LFG Posted October 18, 2017 Author Share Posted October 18, 2017 5 hours ago, Petee said: First Marans egg! Small and speckled beige, but I'm sure she will do better in the future! Had wrist surgery yesterday and this left handed typing leaves much to be desired. Really???!!! I've been checking every day and haven't seen one yet. I would guess the marans laid it. Very often my young ones will lay the speckled eggs, you got a few of them, but the color evens out darker after a month or two. I look at it like a paint sprayer that isn't fully functional yet I would love to see the Mother Earth News Fair, but I think the closest one to me was about 2 hours away this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 On 10/18/2017 at 5:27 PM, Petee said: Now that hubby brought in a second small beige egg, I wonder if it's the Rhode Island Reds laying them. Did you ever decide if the egg was from your marans? I still have not gotten one yet. Should be any day now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 No, John only finds the Rhode Island Reds in the nest box, never a Marans. My two Buff Orphingtons are leaving on November 13. One is very old and the other I suspect is an egg eater. Time to thin the herd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 4 hours ago, Petee said: No, John only finds the Rhode Island Reds in the nest box, never a Marans. My two Buff Orphingtons are leaving on November 13. One is very old and the other I suspect is an egg eater. Time to thin the herd. I hate egg eaters, that's a tough habit to break. We are right at 24 weeks on our birds, and I've had Marans take 26-27 to lay. Hopefully by Thanksgiving steelnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 No eggs from the Marans yet but I didn't realize that the lights had fallen down and were unplugged. That was fixed a few days ago so we'll see if it helps. I finally got a good picture of all the roosters from the eggs you sent last spring. I hope it's good enough to see the details. steelnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelnut Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 On 11/6/2017 at 5:29 PM, LFG said: I hate egg eaters, that's a tough habit to break. We are right at 24 weeks on our birds, and I've had Marans take 26-27 to lay. Hopefully by Thanksgiving Did you get any eggs? I love this thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 I got a lot more pictures but I had to learn how to download them from the phone to the computer this evening. They are focused better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 18 hours ago, steelnut said: Did you get any eggs? I love this thread! Not yet, I'm going to start squeezing them soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 19 hours ago, Petee said: No eggs from the Marans yet but I didn't realize that the lights had fallen down and were unplugged. That was fixed a few days ago so we'll see if it helps. I finally got a good picture of all the roosters from the eggs you sent last spring. I hope it's good enough to see the details. That one furthest to the right is gorgeous. His hackles are pure copper. The front left is the least desirable for show, but a good looking bird. He has a bit of what is called a halo, those lighter feathers in a ring around his hackles. He also has a better tail angle, the prettiest one on the right is carrying his tail a little too high. Of the two in the middle, the one on the left has better color but his tail is very thin. Was that the buttless wonder? The one on the right is tall and lean like his daddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Yes, the one with the thin tail (top left) is the Buttless Wonder which my daughter said was much slower to develop. Bottom Left is the Henchman which is second in command and not very friendly. Dead center is the one with the crooked toe but very friendly. The one on the right is Captain, and definitely the lover and protector of the flock of 9 ladies. He tries to chase the humans but they're learning to chase back. No eggs from the Marans at my house yet. Even the Leghorn which was regular as a clock has ceased laying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 3 hours ago, Petee said: Yes, the one with the thin tail (top left) is the Buttless Wonder which my daughter said was much slower to develop. Bottom Left is the Henchman which is second in command and not very friendly. Dead center is the one with the crooked toe but very friendly. The one on the right is Captain, and definitely the lover and protector of the flock of 9 ladies. He tries to chase the humans but they're learning to chase back. No eggs from the Marans at my house yet. Even the Leghorn which was regular as a clock has ceased laying. Love the names i wonder if there's any correlation between body type and aggression. My black rooster with the same type is pretty aggressive. I normally won't tolerate that, but 13 girls are 100% fertile and he makes pretty babies. My blue is built like Captain, and he's got a great disposition. I'm getting no eggs from about 70 hens right now, it's the short days. Length of daylight affects them more than temperature. That's why I like to always have some young girls coming into lay in the fall or winter. They will usually lay straight through the first year. They should start laying any time now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Crooked Toe's name is Gimpy but don't tell her I repeated that! LFG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Since the light was fixed last Tuesday, I wonder how long it will take them to cycle to the extra light? It comes on at 5 in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted November 27, 2017 Author Share Posted November 27, 2017 14 hours ago, Petee said: Since the light was fixed last Tuesday, I wonder how long it will take them to cycle to the extra light? It comes on at 5 in the morning. I don't know, I've never supplemented light. I just let them go through the molt and resign myself to the fact that eggs will be few and far between during the winter. As long as I get enough to hatch a few dozen chicks each month I'm fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted December 6, 2017 Author Share Posted December 6, 2017 No eggs yet, Petee? This is driving me crazy, we're at almost 7 months now. Combs and wattles are nice and red, I'm really expecting them any day now, but still nothing. My first year layers always lay a few straight through the winter. It can't be the weather, either, it's been in the 60s and near 70 here for the last few weeks. Some of my 2 year olds have even started laying again after the molt, beautiful chocolate eggs. I keep checking in hoping you've gotten one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted December 6, 2017 Share Posted December 6, 2017 Yes, I'm getting an egg or two a day but I don't think they are from the Marans as they are too light. I was hoping whoever laid the first was going to lay darker ones, but the younger Rhode Island Reds are apparently beating the Marans to the punch. I do have the contents of your package finally assembled but it will be Friday before I can get to the Post Office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted December 7, 2017 Author Share Posted December 7, 2017 5 hours ago, Petee said: Yes, I'm getting an egg or two a day but I don't think they are from the Marans as they are too light. I was hoping whoever laid the first was going to lay darker ones, but the younger Rhode Island Reds are apparently beating the Marans to the punch. I do have the contents of your package finally assembled but it will be Friday before I can get to the Post Office. Can't wait to see what goodies from DooBwa My Marans' first eggs are a little lighter than the adults, but still darker than average and often speckled. They are also less oblong. I really hope we get some soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 Hey Petee!!! Got my first egg pic won't upload from mobile, I'll get it Monday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 Hah! Add insult to injury. I actually had to go buy eggs at Walmart today. The grand kids got the last of the fresh eggs for breakfast. Our chickens had better start spitting out eggs. It's Christmas Cookie time and I need lots of eggs! LFG and steelnut 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted December 10, 2017 Author Share Posted December 10, 2017 18 hours ago, Petee said: Hah! Add insult to injury. I actually had to go buy eggs at Walmart today. The grand kids got the last of the fresh eggs for breakfast. Our chickens had better start spitting out eggs. It's Christmas Cookie time and I need lots of eggs! Oh, I wasn't rubbing it in, I was just letting you know you may get some soon. That's my first egg from 6 girls. Usually after the first egg the rest will start laying within a couple of weeks I had to buy eggs at Thanksgiving. So emasculating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 I started germinating Oats for them so they have better nutrition. I use Chinese take out containers with holes in the bottom, fill them up to the first line with oats and water them well. Then in 5 days I have a bumper crop of short greens to give them. You just have to rinse and drain them well once a day. Every day that I empty one, I start a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFG Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 23 hours ago, Petee said: I started germinating Oats for them so they have better nutrition. I use Chinese take out containers with holes in the bottom, fill them up to the first line with oats and water them well. Then in 5 days I have a bumper crop of short greens to give them. You just have to rinse and drain them well once a day. Every day that I empty one, I start a new one. I used to do that when I had a small flock, but now I just dedicate a section of the winter garden to the chickens. It's easier here in SC Kale seems to be the biggest hit. Ok, this is very typical of one of my Marans' first eggs. Almost round, and not that dark to begin. You can see the darker flecking, and as they get older that becomes the color of the egg. They will lay nice and dark through the end of March, then they start lightening up gradually until the fall molt. Some of my molters have started laying again, and I'm getting some of my darkest eggs of the season. steelnut 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bon Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 Chicken Saddle and Booties! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 LFG, the Hen has flown the Coop and will be laying an egg in your town on Friday! Figure that one out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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