Wrath's Marans

[z3lda3]

Don't let them go broody...this is my first one. I can't be for positive she would have killed them all but wasn't taking that chance, I was watching her closely but by nightfall they hadn't hatched so I pulled them.

If I try letting her go broody again in the future which is a slim chance, I'll put mixed eggs under her.
A search last night brought up a few threads about it, so not super rare.
After I went to the house for the night I had an afterthought that I couldn't recall her doing any soft clucking that all my other broodys do as the chicks are hatching. They start chirping before hatch and mom will soft cluck back. It kind of sounds like a quieter rooster tidbit.

The soft clucking is luring them out?? “Come on baby, it’s fine” How stinking cute!!

 

[wrathsfarm]

King being a good dad, I had no doubts But how, what does he do (or not)? I don’t have a family flock yet, I need details. (I have to live vicariously through y’all).

King will spend more time around the chicks, whereas Kong didn't.

As soon as Roady comes off the nest with her littles and goes into the brooder I have setup, King will imprint on the chicks.

Roosters will imprint almost immediately by lowering their head to chick level and staring at them. They are now his.

The broody won't let him near them for some time yet, but when she does let him, a good roo with help care for them, find food and tidbit and they roost with him. In some cases, I've read where mom has been killed and dad takes over caring for the babies.

These pics were taken over 2 days right after I let Joannie out for the first time with her babies. I had her separated so he couldn't imprint sooner.
It took a few days but she's introducing her chicks to the flock and you can see King imprinting after he's allowed to get close enough.

This last pic is blurry but I kept it because this was it. You can see Joannie between King and her babies on full guard as she introduces them.

 

[2ndTink]

In the mixed coop, Roady our BA hatched 5 of her 7 that made it to hatch day yesterday. I believe 2 are hers and the other 3 are Midnight Majesty's altho I'm not seeing any head spots. The only other mix that could be a possibility is BCM x SLW but I was pretty consistent with marking eggs as they were layed. The one chick with a ton of white is leading my suspicions towards that mix.

On to the pics....View attachment 3910082View attachment 3910083View attachment 3910084View attachment 3910085View attachment 3910086View attachment 3910088View attachment 3910089View attachment 3910090View attachment 3910087

You hatched penguins!

Sorry to hear you have a chick killer, that's no good. Good thing you had another broody ready to accept them

 

[wrathsfarm]

You hatched penguins!

Sorry to hear you have a chick killer, that's no good. Good thing you had another broody ready to accept them

I was actually going to put the eggs under Roady at first because she was still hatching, but I needed to leg band hers to keep the Midnights separated from the Marans. The first chick I leg banded she immediately started to peck at it, mixed flock has no bands so that didn't work.
I'm glad Jett accepted them in the end.

More fun news....Betty is broody. That's all 9 hens in the Marans coop. And a total of 10 this year so far.
Now I gotta decide what to do.

 

[z3lda3]

King will spend more time around the chicks, whereas Kong didn't.

As soon as Roady comes off the nest with her littles and goes into the brooder I have setup, King will imprint on the chicks.

Roosters will imprint almost immediately by lowering their head to chick level and staring at them. They are now his.

The broody won't let him near them for some time yet, but when she does let him, a good roo with help care for them, find food and tidbit and they roost with him. In some cases, I've read where mom has been killed and dad takes over caring for the babies.

These pics were taken over 2 days right after I let Joannie out for the first time with her babies. I had her separated so he couldn't imprint sooner.
It took a few days but she's introducing her chicks to the flock and you can see King imprinting after he's allowed to get close enough.View attachment 3910157View attachment 3910158View attachment 3910156


This last pic is blurry but I kept it because this was it. You can see Joannie between King and her babies on full guard as she introduces them.
View attachment 3910159

Aww how precious! Not meaning to romanticize it, but it is a little chicken family! You know I’m crazy for Kong, but King has earned a lot of awesome points in my book!

 

[2ndTink]

I was actually going to put the eggs under Roady at first because she was still hatching, but I needed to leg band hers to keep the Midnights separated from the Marans. The first chick I leg banded she immediately started to peck at it, mixed flock has no bands so that didn't work.
I'm glad Jett accepted them in the end.

More fun news....Betty is broody. That's all 9 hens in the Marans coop. And a total of 10 this year so far.
Now I gotta decide what to do.

The girls don't think you have enough chickens yet

 

[wrathsfarm]

Aww how precious! Not meaning to romanticize it, but it is a little chicken family! You know I’m crazy for Kong, but King has earned a lot of awesome points in my book!

King is a much better dad but Kongs coming around. He at least doesn't go after them anymore if they get in his space. For some reason, he's really taken a shine to the 2 little BBS Marans. This year WAS all new to him tho with first time hatches, so maybe that's it.

 

[z3lda3]

King is a much better dad but Kongs coming around. He at least doesn't go after them anymore if they get in his space. For some reason, he's really taken a shine to the 2 little BBS Marans. This year WAS all new to him tho with first time hatches, so maybe that's it.

Maybe Kong just prefers the tough love method or maybe he’s like “look I can be a good husband or good father, can’t be both. I don’t have the time or energy, but I won’t eat the babies. That’s all you’re getting from me”.

 

[z3lda3]

Maybe Kong just prefers the tough love method or maybe he’s like “look I can be a good husband or good father, can’t be both. I don’t have the time or energy, but I won’t eat the babies. That’s all you’re getting from me”.

Annnd the babies follow him around “daddy why can’t you love us?” And Kong (as Charles Bronson) “I didn’t kill you did I? That IS love. Now get outta here kid you bother me”.

I’ve totally made a chicken soap opera out of the situation lol.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Maybe Kong just prefers the tough love method or maybe he’s like “look I can be a good husband or good father, can’t be both. I don’t have the time or energy, but I won’t eat the babies. That’s all you’re getting from me”.

Annnd the babies follow him around “daddy why can’t you love us?” And Kong (as Charles Bronson) “I didn’t kill you did I? That IS love. Now get outta here kid you bother me”.

I’ve totally made a chicken soap opera out of the situation lol.

As the Coop turns