cats, never again as I am DEATHLY allergic, named Boy cat and Girl Cat, or Kittygirl and Kittyboy....

 

[Cadeau]

haha Debbi- you made me laugh with your honking chicken, etc.

My girl (?) is sure confused right now - I think so is her roo!

 

[DMRippy]

Ok pink this is for your.... I am pretty sure this guy and his twin sister are from you light roo. He is one of my Olive Egger Keeper Roos. The black guy is the one I am favoring today.... I just love his looks... he really looks like and Ameraucana but has the BEST leg feathering on his legs. Not really sure where he came from.... but I like! The blue roo is the one I am showing you... so ignore the WL and the blue rock and the other black Olive Egger roo.





He didn't like having his picture taken.

 

[gilavina]

So when is the pick up day for your breeder pens? I can't wait to see what you will have to work with. I'm so excited about the pens I'm building as well, to be able to use them as test mating pens after the chicks outgrow them. They are about 4' x 6'....just a bit more...so plenty of space for a pair at a time. There are a few matings I'm particularly interested in getting chicks out of, but have to wait to hatch til things settle down and I get some more birds thinned out.

Will be going tuesday again with quite a few birds (selling out of a couple of breed varieties) and can't wait to tighten up the ship.

And latest word is that it sounds like my dad will be in the rehabilitation hospital getting treatments thru most of June and that he is not out of the woods yet as they are still struggling with some with infection and etc.