Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[pinkchick]

Hi everyone!
So I did cull my BCM boys.  Marans are very nice meaty birds!  These guys were huge.  
I have a funny story.  
My husband cannot handle killing the birds.  He is a softy.  So since this is my project I do the processing.  I got a new feather plucker that actually cut my time in half.  So I was home alone quietly going about processing these birds.  Alone with my thoughts.. and dead chickens.  While turning one of the birds to get it placed just right on my plucker the headless bird must have sucked some air into it's lungs and then when I turned the bird again it made a "squaaaaaakkkk...." sound.   Apparently the voice box was intact.  Well it scared the crap out of me!!  Alone, quite, dead birds...and one comes alive!!!   lol...I was cracking up at myself afterwards.  That noise made me come out of my skin!  


I soaked these birds in a salt and sugar brine.  Cured them and decided to cut them up for easier use.  Two I kept whole.  And into the freezer...



I ended up keeping one.  I also kept a blue cuckoo and a split for silver blue copper.  Just for fun.  Not sure if I am going to use them or not but just couldn't bring myself to cull all of them. 
I am still searching for really good BCM to get a start with.  I have a good lead.  But now I am wondering if I should just wait another year.  I have a huge laced blue ameraucana project that I plan to start next spring.   This was my first year hatching a lot of chicks.  I have tons of them growing out still and realized what a pain it is to find places to keep all these birds while they grow.  I have about 100 birds right now and they eat easily 2 bags of feed every week.  Feed costs 25.00 a bag here.  So $50.00 a week to feed these guys.  After I finish culling all my cockerels and selling pullets I should be down to 50 birds.  But this process of hatching, growing out, culling seems to be a year long process.  But if I get better marans soon then I would be that much more ahead...instead of waiting till next year...hmmmm
And... I am talking to myself.  lol

Great job Christie!! Good on you! Other than the squawk, how did you like your plucker? How big of a bird will it pluck? Is it just for chickens?

 

[pinkchick]

Hens~ I am very sad to read about your rooster. I'm so sorry.

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks Wynette! I sure hope it is Oxanna and wouldn't you know it....of course who ever laid it hasn't laid another yet.

 

[pinkchick]

CongratulationsClown!!!!






Bangarang~ Thanks. I'm not sure if it is a new layer or if it one of my older girls.

 

[pinkchick]

The 3 remaining Birchen pullets. The 4th pullet came up missing....can't find her anywhere and she has been gone for 3 days now.

Caught these photos yesterday while cleaning coops and runs. The Silver is coming in fast.....right outta nowhere I swear.

They turned 3 mos. old. yesterday.

This is my favorite pullet. Sorry for the fuzzed out photo.

Pullet 2

Pullet 3

 

[pinkchick]

Don~

Here is that Blue Copper male you liked....he is the one that has the stubs on middle toe.

How do you like him now? He is tooooooooo dark for me and is not showing one stitch of copper at approx. 8 mos.old. I believe I won't be using him as I think he will add to the darkness problem I already have.

Thoughts???

 

[pinkchick]

That Black Copper male I hatched on NYD. I got the eggs from the same lady I got Bill Sr, ..well here he is now. Has white tail feathers, white under the hackles coming in and a side sprig on his comb.

 

[SIMZ]

Oh I know it takes forever! I think that is why my husband won't kill them for me anymore. We watched videos on youtube but now looking back I realized that the video I used to show him how to slit the throats edited out the twitched and flapping part. So my husband slit the throat but the bird kept moving so he thought it was being tortured. And he had nightmares...lol. Poor guy. I tell him to go for a motorcycle ride with his big tough friends while I kill the chickens. ahahahahah!!!

Killing an animal is still a very new thing for me. I feel like I have to be able to do it if I am raising all these birds, but it is not easy. My pulse is racing every time. But I know my birds are raised well and fed good food. I know that they are not mistreated. Can you tell I am still trying to convince myself? lol. Just didn't grow up doing this kind of thing.

I hang them upside down with the head reaching just into the bucket. I wear heavy rubber gloves. I hold my hand over their eyes and tilt the beak away from the throat and then slit. I actually hold onto the bird until they stop flapping. I cannot look, I just put my head down and hold on till they stop. I feel like since I hatched this bird, fed it, cared for it, and have to kill it that I should keep my hands on it until it is gone. Sort of complete the whole process. Man it is weird to kill an animal.... just weird.

A lot of people I know think I am totally cracked. They think it is so gross and chicken in a grocery store is so much better and cleaner. I tell them not to be a hypocrite. I say "oh you don't eat chicken?"

Well stated!

 

[snowbird]

Don~
Here is that Blue Copper male you liked....he is the one that has the stubs on middle toe.
How do you like him now? He is tooooooooo dark for me and is not showing one stitch of copper at approx. 8 mos.old. I believe I won't be using him as I think he will add to the darkness problem I already have.
Thoughts???

Kim, I would test mate him with a nice female and see what happens. If you are raising to the SOP this male is just about what will do well in a show. The real light Blue Marans will not do well soon as the judge get used to judging them.

 

[heath_elisha]

Don~
Here is that Blue Copper male you liked....he is the one that has the stubs on middle toe.
How do you like him now? He is tooooooooo dark for me and is not showing one stitch of copper at approx. 8 mos.old. I believe I won't be using him as I think he will add to the darkness problem I already have.
Thoughts???

I'll take him!!!