Okies in the BYC The Original

[okiehen]

I'm still thinking about the npip class. I want to do it, its just the drive and all I have going on at home.
This is what I would be looking at for time and driving etc.
would have to get up at 4:30 am to be on the road at 5:30
to be there at 9: 45 the class starts at 10 am.
that's if we know where it is and can drive right to it.
Its about a 4 h drive to OKC, be there about 4 hours maybe 5.
4h drive home. Be back at home 7pm or so= horses to feed, chickens to feed, dogs to feed.
Oh and who would feed that morning and get eggs that day while I as gone.
And my husband would have to agree, and he would have to drive me. He has family up there so he would have something to do.

Also Don that a great idea, I'll have to see what husband thinks.
That would help to split the gas cost.
And its in June it could be 100 deg day I would be worried sick about all my animals getting to hot with me gone.
So I have time to think it over and line it up with help to feed and animal set, and talk husband into it.

 

[doubleostud]

Honestly I'm not sure how old she was, I would guess at least 5 or 6. She was hatched by a friend of mine and she ran loose on his place for 3 or 4 years then he moved so he dropped her off at my place, and I have had her for a few years. However I was never able to teach her that she was not a lap turkey, you basically couldnt not sit down outside without her getting in your lap, and she was alot of bird.

 

[GracefulBantams]

Fellow Okies, I need some input and advise...
I have a chance to buy a small flock of "the IT breed" (Marans

). These birds are for sale by a fellow BYCer that lives two hours south of me, in Texas. She is willing to drive half of the distance, to meet me, if I want the birds. There are 8 pullets and 1 cockerel - all 5 months old. She says the birds came from eggs rating 8 or 9 on the Marans egg color chart (I do not know if that is actually correct or not...). She's asking just over $16 each... $150 for the whole flock.

Okay, I have been debating with myself (

) on the pros and cons....
Reasons I want to get them:
They're Marans!
I was going to completely replace my laying flock this year anyway
It shouldn't take too long to make at least some of the money back by selling eggs
They are a great age
It is only an hour's drive

Reasons I do not want to get them:
I have never spent $150 in one setting for birds :shock:
I have never spent $16 for a single bird.
And, it is an hour drive (that one was a pro and con...)

 

[okcarla]

Grace, it's definitely more desirable for any marans to have the feathered shanks (legs) as that is what both of the marans clubs here in the USA are striving for to get them approved for showing. The feathered shanks conform to the French Standard. As for the egg rating being an 8 or 9 for a cuckoo marans, that's almost too good to be true. Most of the black copper marans, which usually lay the darkest of the U.S. bred marans rarely lay 9's. Here's a link to the color chart: http://marans-club.chez-alice.fr/echllang.htm#echelle

I definitely recommend you ask what lines they come from. Also, you might ask for a picture of the eggs that the hens have laid to try to compare them to the chart. If they really do lay extremely dark eggs, then the price quoted is not that bad at all.

 

[Stimpy]

Quote:
Grace,

If they're what you want, I say go for it. You have a lot of pros, and very few cons. If they can help you achieve your breeding goals then they are worth the $16 each. Like you said, you'll make the money back pretty quickly selling eggs.

So, really, your only reason not to buy them is the drive, and let's face it ... you're planning to drive farther than that just to look at our ugly mugs in April. Buy the flock.

Stimp said that

-Stimp-

 

[nnbreeder]

Last night at the Jones auction eggs were selling for up to 12 dollars a dozen and there were a few layers that went for 18 dollars each. Even a big RIR rooster that was probably 2yo went for 12 dollars. Nothing went cheap yesterday.

We came home with 5doz eggs, Marans, Russian Orloff, Silkie, and RIR. Gave an average of 3 dollars a dozen for those and they came from a very reputable breeder.

Grace if you are wanting to expand by all means do it. If you watch, poultry is becomming a very popular backyard item and people would rather buy from and ind. rather then a hatchery.
And the cost? I have in the past paid more then that for a bantam trio.

 

[mefordz]

Quote:
thats a hard question to answer.
colored layers will always sell,roosters are selling real good now to.
try to stay away from white birds if you are breeding to sell.


show type bantams usually sell good,old english and moderns seem to top the list every year, followed by cochins and silkies.
again, white is not the best selling color, but does sell better in most of the bantams than it does in large fowl.

 

[nicoe]

Quote:
thats a hard question to answer.
colored layers will always sell,roosters are selling real good now to.
try to stay away from white birds if you are breeding to sell.


show type bantams usually sell good,old english and moderns seem to top the list every year, followed by cochins and silkies.
again, white is not the best selling color, but does sell better in most of the bantams than it does in large fowl.

This may be a dumb question but what are old english and moderns??
Thanks for the help

 

[mefordz]

old english game bantams, show type birds. small, dubbed [trimmed,] combs.

modern bame bantams, small birds, long legs, very docile little critters.

i'll see if i can find some pics. if you go to a sale or show, ask someone that seems to know chickens, they can point them out real easy!
actually, check out some of the chicken hathceries sites, most will sell old english, some sell moderns, but not a whole lot.

check feathersite also, they have tons of pics.

 

[Teach97]

Quote:
I think that since it's a government run program, there isn't a charge right now for testing. The only charge I was told of us the $5 to send in with the application for NPIP certification. I'd say the PRICE IS RIGHT!

True that it only costs 5 dollars to the government...but the testers are not employed by the gov. They are just average Joes that gotta pay for the supplies and getting to you...

$16 for a bird...I have paid way more than that! It is all in how much you want them...

Nicole here are some pics of OEGB they are silver duck wings...the moderns are another type of OEGB...but are thinner with longer legs I like these and raise several colors...will hopefully have chicks for the swap