Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[lindz8504]

awww Roger, you're always welcome here, as long as here is still mine... Wilma said you could have her roost spot in the Dome, she has been hankering for Mylee's room ever since the day she found the little girl inside the coop...

lindz, those were only guesses, I'm not so good with straight combs, they get poky early for both sexes, but I've had 6 Marans chicks grow out here over the summer... I'm hoping I am wrong about at least 1 of them

Cheeka, you probably are better than I am at it! I guess if I have to, I will get some more later and hope I get pullets then!

 

[cheeka]

this is Cosette and Genvieve, my Marans cross girls, on 9/17, at roughly 15 weeks... bitty poky combs, that's what I'm going from... plus the 2 little Marans cockerels I have from the last hatch... already have nice fat red combs and they are ... 10-11 weeks. no crowing from them yet, kinda surprised about that.

 

[SullyD]

Cheeka-Love that your eggs are in the appropriate Easter Basket! They look lovely!

Lindz-I have to agree with Cheeka, but, I am still very new at the whole chicken thing. I have been growing out 20 (now 17) Marans chicks. BCM's and Blue CM's. I got them at an auction and I had no idea about how to sex them. I checked out the thread on BYC-very informative. My chicks are now 10 and 11 weeks old. A couple of my 10 week old boys have very red combs, wattles already, and are starting to crow. Sorry to say, they looked very much like your little ones. The girls feathered out quicker than the boys, but the combs matured much faster on the boys. Here are some pictures of my boys at about the same age as yours. Some people on the Marans thread gave me some guesses on the sexes. You might want to post your pictures on that thread and see if someone that raises them can give you a definitive answer. Good luck!

 

[cheeka]

crazy day, half great, half sad... phone was ringing early, my friend called to tell me her Dad passed last night, she lost her Mom only 45 days ago. I think he died of a broken heart. she's at a total loss, only finding comfort at the moment in her flock of chickens.
phone rang again, egg order, trade for cartons if I want... okay, sure... they asked for 2 dozen. when I was on my route, a lady had bagged up 2 large bags of good buggy leaves for my flock - how nice is that?? then I get to the egg carton lady's house - she has 88 clean egg cartons! all she wants is 2 dozen eggs??? she also had all this day old bread on her porch - free - I got a loaf of whole wheat, 2 loaves of cinnamon raisin, 2 loaves of french bread, and 2 large flats of focaccia - I insisted she take some $$... but all I could get her to take was $4! so much to unload when I got home that I almost didn't notice the parcel on my step - my egg basket is here!!


did I hear you say focaccia bread?

 

[SullyD]

Cheeka, sorry to hear about your friends parents. I am happy she is taking solace in her chickens. They seem to be able to get your mind off anything. Love the new basket and doesn't it look lovely on your new counter tops! Such pretty eggs too! I may start asking my neighbors for old bread and fruit/veggies that are past prime. In exchange for eggs (if I ever get enough for more than just me). I am thinking that by January all of my chickens will be 6 months and older. Certainly they should all be laying by then. I will have 24 layers. Maybe at least 1 dozen a day?? The days will be shorter but they will be able to be outside and warm, then by spring, they will be in full swing and maybe 2 dozen a day?? I may be buried in eggs! One can only hope.

 

[cheeka]

Sully, once they start, they need some time to become regular... but your young girls will lay very well over their first winter, without needing additional light. it'll be next fall before you see a drop. by Christmas or so, you may be getting a dozen and a half a day easy...

 

[cheeka]

oh yeah... 7 Eggs today, Peachy skipped...

 

[Wishing4Wings]

crazy day, half great, half sad... phone was ringing early, my friend called to tell me her Dad passed last night, she lost her Mom only 45 days ago. I think he died of a broken heart. she's at a total loss, only finding comfort at the moment in her flock of chickens.
phone rang again, egg order, trade for cartons if I want... okay, sure... they asked for 2 dozen. when I was on my route, a lady had bagged up 2 large bags of good buggy leaves for my flock - how nice is that?? then I get to the egg carton lady's house - she has 88 clean egg cartons! all she wants is 2 dozen eggs??? she also had all this day old bread on her porch - free - I got a loaf of whole wheat, 2 loaves of cinnamon raisin, 2 loaves of french bread, and 2 large flats of focaccia - I insisted she take some $$... but all I could get her to take was $4! so much to unload when I got home that I almost didn't notice the parcel on my step - my egg basket is here!!
Serious egg basket envy over here! Very cool.

Sillie Silkie is so photogenic and expressive. Must be the dark eyes.
did I hear you say focaccia bread?

So sorry about your friend's parents. That's really rough.

I spent most of today ferrying my dad to doctor visits (remember he took a swan dive off the porch steps). Amazingly he did not break anything. Doing better and started physical therapy. Dr said he was very lucky. Dr does not know that dad is a part time lumberjack and much stronger than he looks!

Hubs got back from China today. Yay! We talked to him over Skype yesterday at 4pm our time and he hasn't slept since. Trying to stay up a bit longer to get adjusted back to our time more quickly. He's closing in on 28 hours without sleep, and going to crash soon. Work tomorrow!

We got 5 eggs today. Some serious molting going on around here. It was drizzling most of the day, but still warm. We don't get these tropical storms all that much and aren't used to the humidity. My hair gets super curly- it's huge!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: W4W I bet he is exhausted. Glad to hear he is home.
Will try to get pics of my marans at 12 weeks. no doubt 2 roo, 3 hen.
So glad your Dad is OK! He sounds like mine, I sure can understand the worry but they are so tough too. I am always lurking/stalking him like a nutcase watching him!
Cheeka I am so sorry for your friend. Same thing happened with both my grandparents. One went, the other followed soon after.
I was really young, maybe 15. My last gramma passed away. but the few times I was able to visit burned in my heart.
Gram Hornbaker was 93 when she passed. Papaw left us a 2 months before her at 90, he was a coal miner when he was young.
He was eat up with cancer but HATED doctors. By time they found it he had passed. Gram just wasted away when he was gone, gave up.
Mom moved her here a month and she missed Maryland so much, we took her back home.
I really wish I had more time to know all of them better. Gramma miller loved every animal so much.
Only time she ever fussed at me is when I caught one of her anole lizards in her aviary, it was so frightened..
My surviving aunts swear I am so much like my Gramma miller and it really makes me feel closer to her.
I got 1 guinea egg, 2 duck egg today

We laid 3. UGH.
Processing 7 roos and 2 turkey jakes tomorrow.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

OHHH cheeka, love the basket! it is pretty, just love it! I wanted to post that too. So tired, nite everyone!