Marsh Daisy

[rancher hicks]

It looks like Green Fire Farms just started selling chicks yesterday. If I hadn't just received 32 chicks from them, I probably would have ordered some.

Oh well, my Birchen Marans, Bielefelders, Cream Legbars, Partridge Orpingtons, Blue Barnevelders (all from GFF) will have to keep me busy. I am not sure I could hand another shipment of chicks this week.

I just noticed you say you have Birchens Marans, do you sell hatching eggs?

 

[JennieRD]

I think you are already see the qualities I love about the birds. So far mine have done fine in confinement, they escape everyone and then! In the summer while the days are long I let them out late, about 500p and they are all back in by about 7-730 well before dark. I am averaging 5 -7 eggs a week sine they started laying! I lost my rooster, but have sincerely crossed her with my wheaten maran! I've placed most of the the chicks with friends so I can check on their growth and personalities! So far all have been pullets, no cockerels, and all are rose combs exact duplicates of their mothers down to the feathering! Mine looked red for sometime, but the shades have shifted to a definite brown marsh daisy There still young, none have feathered legs and none show wheaten coloring! None have started laying so I'm curious what they'll lay. I've ordered another shipment of MD they will be here on the 5th

 

[rancher hicks]

I think you are already see the qualities I love about the birds. So far mine have done fine in confinement, they escape everyone and then! In the summer while the days are long I let them out late, about 500p and they are all back in by about 7-730 well before dark. I am averaging 5 -7 eggs a week sine they started laying! I lost my rooster, but have sincerely crossed her with my wheaten maran! I've placed most of the the chicks with friends so I can check on their growth and personalities! So far all have been pullets, no cockerels, and all are rose combs exact duplicates of their mothers down to the feathering! Mine looked red for sometime, but the shades have shifted to a definite brown marsh daisy There still young, none have feathered legs and none show wheaten coloring! None have started laying so I'm curious what they'll lay. I've ordered another shipment of MD they will be here on the 5th

That's nice. You'll have to post pics. Since you'll have another roo then perhaps you can sell ME eggs to hatch at some point. I have a nice foam box I received some Del eggs in and I can send it empty to you to hopefully ensure a safe shipment.

I always keep two roosters if I intend to hatch chicks. My Del roosters get along alright, so I have three.

I lost my Birchen marans rooster this past spring for some strange reason. He just up and died. My original. Fortunately I have his son and hope at least half of the eggs I have set will hatch.

Don't forget to post pics of those new chicks.

 

[JennieRD]

I would take some pictures now, but its flooding here, hurricanes hit Louisiana one way of the other. If it cant reach us by the Gulf its going to cross Mexico to get to us......Cant win for losing, anyway the photos would not be too good. But I will definitely take pictures of the new arrivals. Sorry to hear about your rooster, I keep two to three of each breed too I have. None fight, there is definite pecking order here they all abide by. I have the king, he is a Black Maran, with a little coppering, no other color bleeding. He's the king, everyone listens to him. I recently brought in a new BCM who though he'd jump up and try to spur me, the Black Marna, ran clear across the yard and put one heck of a whipping on him. I left him out for the whole crew to gang up on him and to teach him a lesson, they did. He tucked his head in a corner and I haven't had a problem since. I see why they got rid of him. He's show quality, but a devil. He waits till you turn your back. He hit my son once, my husband once, then me. That was all it took. I have 11 Roosters out on the yard. The rest are in pens. Everyone here wants Easter eggers or olive eggers...so that's what I am breeding right now. About to shut it down for the winter thought. But back on note, I never had a problem with my Marsh Daisy Roosters and the other breeds fighting they all ran together when I wasn't breeding. Maybe I am lucky, some cant believe I don't have issues, but its the truth.

The Marsh Daisy's I may leave them to keep breeding throughout the year to my Wheaten Marans to produce an entirely separate flock. There laying almost every day, I am averaging 5-7 eggs a week.. I love the rose comb and how hardy they are. I found the Marsh Daisy's are not bothered by drastic climate change in my area, 90 deg days and 20 deg nights in the winter, and 105 degree days, and 95 degree nights in the summer. Its always hot and sticky. My other breeds are affected by the climate change when the Marsh Daisy's are not. They thrive in this weather...

I love the marans but they are sensitive to climate change and here its drastic from one season to the next. A good cross could produce larger, darker eggs for a more climate tolerant bird. That is my hope anyway, If it fails, like you there are many here to take the culls....If the Marsh Daisy does as well as it had in Lancaster, England, then they will thrive here. The climate is about the same.

I would love to swap birds or eggs with you as soon as I can bring up another rooster or find one grown. I know GFF is the only farm importing them. So versatility in blood is hart to achieve. I figure Ii would take a shot at Line Breeding, it will take at least 3 years to develope three or four unrelated flocks. Like you its not the money to sell the eggs or birds, its the joy of the bird. They do really well here where I am, hot humid summers, cold wet winters, nothing phases them. I lost my roosters to Owls. I use to let them perch in the old oaks in my yard. Now everyone comes in at dark. I feed late to make sure everyone comes in when they are free ranging.

Along with the Marsh Daisy's I keep one pen of each; White Rocks, LF Dark Cornish, White Leg Horns Ayam Cermani, Easter Eggers, Ameraucana, Araucana, Cream Leg Bars, Cuckoo Marans, Black Copper Marans, Blue/Black/Splash Marans (not perfect yet), Wheaten Marans, Black Tailed Buff Marans, Gold Laced Wyandotte, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Chocolate, Buff and Gold Laced Back Orpingtons.

I am slowly letting the breeds that aren't doing well in this clmate go to homes further north. eventually Ill have nothing left but my EE, OE, Marsh Daisy's, WR, LFDC, WLH, CLB, BTBM, WM, and BCM. That's more than enough to keep me busy....

I do have Lavender and Black Orpingtons, but they are going to their new homes as soon and the new owners are finished with their coops. As well as the Buff Orphingtons wil go to a new home hopefully before spring.I think I am going to let a few of my flocks go; the Cuckoo Marans, the Gold Laced and Blue Laced Wyandotte to focus on my Marsh Daisy and my feather legged Marans. I do not like the color of the Cuckoo Eggs they are too light. but they are good layers!

The EE/OE I love so they stay....Everyone loves the olive green eggs...

 

[GaryDean26]

I am pretty sure that Greenfire Farm is the only line of Marsh Daisy going around right now, but when I looked into the breed back in 2012-2013 I found that their was a lady in Texas that imported them and breed them successfully for 5 years then sold the flock to H&H Heritage and Rare Poultry in PA. I had proposed a swap with them to get some day old chicks shipped but I they had some birds stolen and put all shipping on hold. Nothing ever worked out on a swap. They no longer have photos of the Marsh Daisy on their website. I am not sure what happened to their flock.

There is good information on the breed standard that you can get from the UK poultry pages.
H & H Heritage and Rare PoultryH & H Heritage and Rare Poultry

 

[rancher hicks]

I am pretty sure that Greenfire Farm is the only line of Marsh Daisy going around right now, but when I looked into the breed back in 2012-2013 I found that their was a lady in Texas that imported them and breed them successfully for 5 years then sold the flock to H&H Heritage and Rare Poultry in PA. I had proposed a swap with them to get some day old chicks shipped but I they had some birds stolen and put all shipping on hold. Nothing ever worked out on a swap. They no longer have photos of the Marsh Daisy on their website. I am not sure what happened to their flock.

There is good information on the breed standard that you can get from the UK poultry pages.
H & H Heritage and Rare PoultryH & H Heritage and Rare Poultry

I'm not far from PA being in NY. I'll have to look them up. I have made a long drive to PA before. I only keep a few breeds because to do so means to hatch a lot and keep a lot to work with.

I got a new line of Delaware in with mine and now that has set me back. Delawares are way way way off since they nearly went extinct. Being a composite breed there are those who've recreated them but that put them back at square one. Many Dual purpose breeds have fallen this way. The commercial industry changed poultry in creating Single purpose breeds. Not so good for us Hobby Farmers.

 

[GaryDean26]

I'm not far from PA being in NY. I'll have to look them up. I have made a long drive to PA before. I only keep a few breeds because to do so means to hatch a lot and keep a lot to work with.

I got a new line of Delaware in with mine and now that has set me back. Delawares are way way way off since they nearly went extinct. Being a composite breed there are those who've recreated them but that put them back at square one. Many Dual purpose breeds have fallen this way. The commercial industry changed poultry in creating Single purpose breeds. Not so good for us Hobby Farmers.

I am pretty sure that H&H has got out of Marsh Daisys, but they may be able to tell you what became of their flock and/or have more information about the origins of their flock and if others may still be breeding that line. H&H told me their flock was the wheaten variety. There reference photo from 2013 is below.






Greenfire imported black and brown variety. A reference photo a pair of their browns is below.




The H&H "wheaten" hens look very dark. I would have expected a redder hackle and lighter body on a "wheaten" hen. The GFF Brown I would have expected a yellower/golder hackle and less red/more brown in the body color. I have seen images of the Marsh daisy in the UK with the more red body color on the brown though. These lines may have mixed colors in them. It may be possible to breed both Wheaten and Browns from both the H&H and GFF lines. Everything I have seen in the USA look like browns. Does anyone have black, wheaten, or white Marsh Daisy. There are lost of possibilities with new imported birds. It will be interesting to see what is found in the Marsh Daisy blood line as more people start to breed them.

 

[rancher hicks]

I am pretty sure that H&H has got out of Marsh Daisys, but they may be able to tell you what became of their flock and/or have more information about the origins of their flock and if others may still be breeding that line. H&H told me their flock was the wheaten variety. There reference photo from 2013 is below.






Greenfire imported black and brown variety. A reference photo a pair of their browns is below.




The H&H "wheaten" hens look very dark. I would have expected a redder hackle and lighter body on a "wheaten" hen. The GFF Brown I would have expected a yellower/golder hackle and less red/more brown in the body color. I have seen images of the Marsh daisy in the UK with the more red body color on the brown though. These lines may have mixed colors in them. It may be possible to breed both Wheaten and Browns from both the H&H and GFF lines. Everything I have seen in the USA look like browns. Does anyone have black, wheaten, or white Marsh Daisy. There are lost of possibilities with new imported birds. It will be interesting to see what is found in the Marsh Daisy blood line as more people start to breed them.

That trio look very much like mine. I'll check again with the person who sold me mine and see where they got them.

 

[GaryDean26]

That trio look very much like mine. I'll check again with the person who sold me mine and see where they got them.

For comparison here are some "Brown" Marsh Daisy form the UK that are more what I would have expected in terms of color.



Here are some Uk Wheaten Marsh Daisy.

 

[GaryDean26]

I saw the photo of this handsome fella the other day. He isn't mine, but I liked his upright stance and full breast.