Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[Solsken Farm]

Quote:
I was going to post about this issue on the yahoo group today. I hatched out some Cuckoos from a good breeder this summer. They were all pink legged. I sold them a month or so because some were clean legged. The person I sold them to sent me a pic of them and one or two of them developed yellow legs AFTER they left my farm! She got a great deal on birds, and was not upset, but to me it was so strange for them to turn.

Is your experience that they some are born yellow legged and it fades to pink?

Of course there are Barred Rocks sold as cuckoos, or introduced into lines, so I understand how yellow legs can happen, but it is mystifying that this chick/chicks started out pink and turned yellow after like 3 months.

 

[ruth]

Here are my two Black Copper Marans roos - hatched July 5th - bought from Black Copper King here on BYC.

One roo has a lot more copper coloring than the other.

All of my chickens free range and the Marans hit the gate running each morning and are the last to return to coop each night. They can often be seen in the pasture at far edge of property. They seem to be fearless. I have not attempted to tame them.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Beautiful cockerels, Ruth. I love roosters. I wish I could keep everyone. I haven't had a mean one yet. Glad yours are able to free range. Mine can when I am home. I am just terrified that one day a fox will find our happy little chicken farm.

 

[ninjapoodles]

I have seven cockerels, and I think that every one of them is gorgeous! I'm going to have a terrible time thinning their numbers.

 

[onthespot]

Ruth, both of those are great looking! I don't think the one with more copper has "too much" at all. I think they are both very nice!

 

[onthespot]

Quote:
not sure how thin you want to go on your roo flock, but one easy way to choose out the two first to go is just weigh them. There are bound to be a couple lightweights in the bunch, (i.e. not thrifty, not resistant to worms, not good converters of feed into meat/eggs) Just knowing they are costing you twice as much to raise should tick you off enough to cull them. The first is the hardest, I know. I have faith in you, you can do it!

 

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
not sure how thin you want to go on your roo flock, but one easy way to choose out the two first to go is just weigh them. There are bound to be a couple lightweights in the bunch, (i.e. not thrifty, not resistant to worms, not good converters of feed into meat/eggs) Just knowing they are costing you twice as much to raise should tick you off enough to cull them. The first is the hardest, I know. I have faith in you, you can do it!

Very good thinking. I'm sure I'll be posting a "Rooster Idol" show right here on this thread.

 

[tfpets]

Quote:
not sure how thin you want to go on your roo flock, but one easy way to choose out the two first to go is just weigh them. There are bound to be a couple lightweights in the bunch, (i.e. not thrifty, not resistant to worms, not good converters of feed into meat/eggs) Just knowing they are costing you twice as much to raise should tick you off enough to cull them. The first is the hardest, I know. I have faith in you, you can do it!

Very good thinking. I'm sure I'll be posting a "Rooster Idol" show right here on this thread.

Just as long as you tape yourself catching them for the show, so it can be posted on youtube!

Tina

 

[walkswithdog]

Speaking of marans. Who would you all recommend who has golden cuckoos? Is there someone from BYC?

I need to get on some lists. I'd like both the GC and BC's next year. And I'd rather deal with BYCers where I can.

 

[ruth]

Don't know that I could cull, as in "kill" any of my roos. I currently have 14 of various breeds and they all happily coexist amongst approx. 40-50 hens (I've lost count).

Currently have a couple hundred eggs in my Sportsman, 14 new baby chicks in coop and two hens setting nests. So I'm sure I'll have lots more roos. Guess I'll eventually have to find a "happy rooster farm" to send some of them to. I'm sure the task must get easier after the first one or two.