South Carolina

[Moonchild]

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Oh RedBug thanks so much for posting pics of the fencing and sand. Cause I'm still trying to figure out the lay out of my coop and framing around it but this helped what's the frame made out of??? How tall is yours? OH and Beautiful MilleFleur d'Uccles!!!

 

[huckleberryfarm]

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The biggest problem with the marans seems to be the crosses out there with Penedesenca in them. I am not sure how so many of these crosses got out there but people bred the Penedesenca to the Marans to increase the darkness in their eggs from what I am understanding. We recently hatched some eggs we purchased off ebay from such a cross not knowing it and the chicks do have funky combs and are very aggressive and flighty. The eggs were not a nice deep chocolate either but a cloudy dark egg. I can say this because this past week we hatched some marans chicks from another breeder, the eggs were beautiful and the chicks are so mellow and sweet. We have not had the problems with these chicks at all that we had with the first and they have very pretty straight little combs. I so hope they do not turn flighty. We are going to cull all the roos in the first batch and put the hens in the laying flock--of course we only have 3 or 4 hens from that batch.

I really like the marans eggs and would really like to have a nice flock of them but it is turning into more work than I thought it would. We do not show but I do like to sell eggs from my birds.

I think you will love these Marans a lot more than the crosses. They still go through a crazy stage but nearly like the Pene crosses.

Since I was raising Marans before they had a standard decided on, I focused on what I like best about them and stick close to that. The folks that are now deciding about the Marans seem to be pretty clueless. All they think is what is pretty. That is fine for d'Uccles and bantam Cochins but Marans are dual purpose birds and need to be used for that.
The RIR got messed up a long time ago by getting away from what they were originally bred for so I am using the Marans for what they are bred for on my farm.
I like dark eggs and lots of meat with an wonderful temperament. The colors are pretty on the feathers but I don't throw out my birds for being mossy. They may not get bred right now but if they lay nice eggs then I keep them.
It was rumored that the mossy hens laid the darkest eggs. I hatched a few of those girls out and I can tell you that is not true. I used to belong to both Marans clubs and finally had to get away from all their bickering and false info. Marans are a great breed for me and I am sticking with what I have.

Yes, that's what I mean. I'm kind of done with it. I have a lot of great girls that can move to laying and I don't have to deal with it all. I'm going to focus on silkies. I have a much better sense of what is good and what isn't and I love them. And my Ameraucanas. I love my lavs and wheatens. And I have some plans to do Isabel Ameraucanas. No time for drama!

 

[Patsy29332]

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Soo proud for you!!

 

[huckleberryfarm]

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I thought emptynester did but she may be sold out now.
I have a few Porcelain d'Uccle chicks for sale.

How many do you have? How much?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Here is tonight's hatch. So far.
I have an EE chick, dark blue, not pictured but here is my Mottled bantam Cochin and 2 BLRW chicks that hatched out an hour or so ago. I was talking on the phone with a lady in Ohio who is coming down to buy some Marans from me next weekend and the chicks popped out.
You also see a foot of another EE chick in the background that is working it's way out. Hatching chicks are so cool. Gave me something to look at while we talked for about an hour.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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I thought emptynester did but she may be sold out now.
I have a few Porcelain d'Uccle chicks for sale.

How many do you have? How much?

I have 5 for sale. Right now they are $6 each. They are still in the house in a brooder by themselves. They are happy, healthy kids. Gobbling up meal worms every day and playing like mad. I need to take some photos tomorrow when I clean their brooder. They flutter all over and I have to lock the cats up when I let them out.

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

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Now, THAT, my dear friend, made me ROTFL!!!

And sorry I was distracted when you called earlier. Grocery shopping with DH was spent slapping his hands as he was picking up stuff when he knew I was trying to concentrate on talking with you!

I was just trying not to keep a busy lady from doing her work. Grocery shopping with another person can be work. I detest taking my three children to the store as a pack. I have to send them all over to keep from fighting. Literally: in front if the buggy, behind the buggy, (No, don't help me push) and next aisle over. It works better to arrive home as they are getting off the school bus and make them he'll carry everything inside!

I forgot one IMPORTANT question: what is the withdrawal period? How long after treatment with invectmin do I throw out the eggs? I plan to treat everybody tomorrow and feed the eggs back to my young birds that aren't laying yet. And when this time period is up, I can process roosters and safely eat them? Or should I pass on treating the cull pen and just cull them?

Umm, sorry. That was more than one question. I'm in bed too warm and comfy to get up and check the spelling on the medicine or go back and count the number of questions I just asked. Good night all!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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we may have to make the trip out there. Are they chicks? Do you have other chickens for sale?

They are a few weeks old. Still in the brooder in the house. Too cute to put down in the barn. If DH had his say we would have the juvies in here, too. Ugh!

I do not have much left to sell. I am not hatching a whole lot right now. Only what I think I need for next spring to continue the project on MFC.
I have some Frizzles, bantam Cochins in dark blue or black, maybe Sizzles. I don't know. I would have to look through my brooders and see. Probably all bantams that I have for sale. I try to hatch a few eggs from every group I send out so I can check fertility and hatch ability, too. There is no telling what I have growing in my brooders. You would think with only about 100 it would be easier to remember. Last winter it was about 400 a month.
I have some Iowa Blues growing up but those stay. I have blue copper Marans from my new pen but those stay. I got lots of stuff there but some I just never part with. I have a white Silkie chick and a smooth Sizzle for sure that can go.
And Guineas, lots and lots of Pearl Guineas! I have a man coming tomorrow to get some but I have about 35-40 that can go. I swear I did not know they could produce and grow so dang well!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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I can't even get to bed. Someone is snoring so loud I figure what is the use? I spend all night poking him and saying "roll over!" I like it better when he works 3rd shift jobs so I get a full night's sleep. At least I can have the windows open and the fan blowing cool air over me. So nice!

I just had the problem in the store of "No! You can't get that. No, we can't afford that. No way! Do you understand you have no job? No! You are already too fat. Geez! Do you understand no?" LOL Smacking his hands the whole time! As bad as any kid, I am sure. Maybe worse than your 3!

I do not do a withdrawal period with pour on. If I give orally I would though. The pour on is safer and a lot of meds us humans take are now containing this same carrier and ingredients, though I hope no one has worms.

They treat humans with ivomec now and it is proven to be as safe as other meds (I try to stay holistic and homeopathic). I try not to use it but I did twice this year because of the bugs.
Geez! And we had a cold, snowy winter, too. However, the bugs that kill those bugs were the ones killed so these were able to invade a bit better. Yeah, be careful what you ask for. A cold winter to kill bugs will only give us more bugs. Don't you love the story of the Pied Piper? I digress as I am getting too sleepy to type.
Forgive me friends as I answer a lot of your PMs tomorrow.

Anyhow, eat your roos. No problemo. I have a few allergies to drugs and still haven't had any problems. I do wait about 3 weeks before I process roos after treatment though.

Good night, all!

 

[pinkwindsong]

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Hmmmmmm. I went as a spectator last year - so going by that - doors open at 6 and cooping in has to be done by 9........that is when judging starts.

I so wanted to put my fave black silkie girl in - but she still has too many pin feathers - and a little bald still from moulting.

Clemson Show!

seams like fall is a bad time for all these shows... seam like alot of molting would mess things up for alot of people.