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Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 8:04 am Post subject: Now we've got .....
Sheep two weeks ago and now we've got these:

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 8:10 am Post subject:
Marans? Cockerels? Lovely!

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 8:12 am Post subject:

Chez wrote:

Marans? Cockerels? Lovely!

Noooo - no technical talk please

The four big brown ones are layers and the small speckled ones are destined for the pot. They are what we were recommended by friends and that is about all I know

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 8:53 am Post subject:
Oh good - that will work out well, then! The little ones are definitely boys .

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 8:59 am Post subject:
A couple of questions then Chez? ('cos you know alot more about chooks then I do ) 1. Do you what type either of our chooks are? 2. How do you know the speckled ones are boys?

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 9:12 am Post subject:

1. Well, the little ones *look* like Marans. But - they might be some kind of Maran-cross?
2. They've got quite well developed combs; and are quite 'leggy' - almost like teenage boys

. Hens tend to be more compact looking by the time they get to that size. I could be wrong though. I gave a chook to a friend last year, 99.9% certain that it was a girl, and it wasn't

The brown ones, I wouldn't like to even guess at - presuming they are laying hybrids of some kind?

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 9:21 am Post subject:
Thanks Chez - they all came off the market and the brown ones are what everyone has round here for layers. The seller said we should get eggs in about 2 weeks - I'm counting the days and have added an egg skelter onto my birthday present list

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 9:26 am Post subject:
awwww I want some more chicks but I've lent my incubator to my brother as his turtle laid eggs A duck is living in my children's school veggy garden and has 9 really sweet chicks

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 9:46 am Post subject:
Oooh, I'm envious!

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 10:18 am Post subject:
It's easy to sex my Marans by colour before they even develop---the males are lighter than the females---the colour difference is quite marked----I've got some baby maran cockrells like green rosies and some a bit bigger running round growing for the pot at the minute.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 10:28 am Post subject:
I dint think Marran / marran crosses did very well for meat birds. Well ours never have. Takes to long to reach good weight & they eat to much. They are fighting like mad before they are ready for the pot. Justme

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 10:39 am Post subject:

Justme wrote:

I dint think Marran / marran crosses did very well for meat birds. Well ours never have. Takes to long to reach good weight & they eat to much. They are fighting like mad before they are ready for the pot.

Justme

Ate some maran cockrells last year for the first time---they tasted great----this years aren't quite ready yet---they are only for us and forage alot of food and these hens are a good laying strain---the cockrells are an extra----I don't particularly want a fast growing meat hybrid bird.I have hatched some jersey giants for interest---they are lovely with green legs---so I am going to try a cross with the marans to see what they are like for meat---they aren't a great egglayer.
p.s. They do fight a bit but not as much as rhodies I've had---my big maran cockrell is fine with me but has a go at my husband most days

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 11:10 am Post subject:
If you want cockerels for the pot then you can buy Sussex or Cou Nu at Point Vert. I'm currently raising 10 sussex and 9 guinea fowl.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 11:22 am Post subject:
Got guinea fowl due to hatch next week[lost the first lot as the brooder lamp failed in the night ] and pheasant hatching today---we intend to eat well this winter

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed May 14, 08 11:28 am Post subject:
All 'traditional' utility breeds take longer than purpose-bread hybrids to get to a killing weight. Marans are supposed to be good egg layers and good meat birds - nice white flesh, apparently?

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