Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Well, if nothing else you can grow them out for dinner. Sneaky broody girls!

Yes, I think I will take the blue cockerel and a white pullet with the other pullet. They may just decide they need them all! If not, there are usually other folks mingling around when I pull the cage out of the truck, trying to see what they are. I could've sold one pullet 3 times over the last time I went to meet someone. Had they been much later in meeting me, she would've been gone!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Give me a few days. I have plans through Tuesday. Tomorrow the Fair, Saturday hubby and son are putting an engine in a car, Sunday..... getting ready for Monday. Monday I am driving to KY to pick up more Foley Wyandottes.

busy weekend.

no problem

just have a little fun..... I know how it goes when things get super busy around here!!

 

[Debbi]

The last really hot day we had, my friend had stopped by, and we were sitting on the deck watching the chooks in the yard. It was probably around 95*, and I heard my hen Flossy, giving off her, "I'm hot!!" honk. She was sitting under the deck and kept honking. My friend asks me, "I didn't think you liked ducks, what's wrong with that one??" I didn't catch the duck part, and just told her Flossy was complaining of the heat. More honking... "Don't you have a pool for her to cool off??" No, she hates the water, wouldn't use it if I did. "???? Duck that doesn't like water??" What duck? "The one under the deck quacking!" With that, I got up and called Flossy, "want to go in the run?" Out she comes just a running, honking her fool head off, and tears into the coop! "THAT'S A CHICKEN!" Yup. The only ducks I like have an orange glaze, What a zoo...

Flossy has made that noise all her life, even as a wee chick she had a funny cheep.

 

[gilavina]

I hear ya Debbi. That's what I'm thinkin too. Grow'em and see how they turn out and if they don't work, will have them for processing during the coldest months here. With the prices of everything, they will be worth it. I won't buy chicken from a store. That meat scares the crap out of me.

 

[Debbi]

Yes, the store meat scares me too. I haven't been eating much of any meat at all for about the last 6 months. Then there are the prices on it! Pork is going through the roof! Beef has been through the roof for the last year or so. Now the chickens are going up. I'm thinking next spring I will try my hand at some turkeys. Smaller breed, with fast gain, if there is such a thing? Maybe a cross? I love turkey meat, and I can get a week's worth of meals out of one 18# bird, and then there is SOUP!

 

[gilavina]

Yes, the store meat scares me too. I haven't been eating much of any meat at all for about the last 6 months. Then there are the prices on it! Pork is going through the roof! Beef has been through the roof for the last year or so. Now the chickens are going up. I'm thinking next spring I will try my hand at some turkeys. Smaller breed, with fast gain, if there is such a thing? Maybe a cross? I love turkey meat, and I can get a week's worth of meals out of one 18# bird, and then there is SOUP!

might want to look into midget whites for turkeys. I've never raised turkeys, but know they are smaller and maybe could check out the growth rate to see how they might do for ya. I am still on the hunt for some land, not even necessarily to buy at this point, but just some extra land not good enough for farming. I know a few people and am thinking on starting to ask around, to be able to run some other kinds of animals, since I have limitations where I'm at now due to size of land.

 

[Debbi]

Yes, I've seen the Midget Whites, and also the Beltsville Whites? I think that was the name. They were small and supposedly used in production. Those were the ones that could do the Parthogenesis deal, although the gal whose eggs I was looking at actually had a tom so they bred. For some reason, I don't think I'd have as hard a time killing a turkey like I do my chooks. They would just be here for meat from the get-go. I hope...

 

[Debbi]

As for the land, check around some of the Amish communities. You can get good land with good buildings at fair prices! At least here any way. That said, if you want electricity, check with the power company FIRST, to see how much it would cost for them to run a line to the house. My friend bought a lovely Amish farm, then called the power company...big mistake! It is going to cost her $36,000.00 to get them to run a line to her house, and it is only 3/8 of a mile off the main line!!

She is now looking into solar panels, but I doubt that will be much, if any, cheaper.

 

[gilavina]

Yes, I've seen the Midget Whites, and also the Beltsville Whites? I think that was the name. They were small and supposedly used in production. Those were the ones that could do the Parthogenesis deal, although the gal whose eggs I was looking at actually had a tom so they bred. For some reason, I don't think I'd have as hard a time killing a turkey like I do my chooks. They would just be here for meat from the get-go. I hope...

haha...it takes time to get used to the idea that not all the birds will make it to breeding pens, and some will be dinner. Once I see a bird that won't make it to the pen, I still treat them as well as those I will keep, but don't let myself get attached to them and focus my attention towards those that will stay here for breeders.

 

[SarniaTricia]

The Grocery meat is a subject of discussion in my social group at least 2X a week.
I am still eating it, but hope to get us all off it soon... (next year or so)

I have two young female turkeys that seem to grow at the same rate as the chickens (adult in 22 weeks or so?)... I am told the flavour is a bit different from grocery birds... we will see. I may borrow a friend's tom to produce some hatching eggs, before we "try" them so I have replacements....

I have met some local folks this week that only eat the birds they raise... he uses scratch once a day and they free range the rest of the time.... hens do the hatching and raising and he replaces his head roo every couple of years...
Seems like a good GOAL to me...

The Marans should produce good "table roos" and between them and the turkey we can get a bit of diversity... we are getting a couple of goats this weekend we could breed for "table goats", but we need to see how we like them first. We are looking into smaller breed of pig too,, but that is next year's project.

Still need to figure out the compost and garden thing, but we have started with composting the chicken litter and we planted a garden this year... just mellons, salad stuff and some beans.... hoping to buy local organic (or just local if we can't find organic) tomatoes to can for sauce in the fall...apples, potatoes, squash, should store well downstairs.. seems like alot of work, but if we do one or two things a year, we will get there eventually...The grocery will eventually only be for salt, sugar, flour, milk and paper products.

Someone told me I am going backwards... I think I am going rightwards. Things just can't keep up like they are in the food industry... it isn't sustainable. Soon us Crazy Chicken People (and a small # of organic farmers) may be the only ones in north america with 'fresh/safe' food.... I am already being asked if I process and sell my extra "table roos"??

Thanks Patricia
(my rant & rave did include Marans, so I'm ok...right?)