Montana

[Chick N Haus]

I read that the BCMs lay the darkest eggs of all the Marans. I agree with you Azriel that they are darkest when they first start to lay and fade as they get farther away from when they first start. However, after the molt they get dark again (but not as dark as the first time). Mine do a fairly good job of giving me an egg a day. I have cuckoos and they are supposed to be the best layers in the Maran group. Just what I learned when I was picking a Maran breed.

 

[Azriel]

Yes, the BCM do lay the darkest, but a lot of work has been done on the other colors to get darker eggs also. I like the dark, but like mine to have some red under tone. My Wheatens seem to be my biggest slackers, but I like the wheaten color, so they stay. I like a mixed color flock, and don't mind mixes, you can get some interesting birds that way, the only color I really don't care much for is white, but I do have 2 white ones and so far haven't been picked off by the hawks.
I've been having heavy hawk activity here the last few days, yesterday I went out to get eggs and one was sitting o the tp of the fence and all the chickens were in the coop, so I kept everyone locked in today.

 

[karlamaria]

Probably the Reds are the best, although I can't say that we have too many slackers. The Americanas are the least consistent, but again not bad. Yes we did start a heat lamp when it got into the single digits. It gets dark around 1700 and the heat is on a timer to come on at midnight and off when the sun is up. The idea is just to give them a little heat boost during the coldest period and make their light time more consistent year round. Our coop is insulated as is yours. We tried to choose breeds that were:
1. Friendly and docile with children
2. Cold hardy
3. Good egg layers
4. Dual purpose for meat
5. Interesting to look at with colorful eggs

in that order.  We want our great grandchildren to enjoy our chickens, eggs, things we raise ourselves in our garden and small farm. They are big city kids, but during the summer they get to swim and boat in our lake, eat homemade bread and jam, go to the fair, bid on our market lamb and generally become country kids.

What a great gramma you are, and how fun for city kids to come and have so much fun!
I heard reds are good, in fact awesome egg layers ,also hear americauna are the least layers, I just want a blue egg lol. I'm going to add heat tonight, I think it may help, and it will at least keep water unfrozen. We shall see anyways. The birds keep knocking the water off the tin can heater and what a mess!

 

[karlamaria]

Lots of breeds lay blue eggs. CCLs are one. Araucana, Ameraucana, some Easter Eggers (off colored Ameraucanas and mutts alike) are the more common ones.
Oh we got 3 today. I turned off the light though- giving the girls a rest. We've had some funky weather!

no idea what a ccl is lol, I just want a blue egg . I get all colors, well not since my maran went from nice dark dark eggs to light . She molted, got a dark egg and then bam nothing . Maybe she is just not laying? She lays so infrequently that is hard to tell. Guess time will tell me more.

 

[karlamaria]

Yes, the BCM do lay the darkest, but a lot of work has been done on the other colors to get darker eggs also. I like the dark, but like mine to have some red under tone. My Wheatens seem to be my biggest slackers, but I like the wheaten color, so they stay. I like a mixed color flock, and don't mind mixes, you can get some interesting birds that way, the only color I really don't care much for is white, but I do have 2 white ones and so far haven't been picked off by the hawks.
I've been having heavy hawk activity here the last few days, yesterday I went out to get eggs and one was sitting o the tp of the fence and all the chickens were in the coop, so I kept everyone locked in today.

that's what I want, some mixed up girls. I think they lay better then one solid breed sometimes. Oh yes I want a few ameraucana so I can have blue eggs , but I also want eggs and these guys seem to not lay so good in winter, so I want your mutts, your EE your goofballs that your not sure what they are lol. Also a full blown copper maran if you got one that you hatched.
I choose chickens for
1. Egg production
2. Winter hardy
3. Egg color

And I love love love white birds! Been always wanting white birds!

Guess what ? My broody hen, the one who was not the best mama, but did an ok job, well she is broody! I'm also going to put fertile eggs under her! This way your birds can go to moms until there older and then 2 come to my house , and mama can raise chicks!

 

[karlamaria]

my chickens did not go into a full molt but the two year olds did ,The rest lost feathers around there neck, and a tail feathers. I think the molt happened when we turned on the light out side ( real bright light) and we missed a few days, then on, then a few days off again. The light can not be turned on by a timer, it's hookd to our garage .

 

[karlamaria]

Do any of you have. Fertile eggs you can sell me, and live closer to Butte ? Or can ship? This is what I'm looking for..... Barred rock, or mixed barred rock, orphington, RIR, or or mixes of these guys. The orphington to be the next broody, the barred rocks or RIR for egg production.

 

[karlamaria]

Yes, the BCM do lay the darkest, but a lot of work has been done on the other colors to get darker eggs also. I like the dark, but like mine to have some red under tone. My Wheatens seem to be my biggest slackers, but I like the wheaten color, so they stay. I like a mixed color flock, and don't mind mixes, you can get some interesting birds that way, the only color I really don't care much for is white, but I do have 2 white ones and so far haven't been picked off by the hawks.
I've been having heavy hawk activity here the last few days, yesterday I went out to get eggs and one was sitting o the tp of the fence and all the chickens were in the coop, so I kept everyone locked in today.

yikes, how about throwing fire crackers at them to scare them?
I saw this bird, was a beautiful dark grey almost black ,with a red head and neck , loved the color! I think it was a maran and RIR , it's on cackleberrys coop web page

 

[Azriel]

The pen is covered, so the hawks can't get in but they sure scare the chickens. It was kind of funny, as I was walking up I was talking to the hawk and it spread its wings out and started screaming at me before it flew away, I think it was real mad that I could get in and it couldn't. Its going to be cold for the next few days, so the girls won't mind being locked up till it warms up some. I'll have to buy them a couple heads of cabbage.

 

[karlamaria]

So do you have a covered pen? I had one built last summer best investment ever. I can only image what that hawk was thinking lol, what are you using to keep water from freezing? My chickens knock over the water if I set the water on top. I added a heat lamp but my daughter said it was pretty warm in the coop. I do not want my girls to warm. What do you do to keep water from freezing?