Oregon

[aggiemae]

Farwest told us they sell "over hatch' if you call to reserve then on Tuesday for Wednesday pickup but no one answered the phone or returned our call. I suspect they are to disorganized to deal with small purchases and now a few people have now told me that there have been sexing issues but no one complains about the health or quality of the chicks. I decided to just drive over next Wednesday morning to see what they had but then I found three of the five breeds we wanted on Craigslist and added two Buff Orpingtons because the two that we already have are such reliable layers.

The guy we ended up getting our chicks from was pretty disorganized and a bit gruff but the chicks ($44.00 for eight) are so spry and active it more than made up.

The Black Copper Marans where not sexed but they both have long feathers on their wingtip indication they are hens though I am not positive that this is one of the breeds that can be sexed like this II am hoping for the best.

If you go be sure to post about it, I am interested to hear.

 

[fingbob]

I have read that marans can also be sexed by color. The lighter in color ones are cockerels and the darker ones are pullets. I am not 100% on that though. If all else fails they are good eating.

 

[Zanna]

I have read that marans can also be sexed by color. The lighter in color ones are cockerels and the darker ones are pullets. I am not 100% on that though. If all else fails they are good eating.

Sorry guys, Marans are a crap shoot! No feather or colour sexing. Heck sometimes I can't tell until the darn things crow, they can fool you! I do know of one breeder that is working on breeding towards feather sexing but she is years away I think the cuckoo's can be sexed by the size of white dot on their head at hatch but don't quote me on that. I only breed Black Copper Marans and there is really no reliable way to tell with them until combs and wattles start getting redder and bigger at 3 weeks old or older..............

 

[DaisyMeadow]

I got a couple of maran mix eggs from a friend and hatched them out on 2/7. I had much worse luck with them than with my sexlink mixes as far as hatching goes. Only 6/10 hatched, and then I lost two of them within the first three day (I didn't put them down, but worked with their legs to try to fix the issue. They died in the night naturally). Three of them (including two that died) had splayed legs. One of the splayed legs babies has now corrected, and I couldn't tell you which one it is. My sexlinks in the same batch all hatched.

But as far as gender goes, there seems to be no telling. Then again, mine are mixes, so I guess that won't help you much.

Um...nevermind. lol

 

[SewChaos]

I have two sexlink marans chicks, a BCM over a cuckoo hen. I set three eggs and had two hatch, a boy and a girl.

 

[bigboy70]

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Second double yoked egg in three days hell ya and our other Americana laid her first egg today the blue one and the brown is from our BRLW waiting on the golden sex link and the old RIR start laying

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

OK, I gotta put on my "educator" hat for a minute (as both the past Western District DIrector of the Ameraucana Breeders Club, and past breeder / exhibitor of Ameraucanas)...there is lots of talk of feed store chicks here lately, and lots of "Ameraucanas" being purchased....

JUST as an FYI...what is being purchased from feed stores are not true Ameraucanas. They are almost always advertised as such, or as "Amer"I'canas"....While it is true that most feed store stock has had some small portion of true Ameraucana blood introduced at some point, what you can buy from a feed store or hatchery is not a true Ameraucana any more, they are Easter Eggers, and why they won't just call them what they are, is beyond me.

True Ameraucanas lay ONLY blue eggs. EEs can lay any color egg, white, brown, pink, blue, green, olive, and any variance / shade thereof. True Ameraucanas only come in 8 recognized colors, and lavender. EEs can be any color, or pattern, and the chicks are often the "wild type" color, that looks like chipmunks. There are a myriad of other differences as well, but for the backyard layer bird, those are the main two to look at. For more differences / comparisons, you can read some great info, at: http://www.ameraucana.org/faq.html And of course, I am always happy to answer questions!!

 

[bigboy70]

I read somewhere they lay The blue eggs but the can also lay green every once and a great while

 

[Zanna]

OK, I gotta put on my "educator" hat for a minute (as both the past Western District DIrector of the Ameraucana Breeders Club, and past breeder / exhibitor of Ameraucanas)...there is lots of talk of feed store chicks here lately, and lots of "Ameraucanas" being purchased....

JUST as an FYI...what is being purchased from feed stores are not true Ameraucanas. They are almost always advertised as such, or as "Amer"I'canas"....While it is true that most feed store stock has had some small portion of true Ameraucana blood introduced at some point, what you can buy from a feed store or hatchery is not a true Ameraucana any more, they are Easter Eggers, and why they won't just call them what they are, is beyond me.

True Ameraucanas lay ONLY blue eggs. EEs can lay any color egg, white, brown, pink, blue, green, olive, and any variance / shade thereof. True Ameraucanas only come in 8 recognized colors, and lavender. EEs can be any color, or pattern, and the chicks are often the "wild type" color, that looks like chipmunks. There are a myriad of other differences as well, but for the backyard layer bird, those are the main two to look at. For more differences / comparisons, you can read some great info, at: http://www.ameraucana.org/faq.html And of course, I am always happy to answer questions!!

Thank you! We had this discussion a few pages back and I was hoping you would chime in

 

[maxximo]

Hello all

Anyone know if a poultry processing center or a sluterhouse near Portland?