Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Sorry Vicki and Lotsa.

This weather has been rough all over the place! I used to live in Hesperia, CA, so I can relate to those temps! At least you don't have to contend with much humidity.

Just ate my first ripe tomato!! Pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil, yum!!

 

[Wynette]

Hey, Christie Rhae - congrats on processing some extra cockerels (once again, I'm playing catch-up). It's tough, to be sure. But, so much more humane than just letting them loose, where they can become predator food...I always worry about them not actually being killed by a pred, but being injured and badly hurt, and then suffering a slow, painful death.

My DH is the same as yours...he's about as masculine as they come, yet is very soft when it comes to critters. I guess it's one of the things I love most about him, he's so darn tender-hearted. But, it sure would come in handy if he could dispatch extras for me! Anyway, just wanted to tell you - GOOD ON YOU!

 

[Cadeau]

Still not caught up, but saw the baby goatie!! Oh My GOODNESS!! How very precious!

Rough day today, even though I worked my butt off, and got together a half decent brooder pen/run in record time, it wasn't quick enough -found a dead chick in the coop. We moved Popcorn into her new space with a Leghorn cross and a few unhatched eggs, one zipped and one pipped ~both Marans. Not the best time for moving, but I don't want any more casualties.

Katelyn, I am in over my head with the piggies. The feeder we have is not right, now that they are bigger they knock it over. DH bungee'd it to the side of the pen and wouldn't you know, one of the pigs got the hook to one of the bungee cords stuck THROUGH her cheek! I mean, Come On! DS came running in freaking out. She was attached to the cord and ripping her cheek, bleeding everywhere (like a stuck pig?)

I did take a few moments sitting in the coop, watching Popcorn with her baby and marveling at life.

Sorry about your chick casualty - hopefully, all the others are doing great in their new house!

As for the pigs - they're piggy eaters - here's the secret - mix it with water!
Even if they knock over the feeder (can use a rubber horse pan, too), they'll eat it off the ground, out of the mud, etc.
They're PIGS!

Hoping your stuck pig is doing okay - how scary!
only 3 weeks until the fair!!
Think your pigs will make weight??

 

[Cadeau]

Well it was 109 today and my Mr Splish gave it up and went over the rainbow bridge so I lost my Splash rooster and I won't get to cross his daughters back but I have 6 or 7 of his sons all full brothers and I'll gather up all the eggs for the next 3 weeks or so hopefully when it cools down I can put the best son in the pen. Bad thing thing is it's supposed to be 115 tomorrow and I already lost my Wheaten rooster last time it was 113 I have 2 of those left a blue and an over melanized one with too much white in his wings but oh well I hope they make it. I just have to remember the ones left are the tough ones......

that must be so hard...can't control the weather

 

[Debbi]

Sorry about your chick casualty - hopefully, all the others are doing great in their new house!

As for the pigs - they're piggy eaters - here's the secret - mix it with water!
Even if they knock over the feeder (can use a rubber horse pan, too), they'll eat it off the ground, out of the mud, etc.
They're PIGS!

Hoping your stuck pig is doing okay - how scary!
only 3 weeks until the fair!!
Think your pigs will make weight??

Fortex rubber tubs for pigs!! Anything else, they will tear to shreds; or in your case get torn to shreds. Gees, pigs can always find a way to make trouble! At least with the Fortex, it's hard to chew or split, and the pigs love to toss the huge tubs in the air when they are done eating, so it gives them something to do. I haven't had any pigs now for about 16 years, but I still have the tubs!

 

[pinkchick]

OMGosh! BYC let me log in this morning!!!!!!! Whoop! Whoop! Finally!

Lotsa~ Sorry to read of Mr. Spish! He was a nice boy. Glad that you have some offspring from him and some brothers.

Vicki~ Sorry about the chick! Glad Rod is sending you some more eggs later on, he truly is a great guy. Maybe we can be hatch buddies again. I am getting more eggs from him in a couple months too as the weather clears.

The Birchens here are doing good under their new mommy. So glad that Darryl likes to be broody. Will try to get some photos of her with them today. I hope she decides to get up off the nest and take them outside for a spell. Geesh, she just sits and sits and screams at them if they near the door of the crate that she is in with them. "Gee, Mom all we want to do is go out and play and see what everyone else is up to!"


Blarney~ Thank you! Little Baby Jane is growing like a weed. Yesterday she had her first photo shoot with my Mom and my daughter, who were seeing her for the first time. They were totally gaga with her.


Debbi~ Very jealous that you got your first tomato already I bet it was delicious! Mine are just starting to produce a few little yellow flowers.
I have been eating all the snap peas that are ready. I love peas right off the vine. Been busy still picking the ever-bearing strawberries and the newly ripe huckleberries, raspberries and blueberries. Waiting on the Salmon berries to ripen, YUMMY!. Salmon berries are wild all over our property along with the blackberries and Oregon Grape, will have tons of jams and jellies this year.

What's Olivia up to?
I currently have 3 broodies. I gave 2 of them chicks, Darryl (my Splash girl) and my Welsummer hen. The other broody, #96, one of the moms to your girls and one of your boys that you had from me, is broody now too.
For cryin' out loud I can see it coming, I know that it is contagious and they are all going to start going one by one now. LOL!


Cad~ Can't wait to see more photos of him.


Christie Rhae~ GOOD JOB!!!!!!! I can't do the actual deed (unless some unruly young hormonal male decides to get froggy) but I can help with all the processing. You go girl!

 

[Debbi]

Well there you are! Olivia gave up the broody idea again, she does not want to stay in the run. But I have an older hen in there now that was sitting for 3 days in an unfavorite nestbox. This morning I checked her to make sure she was ok, and that she was at least sitting on something? Ya, one stupid egg!

Too hot for this stuff, so I stole her egg and shooed her off the nest. The darned Silkies are trying to go broody again too, but seems they have more sense than to sit in a hot coop, so they are doing it part time. I see a cat egg feast coming tonight! Too many birds already, and not enough room!

 

[allmychickens]

just got my first marans ! so exited.
2 week old french black coppers!

 

[Cadeau]

just got my first marans ! so exited.
2 week old french black coppers!

and Marans!

 

[allmychickens]

just got my first marans ! so exited.
2 week old french black coppers!

ill post pics as soon as I can