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More hens
Topic Started: Jul 17 2010, 02:54 PM (715 Views)
Phaedrus
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I`m down to just two hens now after Gertrude passed away the other day. She was a nice hen. Very friendly and curious and didn`t mind being picked up. She was a good layer too. I didn`t keep count of how many eggs she gave us, but it was about 5 or 6 a week for the few years we`ve had her.
So we are down to one Black Rock (Matilda) and one Leghorn (Marjory).

I`m thinking of getting a couple of Marans next. They lay fantastic eggs that are very dark brown in colour. Pure Marans are quite hard to find. I might have to settle for Maran crosses.

Here`s a pic of some eggs. The dark ones are Marans eggs.
Posted Image
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chrislane62

I've never seen any of them. They are dark coloured aren't they?
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Gina
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We had 40 Black Rock at one time. Now have just the one left. She looks in good health but no longer lays. I don't think I've ever seen Maran eggs - amazing colour!
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Phaedrus
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Black Rock are good layers aren`t they? A good hardy bird too. I think you should get some more Gina :)
Ok 40 maybe that`s too many omlettes a week, but 3 or 4 to keep you and your good fella in eggs?

From what i`ve read about Marans the darker egg layers tend not to lay so many. Marans are often crossed with other varieties to make them lay more but then the colour goes. Its a trade off.

I just like the idea of having a selection of eggs like that picture.

They are really dark aren`t they Chris. Would you buy eggs that colour if they were in the shops? Or would the colour put you off?
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chrislane62

I'd buy them. It's the white ones that put me off.
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Ray

I'd no idea of that variety - I thought shell colour depended upon what they were fed.
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chrislane62

The diet affects yolk colour, but not shell colour.
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Phaedrus
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Yes. Its down to the breed what colour the shell is. Usually white hens lay white eggs and dark hens lay brown eggs. There are some special breeds that can lay blue/green eggs.
This very dark brown colour is peculiar to the purer bred Marans.

Not having much luck so far finding Marans hens locally.
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chrislane62

I'll give you a shout next time I'm going north. They are freely available up by Oban.
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Phaedrus
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Chris that place in Oban looks like the best Maran stock in Britain.

I contacted the Maran Club UK and spoke to the chap for this region. He has some eggs in the incubator and asked me to ring him back in a couple of weeks to see what he has then. I wasn`t planning on getting chicks, (I wanted them at point of lay), but I guess 18 weeks isn`t that long to wait before they start laying.
Apparently they are not good layers in terms of numbers of eggs and thats why they are not so popular and difficult to find.
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Phaedrus
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Went over to Anglesey today to pick up 4 Marans hens. They are 8 wks old and they are the "cuckoo" variety. Very pretty hens.
I put them straight in with Marjory and Matilda (my leghorn and black-rock). They are bigger than I expected so they should be ok. Marjory doesn`t seem too bothered by the new arrivals, but Matilda is making a lot of noise. It is her hen house after all and she is not happy about me bringing more girls in. :lol

Its going to be at least November before they come into lay and I am going to have to use a light to extend their daylight hours, if I want them to lay at all. Failing that it will be February/March before we see any eggs.
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Phaedrus
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Panic! As it was getting dark I went to check on the new ones, but could only find one in the run. Then I noticed one of them outside in the garden! They must have found a way out of a gap between the run and the hen house. Found the third outside behind the hen house.
Couldn`t find the last one in the garden. Turned out she was asleep in the nesting box cuddled up with Matilda! :rofl
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Gina
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Livestock can be such fun! :lol
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Phaedrus
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Have you got any little one`s at yours at the minute Gina?
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Phaedrus
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The new girls are having a bit of a hard time. Matilda won`t let any of them near the feed trough and water, and keeps chasing them back in the house. I`ve had to lock the old girls in the house to give the little ones some time outside to eat and drink.
They did all sleep in the house last night though so thats a start. Matlida wouldn`t let them in the first night.

I`m try to handle the Marans a bit, to get them used to being picked up. I haven`t handled the older one`s much and they are pretty hard to catch now when you need to.
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Gina
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Phaedrus
Aug 21 2010, 09:45 PM
Have you got any little one`s at yours at the minute Gina?
No Trev. We thought we might have a duck that's hiding somewhere to brood some eggs but since I can't find her we don't know if it's that or if she's no longer with us.
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Phaedrus
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I was thinking more about your goats. You had a few young uns a while back I think?
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Gina
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Our youngest is 3 or 4 years old now - not quite sure, time passes faster than we think! We don't expect to breed any more goats now, but who knows - Tim is getting better all the time now - he's even talked of getting some pigs again :lol We'll see.
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Phaedrus
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Well, the Marans are still getting picked on by the other two. I don`t know why? I`ve tried separating them, forcing them together, splitting feed and water supplies etc. Matilda is constantly harassing them and Marjory is giving them grief too. Its pitiful to watch. They should have been accepted by now.
Today I spent the afternoon resurrecting the old hen house. I`ve raised it off the ground, giving room underneath and I`ve set it up at right angles to their current house and botched up a mesh fence to pen them together, giving a communal area between the two houses. They can choose which house they sleep in now and have over twice the room to wander around outside.
Maybe that will make things easier :shrug
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chrislane62

Any eggs yet?
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