Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

The MAMA's have the gypsy face too and they are maybe about a year old now IDK really, but close to that. See we all learned something didn't we? This is the first I heard about this being a BAD thing. I knew I didn't like the LOOK.

The pullet I originally mentioned is about 3 months.

Got any pics??

 

[gilavina]

IF you are likely to be bitten, perhaps you would want to wear a bracelet with your allergies.

I'm somewhat allergic to horses and chickens. I try to manage it. I'm off the flonase for the summer, my skin gets thin. Like I can run a farm with thin skin. LOL Eyes get very itchy--loratadine to the rescue. Funny how I can eat chicken and not have an issue but the dander seems to be the problem.

Amen to Loratadine...its saved me since I moved back to NE. Luckily I can buy the generic for 99 cents for a 10 pack....otherwise it'd get pretty expensive quick with how bad it is in the summer haha

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: They did a skin test.... all the little pricks thing. Out of all the pricks there were only 3 things I was NOT allergic to. The dog got as big as a half dollar. The cat about the same...... The HORSE got to the size of a BAKED POTATO. They had to give me prescription cream to get the swelling down. Stayed for a WEEK and was very sore even with ice. I don't think they gave me shots for horse though.

I have actually thought about that.... you never know. There are 4 poisonous snakes native to TN copperheads would be the most common. Water moccasins would maybe be next. The 2 rattle snakes would be rare here, but they are here.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
I will see what I can do. It may be over the weekend though. I still have LOTS of moving to make room for the new babies hatching this week..... EVERYBODY gets moved for the new babies LOL...... it is just time to rotate everyone.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I used nasal sprays, every kind of allergy med and the ONLY thing that HELPED was the shots. I still have to take generic Claritin and Zertek (1 year supply at Costco for $20? each ) With both I don't really have a problem. It does take BOTH to keep it controlled. Chickens don't bother me YET.... but I do try to were a mask when cleaning anything chicken related.

 

[Debbi]

That sounds terrible! As far as allergies go here, if I eat a smooth skinned avacado, or a cantalope, I get bumps and minor swelling on the inside of my mouth. Every once in awhile, if I am in heavy red clover, like mowing or raking hay, I get congested, but only with red clover. That's the only things I can think of that I've ever had a reaction to, oh, and Alleve! That would break me out in hives, all over my body, and I mean ALL OVER, the size of silver dollars! Guess I lucked out in that department. Now, if the arthritis would go away, and I could rebuild my joints, I'd be good to go! Oh yeah, about the snakes! Don't discount the rarity of the Pygmy or Timber rattlers, I shot a Pygmy here in my front yard some years ago!

 

[DMRippy]

That sounds terrible! As far as allergies go here, if I eat a smooth skinned avacado, or a cantalope, I get bumps and minor swelling on the inside of my mouth. Every once in awhile, if I am in heavy red clover, like mowing or raking hay, I get congested, but only with red clover. That's the only things I can think of that I've ever had a reaction to, oh, and Alleve! That would break me out in hives, all over my body, and I mean ALL OVER, the size of silver dollars! Guess I lucked out in that department. Now, if the arthritis would go away, and I could rebuild my joints, I'd be good to go! Oh yeah, about the snakes! Don't discount the rarity of the Pygmy or Timber rattlers, I shot a Pygmy here in my front yard some years ago!

I know they are here. We have been told they are all over our place..... never seen one. One lady was on the news about being trapped in her house by rattle snakes. No body would help her. I would have had a fix ...SSS.

Hydrocodone.... very allergic to that too.

 

[Cadeau]

I'd guess as long as you are consistent and mindful in your matings....selecting matings with those darker birds on ones that are correctly colored and it will get you a long ways. You'll still have to decide whether or not to cull the offspring that remain darker in the matings. I would think those decisions will come from the attributes of the bird outweighs the color on their face and etc.

huh...so...did you guys decide if "gypsy" means just dark skin around the face and comb or if it means they will be overmelanized in their feathers, too - ?? -

I have a couple...literally 2 or 3 youngsters...I wasn't sure where it was coming from or what it meant!

 

[DMRippy]

Cad.... did you see?????? I was told I have a splash wheaten AM roo!!!!! That means my breeder roo is BLUE!

Not convinced yet though.... I don't think I have a blue yet from the reg wheaten pullets. Should be 50/50 if he is. I will have to check them ALL when I move them. I figured out what you were talking about on the neck feathers. They are laced like a SLW and the color is in the middle on the roos and not the pullets.... YES?

 

[Cadeau]

Holy cow!! Any thoughts I ever had about moving back to the east coast just went out the window! What kind of dog is it with rear dew claws?? Don't you cut them off at birth? I used to remove the front dew claws on my Dobe pups right after they were born, or even at a day old. Snip, styptic, done, free.

He's a Border Collie!
I never saw hind dew claws before either...
But - he had to have them off b/c it would be very bad if he tore one off while working the animals in the rough....

We got him from an Amish farmer at 6 weeks old, so no options on removing them at birth!