Wrath's Marans

[wrathsfarm]

Our BA has hatched 7 of the 8 eggs from Rebel.

 

[Pumperkinz]

I believe I have 4 roos and 5 hens lol.

The splash is kinda the biggest one but honestly love it so much. I'll have to get some of the babies outside (3 BCM/Ameracauna/Eggers).

Wrath have you had much success integrated like 4/5 week olds into your flock with only one older rooster and other aged babies? Or would you wait till they are 8+ weeks so they can run away more.

 

[thistlewick]

I've found the younger the chick (older than a week), the faster they are.


I let out 1 week olds to the vagaries of free-ranging and my entire flock and because I brooded them IN the henhouse, they were totally fine.

If they can sleep together a few nights, they just have to deal with keeping out of the big's way to the food.

 

[wrathsfarm]

View attachment 4145888
I believe I have 4 roos and 5 hens lol.

The splash is kinda the biggest one but honestly love it so much. I'll have to get some of the babies outside (3 BCM/Ameracauna/Eggers).

Wrath have you had much success integrated like 4/5 week olds into your flock with only one older rooster and other aged babies? Or would you wait till they are 8+ weeks so they can run away more.

Cute... I agree with @thistlewick. The younger the better. I usually wait at least a week closer to two here with see no touch. They get to that point where they can zoom zoom and release them.
I just did this with the 2 Ameracauna x EEs. I had a blocker board propped up across the door of their brooder where they only could go in and out. Once they got the courage to come out, they got a small peck from each hen and that was it. They got a schooling from the BA broody that just hatched her littles but that was that.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Our BA with her 7 Kong x Rebel. This is her first outing adventure and I did replace the yellow waterer with one more little friendly.

 

[thistlewick]

Gosh they are just so precious!!

Do you do breeding pens? Or do you have ALL marans? What is your set up like?

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Our BA with her 7 Kong x Rebel. This is her first outing adventure and I did replace the yellow waterer with one more little friendly.View attachment 4146607View attachment 4146608View attachment 4146609View attachment 4146610View attachment 4146611

Sorry if you’ve said before but any standouts with this hatch? Any headspots?

 

[wrathsfarm]

Gosh they are just so precious!!

Do you do breeding pens? Or do you have ALL marans? What is your set up like?

I have 6 coops currently. Kong and the Marans, King and the mixed, Poppy and bachelors, BBS Silvers brooder coop are in my Pole barn. Ducks and bantams have outside coops.
I've got one last BCM Cockerel to re-home and I'm moving Solo my Black Silver over with filler hens for Poppy so bachelor coop now becomes BBS Silver coop. And currently in the midst of building a new bachelor grow out pen.

Breeder pens are next on the list and then a stand alone incubation/brooder room is in planning stages for this winter.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Sorry if you’ve said before but any standouts with this hatch? Any headspots?

No headspots or standouts so far. This is a first hatch for Kong x Rebel (King x unknown Dam), so paying close attention to these growing out to see what they end up. At this point they all look like normal feathered legged BCMs.

 

[thistlewick]

oooh that sounds fantastic!!

How do you operate your bachelor pen? Right now ours is empty but we do have one.

How do you put in boys? Are there any age differences? If there are, what age gap works out alright? Do they pick on the new ones badly? I've only ever put in 2 at the same time together.