Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[mkiora]

I have two BOs. "Honey" is my 3 year old's favorite because she lets him pick her up and carry her around in a most awkward and uncomfortable looking fashion. Poor girl. She's too sweet for her own good.

 

[mkiora]

Honey is the one nestled down in my hand in my profile picture. Her sister Pearl is the other chick, also a BO

 

[Cadeau]

Vicki - I'll separate them out tomorrow and see what I can see!

I've tried - I can only hold the bantams up that way.
With the bantams, they fit right in my hands and hang out - like in your pics...

With larger fowl, I don't know if my hands are too small or if it's my arthritis that I can't support them how they want to be supported, but they're. not. happy.
Most of mine are tame enough that they will just nest in the cup of my palm, though. (feet tucked under)

So....I guess my job tomorrow is to separate them out and then start picking up birds!


I tried tonight (without your directions) but I didn't make much progress - I tried feeling for bone structure in the breast and smoothing my hand over their topline....

...no insights....nada.....

Any topography tips that can get me started - ?? -

 

[Cadeau]

Debbi - Congrats on your cutie chicks!

 

[DMRippy]

Kim.... you want to see your baby? I am thinking pullet.... what say ye?





Lightly feathered leg.... not down the toe. My street sweeper Black Copper can fix that down the road.

Oh yeah.... here is the link to my BLRW's if anyone wants to offer color or gender opnions

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/466415/blue-laced-red-wyandotte-thread/720#post_9129034

 

[Blarneyeggs]

FlowerBH: your post totally cracked me up. Can't tell you how many times I've driven past an old shed and thought, 'ya know, they could stick some chickens in there'. When we've hatched, we keep all our pullets and we eat the meanie Roos. The pure bred Roos we take to auction.

Jenn1399: If your experience is anything like mine, you'd be shocked at how easily children accept that chickens are food. I never dreamed when we got our first little sweet package of fuzz balls in the mail that we would ever eat the ones that we raised, but people don't exactly beat down my door looking for all the extra roosters I've hatched, they've got to go somewhere... And if someone's going to eat them, might as well be us. They're soooo much more tasty than the crud at the supermarket, and I know they've been not only treated humanely, but absolutely coddled since day one.

 

[Hens and Roos]

We eat the extra cockerals that don't make the cut as far as what is needed for my kids 4-H projects. All 3 (youngest is 7 years old) of the kids understand this and are given the option to help or not with this part. My DD doesn't care for this part and will go do chores durning this time but will eat the chicken. My 2 boys will help and my oldest DS is interested in learning and seeing the inside. The pullets are easier to find other homes for but not so much for the cockerals/roosters. Around here maybe you'd get $5/ cockeral so it just makes since for us to use them ourselves. Good luck.

 

[SarniaTricia]

Jenn1399:
I thought my city raised step kids would be horrified about culling the roos and meat chickens.... (11 and 14 years old)
We still have to do it; but the 11yr old girl asks every weekend if we are going to kill the chickens this weekend and if she can help?
Kids suprise you. (I think it is us grown-ups with the hang-ups) They are much more flexibile and open to the idea of "Chubby" going to go on the BBQ than you would imagine.

Hatching is addictive. We did process in the fall last year, but took them to someone else to do. The kids ate those birds. (they kept asking if we were eating Billy or Henryetta...??)
Think of Hatching as fun and food preparation. (If you really can't do it, make sure you source out a family (or maybe the breeder you get the eggs from) that will take your roos before you start the hatching adventure. It will make your life easier.)

Good luck
Patricia

 

[Debbi]

When I used to raise sheep, I was worried about the kids being able to eat them. So, since everything here has to have a name, the lambs that were going to be eaten had names like: Joe Dinner, Lamb Chop, Stew, etc. The first time we sat down to a leg of lamb, I was very nervous for them. My then 4 year old Son says, "so Mom, is this Joe Dinner?" Yes, Joe has done his job well for us, are you going to try him? So he takes a bite, looks at me with huge eyes and says, "WOW! Joe Dinner is reeeeeallly tasty!"

And so it went for lambs, goats, pigs, and calves; they realized they had a job to do, and made the ultimate sacrafice for our benefit. Kids are a lot more rational than we give them credit for...

 

[SarniaTricia]

Donna
What colour is Kim's baby you are showing off there?...

I just ask cause some of the ones I got from you are almost solid black with a bit of a white bib... (I was thinking those were the Black/coppers) and some are like that chick, but with a bit more moulting look to the back and head... (I am thinking cuckoo)
I have 3 little silver I know are ameracauna. One is for sure, she had a heck of a time getting out of the shell... last one out of the incubator and still the littlest (probably will grow to be a monster sized roo)

The OEs I will just have to wait and see... like you said they look just like the rest of the Marans bunch...


I have been told... no more hatching... this year.... (I might be able to get him to agree to one more hatch if I cull hard in a month or so) It is so cute when He tries to get authoritative..

Thanks Donna
The eggs I got from you hatched great!
I was really trying for Cuckoos and I think I got 10 out of the 11 cuckoos hatch from the batch I got from you.
(from the 30 I got from you 3 blacks, one cuckoo, one blue and two OE did not hatch... not bad at all!!)